At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and inspire a team while supporting children in a residential setting.
- Company: Join Oasis Restore, a revolutionary organisation in Youth Justice.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, health schemes, and pension options.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive team with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in social care and strong relational skills required.
The predicted salary is between 44399 - 48189 £ per year.
CLOSING DATE: 6th July 2026
INTERVIEW DATE: 14th July 2026
START DATE: As soon as possible
SALARY: £44,399 - £48,189 - which includes a £5,460 Restore management allowance, as well as £6,792 unsocial hours payment per annum (subject to eligibility criteria) plus Local Government Pension Scheme
LOCATION: Oasis Restore in Rochester, Medway, Kent.
WORKING PATTERN: Full-time shift work including days, evenings, nights, and weekends
DISCLOSURE LEVEL: Enhanced
Can you see yourself in a senior role, taking responsibility for the children and staff within one of our three residential houses? Do you want to be part of a revolution in Youth Justice? Are you passionate about working with children who are on remand or sentenced? Do you have a gift for balancing kindness with structure? If you said yes to any of the above, then we have an opportunity for you like no other!
Following a period of internal building works coupled with a comprehensive learning review with all our staff over our therapeutic processes and what we have learnt so far on this revolutionary journey; we are offering a hugely exciting opportunity for people with relevant personal and professional experience to come and join our team of Senior Restore Practitioners. This will be an amazing opportunity for those with the correct skillset to come and work with our new cohort of students.
Your role as First Line Manager will be to inspire and develop Restore Practitioners, manage and partake in activities, and provide and sustain a sense of safety, care and boundaries. You will be an important figure for children and staff in each of the houses, representing a caring, fair and structured source of authority, who is present and involved in daily life. You will be someone who can work well in complex, demanding and emotive situations. You will have excellent relational skills and will be someone who can think well under pressure and who can empower and contain others in their work. You will have a powerful belief in the value of restorative work and will be able to hold your hope and compassion for the children in the face of the challenges they will bring within our agreed operating procedures and systems.
You will report into the middle leadership team and will work within a team which includes experienced social care managers and therapists as well as working with teaching staff to support the children's engagement in education and wider school activities. You will play an active role in the school's enrichment programme, delivering sessions which promote the development of the whole child.
In addition to delivering and supporting enrichment programs, you'll ensure our safeguarding standards are rigorously upheld and keep our systems updated. Your attention to these protocols will play a crucial role in keeping our children safe and supported.
You will have responsibility for ensuring the healthy functioning of the whole school (including the home), chairing handovers, coordinating and ensuring the allocation of staff, providing support, presence and decision-making across the day, and working with staff to embed and sustain our restorative culture.
You will be a champion of therapeutic practice, placing relationships at the heart of everything you do and be responsible for ensuring excellent standards of care throughout the school. You will be someone who cares about developing others, working on organisational, team, group, family and individual levels to foster real understanding, good relationships, accountability and communication, within our culture of benign enquiry. You will have a mature, reflective approach that aligns with the Restore Framework, our model of practice, aware of the conscious and unconscious impact of this very challenging work and the value of discovering its meaning. You will be committed to finding a way through, and never giving up.
As a newly established subsidiary of the Oasis Charitable Trust, you will enjoy the benefit of being part of a national organisation that aims to support all staff to reach their full potential and a once in a lifetime opportunity to create, develop and grow a new collaborative and innovative values-based organisation. As well as this you will also benefit from the following opportunities:
- A mixture of one to one and group reflective practice, coaching & regular line management/supervision sessions
- Experience an Appraisal policy that decouples pay and performance.
- An elected staff forum to listen to, and act on staff feedback.
- Access to the Local Government Pensions Scheme (a competitive, defined benefit pension scheme)
- Access to a funded cash plan health scheme
- Access to an EAP service
- 33 days annual leave including bank holidays, rising to 35 days after two years.
- Subject to meeting basic eligibility criteria, be entitled to up to 8 weeks full-pay and 18 weeks half-pay paid maternity/adoption/shared parental leave (based broadly on the NHS Employers scheme).
- Subject to meeting basic eligibility criteria be entitled to up to 3 weeks fully paid paternity leave.
- Paid time off to attend antenatal appointments (those staff who are either pregnant or whose partner is pregnant)
- Have a structured and bespoke induction training plan plus a training offer bespoke to our context leading to a level 3 qualification in the therapeutic care of adolescents.
- Comprehensive de-escalation and restraint training (front line roles only)
- Supportive sick leave pay (based broadly on the length of service framework in the national Green Book framework) from Day 1 of employment.
- Up to 5 days discretionary paid compassionate/emergency/general leave plus further discretionary unpaid leave
- Up to 4 weeks paid parental bereavement leave plus up to 5 days paid bereavement leave for the death of other specified close relatives.
- Blue Light Card (subject to meeting their eligibility criteria)
- Expenses and travel costs incurred as part of the working day (as appropriate, not including travel to work)
- Access to free car parking, season Ticket Loans, Specsavers eye care vouchers and a cycle to work scheme (subject to meeting their eligibility criteria).
Locations
Senior Restore Practitioner in Kent, Maidstone employer: OASIS RESTORE
Oasis Restore in Rochester, Medway, Kent, is an exceptional employer dedicated to fostering a supportive and innovative work environment for its staff. With a strong emphasis on professional development, employees benefit from comprehensive training opportunities, reflective practice sessions, and a commitment to maintaining a healthy work-life balance through generous leave policies and a competitive pension scheme. Joining our team means being part of a transformative approach to youth justice, where your contributions directly impact the lives of children in a nurturing and collaborative setting.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Restore Practitioner in Kent, Maidstone
✨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 OASIS RESTORE.
✨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 OASIS RESTORE!
✨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 OASIS RESTORE, 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 OASIS RESTORE 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 Senior Restore Practitioner in Kent, Maidstone
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 OASIS RESTORE:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to OASIS RESTORE! 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 OASIS RESTORE
✨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.
