Team Leader - Children's Residential Care

YourRecruit; Derby; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

YourRecruit is seeking a Senior Residential Support Worker for a residential children’s home in Derby. The role involves leading shifts, providing safe, caring and structured support to children and young people, and working to the home’s safeguarding and regulatory standards.

The successful candidate will have a Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (or an equivalent qualification), a commitment to safeguarding, and experience in a residential setting.

Qualifications

• Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) or equivalent qualification.
• Willingness to undertake the appropriate residential childcare qualification if not yet achieved.
• Experience in children's residential care is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, child-centered care to children and young people in the home.
• Lead shifts and guide Residential Support Workers.
• Ensure safeguarding procedures and health and safety standards are followed.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to care and placement plans.
• Support education, appointments and family contact where appropriate.
• Role model positive behaviour and mentor junior staff.

Education

Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England)

Equivalent qualification acceptable

Job description

Senior Residential Support Worker Residential Children's Home

Salary: £34,000 plus £70 per sleep in - up to 8 sleep ins per month. Hours: Shift work - mixed if long days and sleep ins.

Job Purpose

As a Senior Residential Support Worker, you will play a key role in providing safe, consistent and nurturing care to children and young people living within a residential children's home. Alongside providing direct care and support, you will take additional responsibility for leading shifts, supporting less experienced members of the team and helping to ensure that the home operates in accordance with its Statement of Purpose, safeguarding procedures and the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015. The role requires someone who can build positive relationships with young people while maintaining professional boundaries, providing structure and responding calmly and confidently to challenging situations.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, child-centred care and support to children and young people within the home.
• Build positive, trusting and professional relationships with young people.
• Lead shifts and provide guidance and direction to Residential Support Workers.
• Ensure young people are safeguarded and that any concerns are identified, recorded and escalated appropriately.
• Support young people with their emotional, social, educational and practical needs.
• Encourage independence, confidence and the development of life skills.
• Support young people to attend education, appointments, activities and family contact where appropriate.
• Contribute to individual care plans, placement plans, risk assessments and behaviour support strategies.
• Maintain accurate, clear and timely records in accordance with the home's procedures.
• Support the management of challenging behaviour using approved positive behaviour-support approaches.
• Promote a positive culture within the home where children and young people feel listened to, respected and valued.
• Act as a positive role model to both young people and colleagues.
• Support and mentor less experienced members of the residential team.
• Assist with the induction of new employees.
• Participate in handovers, team meetings, supervision and training.
• Ensure medication procedures, health and safety requirements and safeguarding processes are followed correctly.
• Work collaboratively with families, social workers, education professionals and other agencies involved in a young person's care.
• Support the Registered Manager and Deputy Manager in maintaining high standards throughout the home.
• Contribute positively to Ofsted inspections and the continuous development of the service.
• Undertake sleep-in duties, waking nights, weekends and bank holidays where required by the home's rota.

Qualifications

• Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England)
• or another qualification accepted as equivalent/relevant for the purposes of working within a children's residential care setting.
• Where the required qualification has not yet been achieved, the successful candidate must be willing and eligible to undertake the appropriate residential childcare qualification within the required timeframe.

Experience

• Previous experience working within a residential children's home.
• Experience supporting children or young people with emotional and behavioural needs and/or complex needs.
• Experience of taking additional responsibility within a residential setting.
• The confidence and experience to lead a shift.
• A good understanding of safeguarding and safer working practices.
• An understanding of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards.
• Experience of completing accurate care records, incident reports and other residential documentation.

Personal Qualities

• Child-focused and genuinely committed to improving outcomes for young people.
• Calm and resilient when dealing with challenging situations.
• Confident enough to lead a shift while remaining approachable and supportive.
• Reliable and consistent.
• Emotionally intelligent and able to maintain professional boundaries.
• A strong communicator.
• Able to work effectively as part of a team.
• Reflective and willing to learn.
• Comfortable taking responsibility and making appropriate decisions.
• Able to provide young people with both warmth and clear boundaries.

Additional Requirements

• Enhanced DBS check, including the appropriate barred-list check.
• Verification of identity and right to work in the UK.
• Full employment history with satisfactory explanations for any gaps.
• Satisfactory references.
• Verification of relevant qualifications.
• Appropriate health and suitability checks.
• A full UK driving licence may be required depending upon the needs and location of the home.

Working Pattern

This is a residential childcare position and may involve a rota including long days, evenings, weekends, bank holidays and sleep-in duties depending upon the requirements of the individual home.

Important Information

Due to the regulated nature of Children's Residential Care, successful candidates will be required to complete all relevant safer recruitment and pre-employment checks before starting work.

Right to Work

Please only apply if you already have the right to work in the UK for this position. Unfortunately, sponsorship is not available for this vacancy.

Safer Recruitment & Safeguarding

YourRecruit is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Appointments to roles within children's residential services will be subject to appropriate safer recruitment checks, which may include an Enhanced DBS check, verification of employment history, satisfactory references, qualification checks, identity and Right to Work checks, and exploration of any gaps in employment, in line with the requirements of the role and provider.

• Enhanced DBS check, including the appropriate barred-list check.
• Verification of identity and right to work in the UK.
• Full employment history with satisfactory explanations for any gaps.
• Satisfactory references.Verification of relevant qualifications.
• Appropriate health and suitability checks.
• A full UK driving licence may be required depending upon the needs and location of the home.

YourRecruit Ltd is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and does not discriminate unlawfully on the grounds of any protected characteristic.

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