Senior Residential Childcare Support Worker

Contract: Full Time, permanent

Starting Salary: Base salary of £30,223.16 with the potential to earn up to £31,903.16 with sleep in shifts. Salary after probation: Base salary of £31,555.60 with the potential to earn up to £33,235.60 with sleep in shifts.

Specific Hours: Approx 40 hours per week - shift pattern.

Apple Orchard has five homes in Surrey and West Sussex. Each home is set in a rural location and offers a comfortable homely environment for young males aged 12-18 years. We aim to help young people to develop insight into their experiences in order that they can move on from their often damaged traumatic past. We support them as they take steps to make sense of their lives by providing clear and safe boundaries and achievable goals. This includes positive reinforcement strategies such as reward charts and free time.

Central to our work is the need to provide a high level of nurturing which ensures all the basic needs of the young person are met to the highest standard. This includes providing a home that has a warm and friendly atmosphere where great emphasis is placed on building supportive relationships and positive attachments.

Duties and responsibilities:

• To undertake a lead role in ensuring the care and welfare of each child in the home, as well as ensuring their individual developmental needs and enabling them to reach their full potential.
• To plan and prepare activities that meet the young people's needs and stimulate their learning and integration within the home.
• Keep well-informed of legislation, guidelines, and policies to ensure the Children’s Act, Children’s homes regulations, and the national minimum standards are met at all times.
• To support and lead all Residential Support Workers ensuring all staff comply with policies, procedures, and risk assessments.
• To observe and assess young people’s progress and keep accurate records of their achievements, behaviour, and important events in their lives.
• To produce and keep up to date a life book for any young person for whom you have key working responsibilities.
• To work with local authorities/placing authorities to ensure the care the young people receive is outstanding.
• To establish and maintain positive working relationships with parents/carers in a way that supports young people’s learning and development and values parental involvement where appropriate.
• To be flexible within working practices of the home, including undertaking domestic tasks within the home, which will include preparation of meals, cleaning, shopping, etc.
• Work alongside the Manager and staff team to ensure that the philosophy behind the home is fulfilled as well as raising any concerns to the Registered Manager accordingly.
• To keep clear and legible records regarding the young people, ensuring that entries in records are legible, clearly expressed, non-stigmatising, and distinguished as far as possible between fact, opinion, and third-party information.

Essential skills:

• The ideal candidate would have previous experience of working with teenage boys or challenging behaviour and have a willingness to further develop their skills.
• You must hold a driving licence and have access to a vehicle. Due to the rural location of our services, public transport would not be a viable option.
• Hold Residential Childcare/Families Practitioner Diploma/Children and Young People’s Workforce/NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent – or be willing to work towards a required qualification.
• You would need to be willing to engage the young people in a wide range of activities and support them through their time at Apple Orchard; guiding them towards Independence and Adulthood.
• You will need to be flexible with your working hours and be able to work a mixture of days, evenings, and weekends. This role requires shift work although you will have every other weekend off.
• You must be able to challenge unacceptable behaviour, provide firm boundaries, and provide care which meets the needs of the individual.
• Must be able to work as part of a team.
• To follow delegated tasks and handovers.
• Be able to maintain policies and procedures.
• Can communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Have the ability to engage and listen.

Company pension, access to our Exchange Employee Discount Scheme, access to wellbeing programmes via our Exchange Provision, promotion opportunities.

Apple Orchard is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates. The company is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be subject to a DBS check at enhanced level if successful for the position.