Senior Residential Child Care Officer in Birmingham

About the job

We at Birmingham Childrens Trust Leadership are comprised of a team of four Executive Directors; Chief Executive, Director of Practice, Director of Commissioning & Corporate Parenting and Director of Finance & Resources who are responsible for leading and managing the Trust to be an autonomous and high performing organisation, ensuring services are aligned to deliver the Trusts strategic objectives, business plan and for providing expert advice to the Board.

Job Purpose

To be responsible, together with other team members, for the quality of day-to-day care, administration and organisation of the Childrens Home, and for the Care Plans of a number of Children and Young People. As a Corporate Parent, working with children, young people, carers, families and other partner agencies in meeting the needs of Children Looked After in the Childrens Home. To ensure that all statutory regulations and other additional instructions and good practice are adhered to and that the appropriate records are maintained at all times. To promote and maintain positive anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practices.

Job Summary

• Assist in providing a service, which will meet the various social, emotional and educational rights and needs of children and young people within the Childrens Home.
• Assist with the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people looked after by the Childrens Home.
• Maintain good professional relationships with parents/carers, professionals and significant others.
• Ensure the home is in a good, hygienic state.
• Promote good health care and hygiene, to undertake personal care with the children.
• Observe and regularly report, in writing, on the behaviour and development and outcomes of the children and young people.

Duties & Responsibilities

• To assist the Registered Manager in the management of the home in all aspects appropriate to the Statement of purpose of the Home.
• To assist in formulating Assessments, Placement Plans, Care Plans and Pathway Plans (where applicable) for each child or young person and formulate clear aims and objectives for each child/young person as necessary.
• To continually and actively assess the risk to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them.
• To provide a caring and supportive environment for children and young people. Respect and affirm their racial, cultural and religious identity and lifestyle.
• To advocate for and support children and young people, which could include representing them or accompanying them at Schools, Health facilities, job centres and other events.
• To assist in returning children/young people to their families or help them to move on to alternative carers or preparing them for adulthood as part of the Care Plan and Pathway Plan.
• To help field social work staff, parents and carers in the design and implement of Care Plans and Placement Plans for each child/young person, taking into account the views of the child/young person.
• Organising, providing and participating in stimulating activities for young people during their leisure time, which may also include holiday breaks with the children and young people away from the Childrens Home (usually between four to fourteen days).
• If you are a driver you would be encouraged to undertake driving duties as part of the role, albeit you would be required to undertake driving assessment for the minibus.
• To act as a Key Worker to individual children/young people.
• To maintain high quality childcare standards within the principles of the Care Standards Act 2000, and the Childrens Homes Regulations and Quality standards 2015.
• To support the Registered Manager with the routine production of statistical information, management information, procedure documents, etc, relating to children/young people resident in the Childrens Home, or who have left the Home.
• To promote the health and well-being of all children/young people Looked after in the Childrens Home (e.g. Health Monitoring, Mental Health, Sexual Health, Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco, Volatile Substances etc) undertaking the administration of medication and health care activities for which you will be trained.
• To provide a caring and supportive environment in which children/young people can feel secure and free from harm or bullying.
• To act as a positive role model working within the City Councils Code of Professional Conduct.
• To actively promote the childs/young persons education by assisting with and encouraging school attendance, homework, school liaison, attending parents meetings/evenings, etc, in particular with our Education partners.
• To exercise appropriate behaviour management of children by being trained in and familiar with the homes behaviour management policy.
• To be responsible for the maintenance of good quality written records and reports upon the individual child/young persons progress, which can be used in meetings and reviews.
• To be involved in the promotion and maintenance of good domestic and material standards throughout the home.
• To ensure the rights and needs of children and young people are met as fully as possible, whether spiritual, physical, intellectual, cultural, emotional or social.
• To maintain good links with Field Social Workers, LACES, Schools, Families and other Agencies (e.g. Health, Police, FTB, TESS, Youth Offending Service, The Local Community etc).
• To regularly attend staff meetings and monthly supervision sessions as requested.
• As part of the staff development process, to undertake other duties at a higher responsibility level commensurate with relevant experience and ability as directed by the Registered Manager, within the framework of the employees Performance Development Review.
• To receive regular supervision (within the BCT framework) from a senior member of staff identified by the Home Manager.
• To accept specific responsibilities to assist in the general running of the Childrens Home as identified by the Registered Manager or SRCCOs Supervisor.
• To operate as shift leaders as part of a rota after the SRCCO has completed 12 months experience.
• To undertake training as necessary.
• To commit to undertaking QCF 3 Children & Families within 6 months of being in post.

Supervision Received

Supervising Officer Job Title: Registered Manager, Care Manager or Assistant Care Manager. Level of Supervision: Left to work within established guidelines subject to scrutiny by supervisor.

Special Conditions

• This vacancy is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
• A Disclosure and Barring Services/ISA checks will be undertaken.
• This post requires the holder to do varying shifts, which includes early morning and late evening work.
• The post holder also is required to work weekends as part of a rota and Bank Holidays as required.
• To meet the needs of children and young people there may be occasions whereby the post holder will be requested to remain on duty at the end of a shift to ensure that safe practice in maintained.
• On occasions you may be requested to change your rota at short notice as an emergency measure, to ensure the contingencies of the service are covered.
• In accordance with the guidelines on Health and Safety, to accept responsibility for working within these guidelines and reporting any concerns to the Registered Manager.
• As part of the Directorates mobility arrangements, you may be requested to assist at another Childrens Home when necessary.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff to share this commitment. Observance of the Birmingham Childrens Trust Equal Opportunities Policy will be required.