At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a passionate team to support children with learning disabilities and autism.
- Company: Join MacIntyre, a national charity dedicated to empowering young lives.
- Benefits: Enjoy six weeks' annual leave, health cash plans, and discounts at leading retailers.
- Other info: Access ongoing training and development opportunities to enhance your skills.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while growing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience in care and a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare required.
The predicted salary is between 31650 - 43607 £ per year.
Lead with heart. Inspire a team. Help children live their greatest lives. Are you an experienced care professional ready to take the next step in your career? Do you believe every child deserves to feel valued, listened to and supported to achieve their goals? We're looking for a compassionate Team Leader to join our friendly children's home in St Albans, working 38 hours per week. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a passionate team, make a genuine difference every day, and grow your career with an organisation that invests in its people.
At MacIntyre, we don't just provide care—we build relationships, create opportunities and support children and young people to live fulfilling, meaningful lives.
About the home: Our home supports amazing children and young people with learning disabilities and autism. Every child has their own personality, strengths, interests and aspirations, and we take the time to understand what matters to them. Whether you're encouraging someone to try a new activity, celebrating a personal achievement, enjoying a day out in the community or helping create calm, reassuring routines, every day brings new opportunities to make a positive impact. You'll be joining a warm, supportive team where kindness, respect and teamwork are at the heart of everything we do.
The role: As Team Leader, you'll work alongside the Registered Manager to create an environment where both children and colleagues can flourish. You'll provide confident, supportive leadership that helps your team feel empowered, motivated and valued, while ensuring every child receives high-quality, person-centred support that's tailored to their individual needs and aspirations.
- Lead, coach and inspire a team of Support Workers to deliver outstanding, person-centred support.
- Help create a safe, nurturing home where children feel respected, included and able to thrive.
- Build positive relationships with families, social workers and other professionals, ensuring every child's voice is heard and their choices are respected.
- Develop and review personalised support and behaviour plans that reflect each child's strengths, goals and individuality.
- Support recruitment, induction, coaching and ongoing development of colleagues.
- Champion excellent safeguarding practice and ensure the home continues to meet Ofsted standards and Children's Home Regulations.
- Lead by example, getting involved in every aspect of home life—from activities and celebrations to mealtimes, routines and creating memorable experiences.
You'll work a varied shift pattern including days, evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Grow your career with MacIntyre: At MacIntyre, we believe in developing great people. As a Team Leader, you'll have access to ongoing learning, specialist training and leadership development designed to help you build your skills and confidence. Whether your ambition is to become a Deputy Manager, Registered Manager or explore wider opportunities across MacIntyre, we'll support you every step of the way with clear career pathways and opportunities to progress.
Why join us? This is more than a leadership role. It's a chance to help children discover their strengths, support colleagues to be their very best, and create a home where everyone feels safe, valued and able to flourish. If you're ready to lead with compassion, inspire those around you and build a rewarding career with an organisation that believes in people, we'd love to hear from you.
About you: You'll be passionate about helping children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live independent lives, and truly believe in their potential. You'll also be a great team player with experience leading or supervising a team. Your other skills will include:
- Creativity and a genuinely person-centred approach
- Resilience and flexibility when plans change
- Communication and respect for both your team & the young people
- IT literacy, and confidence managing rotas and budgets
- Eagerness to make a difference in children's lives.
You must also have a full UK manual driving licence & hold a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare.
About us: MacIntyre is a national charity which supports over 1,200 people with a learning disability and/or autism. We were founded in 1966 by the visionary parent of a child with disabilities and have been growing steadily ever since. We celebrate and develop everyone's unique gifts, talents and contributions.
Pay and Rewards: We provide a range of benefits to reward and thank our staff which includes:
- Six weeks' annual leave including statutory public holidays
- Workplace Pension scheme – MacIntyre will contribute 3% of your salary to all eligible employees
- MacIntyre Staff Savings Scheme
- Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing
- Health Cash Plan which provides money back on core health treatments such as: optical, dental, physiotherapy, chiropody (at reduced cost)
- MacIntyre Sick Pay (qualifying period)
- Life assurance scheme offering valuable benefits to your dependents
- MacIntyre Rewards Scheme which recognises and rewards staff
- MacIntyre Perks which offers up to 6% discount off leading retailers including Tesco, Curry/PC World, Costa and many more
- Access to the Blue Light Card which offers thousands of amazing discounts online and on the high street for emergency and social care staff.
- Enhanced DBS Certificate (cost paid by MacIntyre)
Training and Development: At Macintyre we fully support your training and development. We know it can be daunting to start a new job, and not everyone learns the same way, so throughout your probation we will provide you with a mixture of eLearning, face-to-face training and mentoring support whilst on the job. But it doesn't stop there - throughout your career with us you will have access to our own dedicated in house Learning and Development team, Quality Specialists and HR Teams. These teams, along with your Area Manager, will provide you with opportunities to learn and develop professionally as well as enabling and supporting you to achieve professional qualifications and career progression opportunities - all free of charge.
How to apply: If this job sounds like the right fit for you, click on the Apply button on the MacIntyre website, complete some brief details and upload your CV. If you would prefer to complete a manual application form, call us and we will send an application form to you. Please note: we reserve the right to close this advert early if we have received a sufficient number of applications, so don't delay, apply today.
Safer Recruitment and Diversity statement: MacIntyre safeguards and promotes the welfare of the children, young people and adults we support. Therefore we work with successful candidates to complete appropriate checks prior to joining. MacIntyre is committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion among our workforce. We want our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and the people we support.
Team Leader Children's Residential Care Home employer: MacIntyre
MacIntyre is an exceptional employer that prioritises the growth and well-being of its staff while making a meaningful impact in the lives of children with learning disabilities and autism. Located in St Albans, our friendly children's home fosters a warm and supportive work culture where kindness, respect, and teamwork are paramount. With comprehensive training, clear career pathways, and a range of benefits including generous leave and health support, we empower our employees to thrive both personally and professionally.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Team Leader Children's Residential Care Home
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at MacIntyre.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from MacIntyre!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like MacIntyre, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at MacIntyre or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Team Leader Children's Residential Care Home
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to MacIntyre:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to MacIntyre! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at MacIntyre
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
