Therapeutic Practitioner

Are you passionate about making a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of children and young people? Do you have a therapeutic foundation and an understanding of the challenges faced by young people living in residential care? We are looking for a compassionate and committed Therapeutic Practitioner to join our residential care team, supporting children and young people aged 8–18 who have experienced trauma, neglect and disrupted attachments. Our homes offer safe, stable and nurturing environments, where therapeutic relationships, consistency and emotional safety are central to supporting healing, growth and positive outcomes.

We are a values led organisation committed to trauma informed care and therapeutic parenting. Our residential homes are more than places of safety; they are therapeutic environments where children and young people are supported to thrive emotionally, socially and educationally. We work in close partnership with families, social workers and education professionals to ensure a consistent, holistic and child centred approach to care.

We are looking for a Therapeutic Practitioner to join our residential services, supporting children and young people with complex emotional and developmental needs to achieve positive outcomes. This is a front line residential role based within the home, working directly alongside residential support workers and under the guidance of our clinical team. In addition to delivering therapeutic care, you will provide on shift leadership, acting as a positive role model and source of guidance for colleagues to ensure consistent, trauma informed practice. You will play a key role in creating and maintaining a safe, nurturing, and highly therapeutic environment, promoting emotional safety, trust, and stability for children and young people. You will support staff to deliver high quality care, offer coaching and direction during shifts, and contribute to a culture of reflection, learning, and accountability. Our homes operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you will work as part of a rota that includes day shifts and sleep in duties, ensuring children and young people receive consistent, responsive care at all times.

Therapeutic Practitioners are responsible for delivering high quality, relationship based and trauma informed care, while also contributing to the effective leadership and day to day running of the home, including supporting staff practice, safeguarding standards, and overall service quality.

Key responsibilities

• Leadership responsibilities — Provide visible leadership on shift, ensuring high quality, safe, and person centred care.
• Lead and coordinate shifts — including delegation of tasks, prioritisation during busy or crisis periods, and maintaining appropriate staffing ratios and skill mix.
• First point of escalation — Act as the first point of escalation for staff and make safe, informed decisions in the absence of senior management.
• Quality and feedback — Monitor the quality of staff practice and interactions, offering coaching, mentoring, and constructive feedback.
• Supervision — Undertake supervisions for RCW’s in line with regulatory and organisational requirements.
• Staff development — Support staff development through informal observations, reflective discussions, and practice guidance.
• Safeguarding lead — Act as safeguarding lead on shift, ensuring concerns are identified, recorded, reported, and escalated appropriately.
• Incident management — Support the management of incidents, including initial reporting and reflective follow up with staff.
• Statement of purpose — Assist the registered manager and care coordinators in the implementation of the statement of purpose.
• Compliance — Ensure ongoing Ofsted compliance and adherence to Cambian policies and procedures.
• Other duties — Support the effective running of the home and complete other reasonable duties as required.

Therapeutic and care responsibilities

• Deliver relationship based, trauma informed care to children and young people, including keywork support.
• Build consistent, therapeutic relationships that promote emotional safety, resilience, and positive outcomes.
• Deliver therapeutic care under clinical supervision, working collaboratively with clinicians, care coordinators, and fellow therapeutic practitioners.
• Facilitate key work sessions and contribute to care planning, goal setting, and progress monitoring.
• Implement agreed therapeutic strategies and co facilitate groups where appropriate.
• Support young people to develop independence and life skills in preparation for future living.
• Work collaboratively with families, social workers, and partner agencies.
• Role model trauma informed practice and contribute to a therapeutic culture within the home.

You will be committed to relationship based, trauma informed care and motivated by making a genuine difference in children’s lives. You will have: A relevant degree in Psychology, Counselling, Social Work or a related field (a recognised therapeutic qualification is desirable).