Senior Youth Support Practitioner

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sleep-in allowance

Training opportunities

Career progression

Job summary

Suffolk County Council in Ipswich is seeking a Senior Youth Support Practitioner to join our Shotley Children's Home. You will lead a small team, coordinate daily activities and ensure a nurturing, safe environment for one child aged 11-17, with two staff on duty.

The role includes safeguarding, collaboration with families, fixed shifts, and sleep-in duties compensated in addition to base salary. Permanent contract, 37 hours per week, with progression opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience in residential settings for children and young people
• Commitment to safeguarding and welfare of children
• Ability to work as part of a management and staff team
• Good communication skills and team ethos
• Willingness to undertake training and upskill

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team delivering high-quality care for children and young people
• Coordinate daily activities with the Manager and staff to ensure consistency
• Create a welcoming, safe, and happy environment for the child
• Listen to children and families and work collaboratively with them
• Maintain safeguarding and welfare practices at all times
• Manage shifts effectively and contribute to a stable rota

Skills

Residential youth care

Team leadership

Safeguarding

Communication skills

Driving licence

Education

Level 3 Diploma in Children and Young People’s Workforce (Residential Care)

Job description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Shotley Children's Home, Suffolk. Onsite work
• Salary: £40,905 which includes a salary of £35,570 plus 15% unsociable hours allowance £5,335 per annum (pro rata for part time). You will be required to undertake rostered sleep in duties. These duties are a contractual requirement, for which you will receive national minimum wage for the hours you are rostered to sleep, on top of your salary. £21.20 hourly rate (this includes the hourly rate of £18.44 plus the 15% unsociable hours allowance)
• Hours: 37 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk County Council, we believe that when our people grow, our communities thrive. That's why we're looking for a passionate Senior Youth Support Practitioner to join our team.

We are committed to providing a nurturing environment for vulnerable children and young people.

You will join a small, dedicated team providing high-quality care and support within a one-bed children's home in Shotley. The home offers a nurturing, safe, and stable environment for one child or young person aged 11-17, with staffing arrangements typically comprising two staff members on duty to ensure consistent support and positive relationship building.

We provide support for the children and young people in our care to achieve the best possible outcomes in all aspects of their lives, including education, health, and social and fun activities, as well as supporting them to build positive and appropriate relationships.

We believe every child and young person deserves a safe and supportive environment where they can thrive.

If you are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable young people and canwork fixed shifts, we want to hear from you. This rewarding role offers the chance to change futures in a home from home.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Senior Youth Support Practitioner, you will lead and support a team dedicated to providing the very best care for children and young people. Working closely with the Manager, you will help coordinate daily activities, guide staff, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to feel valued, have fun, and create positive memories. Although there can be challenging moments, knowing that you are helping children thrive makes this a truly rewarding role.

You will:

• bring personality, life skills, and experience to help our children and young people develop, grow and have fulfilling lives
• be an integral part of a team that ensures every child and young person who walks through our doors feel welcome, cared for, safe and happy
• listen to children and families and work collaboratively with them
• be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
• be self-motivated and be able to work without constant supervision
• have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations

What you will need

• Knowledge and understanding of the role of a Residential Youth Support Practitioner
• At least 2 years’ experience of working in a residential setting for children
• Experience of being a role model when working with children or young adults
• The ability to work as part of the management team as well as a staff team
• Good communication skills and a strong team ethos
• A willingness to undertake training as required to update knowledge and skills
• To either hold a full and current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means
• To be able to work fixed shifts.

The home also welcomes applications from candidates who already hold a suitable practitioner level qualification at Level 3 for the Children and Young People’s Workforce or equivalent experience in a relevant area.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker, shaped by the voices of young people.

About the home

The homes operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which means you will work flexibly across a 4-week rolling rota, including weekends and bank holidays, with shifts typically covering 7am–6pm and 5pm–11pm, followed by a sleep-in shift from 11pm–7.30am.

This ensures:

• consistent staffing:Ensures staff are always present during critical times, providing stability for the children
• meeting individual needs:The rota helps in planning and implementing effective care plans
• team collaboration:Structured rota allows for effective communication and teamwork
• flexibility within structure:While the rota is fixed, it strives to offer some flexibility to accommodate staff needs.

Benefits

Suffolk County Council will provide you with a fully funded Level 3 Diploma in residential Child Care, to be completed within 2 years of employment required by Ofsted. You will also have the option to complete the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for residential Child Care to further your career within Social Care.

• Monthly supervision sessions.
• Virtual clinical supervision by a seasoned professional.
• Excellent benefits package.
• Sleep-in duties are an additional contractual requirement. For these duties, you will receive National Minimum Wage for the hours you are rostered to sleep, in addition to your salary.

The Team

This is your chance to join a brand-new team and help shape a children’s home from the very beginning.

Our newly renovated home in Shotley is ready for the next chapter, and we’re looking for fantastic people to be part of it. From a team of Youth Support Practitioners and Senior Youth Support Practitioners through to the Deputy Manager, Home Manager and Handyperson every member of the team will play an important part in creating a home where children and young people can feel safe, supported and valued.

You’ll have the opportunity to grow together as a team, share ideas, learn from each other and create the kind of positive, supportive culture you’d be proud to be part of. It’s an exciting opportunity to make your mark in a new team while making a real difference to the lives of the children and young people you support.

The team will work together to provide consistent, individualised support and build positive, trusting relationships that help the child or young person feel safe, valued and supported.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in ourWorkforce Equality Report.

For more information

For an informal discussion about this role, please contactBeth Fletcher, Residential Service Manager,by calling 07732603793.

We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.

Closing date: 11.30 pm, 8 November 2026.

Interview and Warner Interview date: 18 or 20 November 2026.

You will be required to attend a Warner Interviewfor this position as part of the recruitment process.

Please note: If you are successful in securing a position, you will be required to provide a full 10-year employment and activity history as part of our pre-employment checks. This must include details of all employment, education, and any gaps in activity, together with referee contact details for each role where applicable. To help avoid delays during the recruitment and onboarding process, we recommend gathering this information in advance.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.