Team Lead

Action for Children; Penicuik; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Over 7 weeks paid leave (plus buy/sell

Training and professional development

Maternity/paternity/adoption packages

Employer life assurance (up to 5%)

Blue Light Card discounts

Job summary

Action for Children’s Pentland Way residential service in Penicuik seeks a Team Leader to guide and support a team delivering high-quality, person-centred care for young people with learning disabilities. You’ll lead by example, ensure safeguarding and regulatory compliance, and work closely with families and partners to provide consistent, compassionate care.

The role involves shift leadership, staff development, and collaboration with the Registered Manager to maintain outstanding care

Qualifications

• Must possess SVQ4 Leadership & Management.
• Experience of managing staff, with visible leadership by example.
• SSSC registered.
• Significant experience of working with children and young people with learning disabilities.
• Demonstrate informed decision making and judgment to anticipate problems and find solutions.
• Good knowledge of safeguarding and keeping young people safe.

Responsibilities

• Providing direct line management to a team of residential staff to deliver high standards of care.
• Support staff team development through training opportunities, staff supervision, and multidisciplinary working.
• Leading shifts and working with the Registered Manager to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and organisational policy and procedure.
• Working to achieve positive outcomes for individual children and young people and contributing to external inspections, including deputising in the absence of the Registered Manager.
• Taking part in on-call support for a cluster of services in accordance with a rolling rota.

Skills

SVQ4 Leadership

Experience managing staff

SSSC registered

Experience with learning disabilities

Decision making

Safeguarding knowledge

Education

SVQ4 Leadership & Management

Job description

Salary: £30,000 - £34,500 per annum + on call allowances

Contract/Hours: Permanent / Full Time - 37 hours per week;

• Early shifts: 7:00am - 2:30pm
• Late shifts: 2:00pm - 9:30pm
• Double shifts

Closing date for applications is midnight of Sunday 2nd August

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles
• Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
• Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers

Action for Children isn’t just about fostering and employment - we’re a leading provider of specialist residential care for young people with complex needs, including intellectual disabilities.

Our teams work in highly tailored environments where every young person receives individualised support that meets their social, emotional, behavioural, and cognitive needs.

A bit about the role

As a Team Leader, you’ll play a key part in shaping their day to day experiences. You’ll lead by example, offering guidance, encouragement and support to your team as they deliver high quality, person centred care. Your leadership will help create a safe, nurturing environment where children and young people can grow in confidence, build independence and develop resilience. Day to day, you’ll be supporting with the activities they enjoy, encouraging their independence, assisting with personal care and helping to maintain a calm, consistent atmosphere that helps them feel secure. The role can be fast paced and challenging at times, but it’s incredibly rewarding and we make sure to celebrate every achievement, big or small.

You’ll also take responsibility for the smooth running of the service, ensuring staff feel supported, valued and motivated to deliver the best possible care. Working closely with families, colleagues and external partners, you’ll help create joined up support tailored to each young person’s needs. By fostering a culture of teamwork, learning and continuous improvement, you’ll help your team grow while maintaining the highest standards of care and safeguarding.

About the Service

Pentland Way is a well-established, specialist residential service in Penicuik, Midlothian, currently operating on behalf of Midlothian Council. From October 2026, the service will become part of Action for Children, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both the young people we support and our dedicated team.

Providing a warm and welcoming home for up to three young people aged 16-21 with learning disabilities and autism, Pentland Way focuses on supporting young people through the important transition from children's services into adulthood. Our aim is to ensure every young person experiences a meaningful, positive, and empowering journey towards greater independence.

With a small, highly personalised setting, we’re able to build strong, trusting relationships and deliver tailored support that reflects each young person's unique needs and goals. By working closely with families and professional partners, we create individualised support plans that promote stability, routine, personal growth, and life opportunities.

Joining Pentland Way at this exciting time means becoming part of a team that is committed to maintaining continuity, providing exceptional care, and helping shape the future of a service where young people can feel safe, supported, and optimistic about what lies ahead.

What you do could make a difference

Some key responsibilities for the Team Leader Residential role are;

• Providing direct line management to a team of residential staff to deliver high standards of care.
• Support staff team development through training opportunities, staff supervision, and multidisciplinary working.
• Leading shifts and working with the Registered Manager to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and organisational policy and procedure.
• Working to achieve positive outcomes for individual children and young people and contributing to the achievement of an outstanding, good or equivalent rating in external inspection including deputising in the absence of the Registered Manager.
• Taking part in on-call support for a cluster of services in accordance with a rolling rota

Let's talk about you

• Must possess SVQ4 Leadership & Management or willing to work towards within 2 years of taking up post.
• Experience of managing staff, also providing visible and effective leadership and management by example.
• SSSC registered.
• Significant experience of working with children and young people with Learning Disabilities.
• Demonstrate informed decision making and judgement, utilising these skills to anticipate and identify problems and find solutions
• Good knowledge of Safeguarding, and keeping young people safe.

Why Action for Children?

Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us change that where it really matters.

We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here.

Will you join us?

Diversity, equality and inclusion

We work hard to create an inclusive environment. One where individuality is celebrated and where everyone feels valued and supported. Because when we come together, with skills like yours, we’re capable of amazing things.

We actively encourage applications from people with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and people with a disability, as these groups are under-represented within Action for Children.