Residential Support Worker in Sevenoaks

Vetting Level Required: DBS Enhanced Adult & Children

Salary: £26,100 per annum

Contract/Hours: Permanent Full Time, 37 hours a week.

• 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave.
• Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities.
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages.
• Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover.
• Staff discount portal and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts.

We are one of the largest children’s charities in the UK and have been making a difference to the lives of the UK’s vulnerable children for over 150 years.

A bit about the role:

Our Residential Support Worker role is a great fit for anyone with experience in care who’s ready to grow and take on something new. You’ll be supporting young people in a way that helps them feel safe, confident and able to build their independence. We’re looking for someone who brings genuine care, strong values and a positive attitude to the team.

McCarthy House is a 4-bedded therapeutic residential home for children and young people between the ages of 7-17 years. We provide support for young people who are likely to have experienced early childhood trauma. You would be a part of a dynamic team to support and encourage our young people to reach their full potential. Some young people may experience low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and have poor communication skills which can lead to disruptive behaviours and a positive compassionate attitude is paramount.

We’re big on supporting our staff too. You’ll get a thorough induction, ongoing training and we’ll sign you up for the qualifications you need. You’ll have regular supervision and team meetings so you always feel supported and connected. As you build your skills and experience, there are plenty of opportunities to progress within the organisation.

Day to day, you’ll be helping the young people do the things they love, encouraging their independence, supporting with personal care and creating a calm, consistent environment that helps them feel secure. The role can be fast‑moving and challenging at times, but it’s incredibly rewarding and we make sure to celebrate every achievement, no matter how small.

How you’ll help to create brighter futures:

Our Residential Support Workers are creative and innovative in their approach to support in making positive choices and achieving personal goals. Some other key responsibilities are:

• Providing lead case/care planning management, including assessing, reviewing and managing risk.
• Co-ordinating responsibilities within the service, with multi-agency and producing family information, including analysis and written reports.
• Helping young people in all aspects of their daily lives.
• Having good communication skills and the ability to engage well with both young people, colleagues and other professionals.

Let’s talk about you:

Are you resilient and have a positive approach to change and challenge? We’re looking for someone with a ‘can do’ attitude to join our team. Ideally you’ll have:

• Demonstrable experience of working in a care setting and developing positive relationships through trust.
• Application of a range of techniques to co-ordinate and communicate with service users and their families.
• Demonstrate a solution-focused approach to address problems, individually and in a team setting.
• Demonstrate emotional resilience to respond to the challenging nature of the role.
• Possess a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or recognised equivalent) or if you do not possess this you must be prepared to complete this within 2 years of commencing employment with us, full support will be provided.

Good to know:

Application Process: Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration.

At Action for Children, we’re dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic, and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children. Male staff are under-represented within our Children Service roles. We would like to encourage more male applicants for our Children Service roles.

If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with the job description, we’d love you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect person for this role, or another role within the Action for Children family.