Children's Home Residential Practitioner, Permanent in Four Oaks

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

Job Location: Shire Hall

Salary: 30,024 - 32,597 per annum (plus enhanced pay for unsociable hours and sleep-in allowance)

Hours per Week: 37

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 14/06/2026

This post is open to job share on an 18.5 hour a week basis.

Make a Real Difference. Join Us as a Residential Practitioner.

Are you driven by purpose and a deep belief that every child deserves safety, love, and the chance to thrive? This is more than a job; it’s a chance to change the trajectory of a young person's life. We are looking for compassionate, resilient, and dedicated individuals to join our growing team across our children's homes. Working with children who have experienced trauma and adversity is both challenging and incredibly rewarding. Through patience, empathy, and meaningful relationships, you will help young people rebuild trust, develop confidence, and believe in their future again. If you want to be part of a service that is ambitious for children, committed to trauma-informed care, and focused on real, lasting outcomes, then we want you on this journey with us. Be the difference. Be the stability.

In accordance with Schedule 9, Part 1, of the Equality Act 2010, this role has a Genuine Occupational Requirement for the postholder to be aged 21 years or above. This is an essential and proportionate requirement to ensure the effective and appropriate delivery of the service due to the nature of the duties of the role and the ages and complex needs of the children and young people in our care.

Right child, right support, right time, every time.

Following our June 2025 Ofsted inspection, our Children's Services were rated Good with Outstanding elements. Our Children's Residential Service continues to grow and evolve. We currently have a newly registered third home, alongside our established homes, which were most recently rated Good by Ofsted in March 2026. We also operate a short-break service as part of our wider provision. As we continue to strengthen our services, we are looking for the right people, passionate, committed, and driven professionals, who want to be part of this journey and make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people.

What makes us different?

• As a Local Authority children's home, we are driven by care, not profit. Our focus is firmly on doing what is right for children. That means every decision, every resource, and every member of staff is dedicated to creating safety, stability and long-term opportunities for the children who live with us.
• In-house therapeutic support clinicians guiding trauma-informed practice.
• Advanced Practitioner-led training and reflective support.
• We bring consistency and stability into a young person's life when they need it most.

Our homes:

• Short-term home for younger children transitioning to foster care or returning home.
• Long-term home for older children preparing for independence.
• Step-down home supporting older children moving from residential care to fostering or home.

About you:

• We are looking for people who are passionate about helping children flourish.
• Empathetic, patient, and resilient.
• Able to build strong, trusting relationships.
• Good communicators and collaborative team players.
• Committed to reflection and professional development.

Experience is welcomed but not essential; full training is provided.

Requirements:

• Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) or an equivalent qualification, or a commitment to achieving the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare within two years of commencing employment at the home if you do not already have this qualification.
• Full driving licence and willingness to drive in the job.
• Enhanced DBS (Adults & Children).

About the role:

• As a Residential Practitioner, you will deliver high-quality, personalised care.
• Use trauma-informed approaches to support emotional healing.
• Encourage independence, life skills, and positive routines.
• Work closely with a multidisciplinary team.
• Support children in education, recreation and personal growth.
• Respond to challenges with confidence and curiosity.
• Ensure the home meets safeguarding and regulatory standards.

Typical shift pattern:

Rotas operate over 7 days a week (Monday-Sunday). Staff typically work 2 to 3 long shifts per week, each totalling 16 hours. Example Long Shift Structure: Day 1: 10:00am - 11:00pm (shift) + sleep in (11:00pm - 7:00am), Day 2 - 7:00am - 10:30am (shift continues). Day 3 Off.

Why join us?

Choosing this role means choosing to make a real and lasting difference. Here’s what you can expect:

• You’ll receive training that builds confidence and skill. With trauma-informed training, clinical guidance and continuous development, you’ll grow into a confident, thoughtful practitioner who makes a meaningful impact.
• You’ll work in homes built to feel safe and welcoming. Our homes are shaped with young people, warm, homely, and filled with opportunities for connection, fun, and healing.

If you would like to find out more about our Children's Service please take a look here: Children's Social Care Careers | Gloucestershire County Council.

Any hours worked between 20.00 - 06.00, weekends and Bank Holidays attract an unsociable payment over and above the basic salary for this post. Candidates will be contacted by phone to arrange a face-to-face interview at Shire Hall. We reserve the right to close an advertisement earlier than the stated closing date if we receive a suitable number of applications.

Under the terms of our Safer Recruitment Policy, if you are invited to interview, we will take up safeguarding references prior to your interview to understand your suitability to work with vulnerable children. These references will then be discussed in your interview. Please give details of at least two referees, one of whom must be your present and/or last employer and the other from a previous employer(s). These will need to cover the last three years of employment/education. In the case of applicants leaving full-time education or not having worked since doing so, the Head of School, College or University should be one of the named referees. We do not accept references from friends or family members or workplace colleagues (who are not more senior).

To ensure we process your application in a speedy and efficient way, we will contact your referees by DocuSign. Where appropriate, please inform them of your application.

Additional Information:

This position is subject to a DBS check. Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire's diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a customer-facing role must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.

Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.