Team Leader - Children’s Residential Care Home in Nuneaton

We are searching for an experienced, positive and driven Team Leader to join the team at Tristar House in the Warwickshire area to deliver the highest quality care services to children and young people. The successful candidate will have at least 2 years of experience working at a senior level with a range of children and young people with Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties.

We shall support you to progress your career and install your own ideas, plans and visions whilst also promoting the ethos and vision of Centauri Care’s Residential Services. We want people to come to work each day excited at the prospect of making a positive impact on young people, helping to keep them safe, enriching their lives, providing education, life skills training, helping them and their families to achieve better outcomes.

We offer a competitive salary and bonus scheme with training and development opportunities.

Centauri Care is an independent children’s care provider run by a friendly team. Our care homes are fully re‑constructed and renovated throughout and offer a comfortable, welcoming, homely working environment for successful candidates. Our key objective is to make sincere and positive changes to young people and children’s lives who come from challenging backgrounds, and we seek the very best individuals to be part of this influential journey. We value and are committed towards equality and diversity within our company and aim to ensure our staff reflect the diversity of the children and young people within our care. To support our commitment towards this, we welcome applications from all ethnic backgrounds. Safeguarding of children and young people in our care is of the highest importance. Our recruitment and vetting process aims to create a safe environment for all children, young people and staff. The successful candidate will be appointed subject to clear enhanced DBS and reference checks.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The role of the Team Leader is to support and work alongside the Registered Manager of the home in efficiently co‑managing the home’s budget, overseeing the development of staff and the young people in placement, formulating and updating placement plans and risk assessments.
• Support the Registered Manager in the delivery of high‑quality service provision incorporating care, welfare, safety and security of all children and young people in our care and promoting the Company’s ethos as a therapeutic based organisation.
• Support the staff team in managing the day‑to‑day tasks of the home, working on shift as the lead person for role‑modeling and developing good practice and liaising with multi‑agency partners.
• Comply with the health and safety policy and in particular: take reasonable care for their own health and safety at work and those who may be affected by their actions or omission; cooperate with line manager and senior management, work safely, comply with health and safety instructions and undertake appropriate training; do not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided for the interests of health, safety and welfare; report health and safety concerns, hazards or defects.

Ensure that you and the staff work in accordance with the Statement of Purpose and update relevant documents as directed by your manager. Demonstrate effective leadership to direct and support the staff team to deliver person‑centred childcare working towards the best outcomes for each young person. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the relevant legislation for Children’s Homes and give guidance to other staff. Have a working knowledge and understanding of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015, the Quality Care Standards, and promptly implement any recommendations or address requirements to improve the service after any Ofsted inspection. Ensure implementation of Centauri Care’s Safeguarding Policy and Local Authority Safeguarding procedures. Work cohesively and in partnership with team members and other professionals. Notify Local Authority Social Workers of all significant events, incidents, important changes and physical interventions within 24 hours. Ensure young people receive a sensitive residential service that best meets their individual social, racial, psychological, educational, cultural, physical identity and health care needs. Undertake all administrative tasks necessary for the effective running of the home within Centauri Care Policies and Procedures. As directed by your Manager, ensure the home is fit for purpose by meeting Fire Regulations and Health and Safety Regulations, addressing Quality Assurance and Regulation 44 Reports action points promptly. Secure all buildings when leaving the site. Support the Manager in the performance and development of staff by conducting regular supervisions and the annual appraisal process. Participate effectively in the on‑call duty system. Complete appropriate training within the required time‑frames, ensuring an up‑to‑date training record is maintained. Undertake other duties as may be deemed appropriate from time to time. Represent the organisation in a professional and credible manner. Demonstrate effective time‑management, organisational and planning skills. Work on own initiative but seek support when necessary. Support the staff team through challenging times such as a particularly difficult resident group or an unpopular change process. Lead and facilitate any debrief as required in the absence of the Registered Manager. Advise and support the Registered Manager in matters of performance or discipline of all staff. Make decisions in complex circumstances.

Resource Management

• Responsible for the maintenance of physical assets located at the home.
• Responsible for the health and safety of the premises and furnishing of the home.
• Ensure central ICT policies and procedures are adhered to by staff and children and young people.
• Co‑ordinate and monitor the administrative functions of the home and evaluate standards of performance.

Skills and Experience

Qualifications and Education

• Good level of education
• Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) or Level 4 Diploma in Residential Childcare Worker or Equivalent
• Attained, started or willing to commence Level 5 Qualification in Leadership & Management in Children’s Services
• GCSE in Maths and English at Grade C or above
• Social Work Degree or Qualification (or in training)

Experience

• At least 2 years’ continuous experience of being a Team Leader/Senior Residential Support Worker in a Residential Childcare setting
• Experience of working with children, young people and their families in a supportive role within a Children’s Home setting
• Working and supporting children with Social and Emotional needs
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 and experience of electronic record keeping
• Attendance and participation in Child‑focused meetings, such as Child in Care Reviews, Care Planning meetings
• Experience as the line management of staff, including supervisions
• Social media experience to create and maintain posts for the home

Knowledge and Understanding

• A knowledge of relationships – how to create, sustain and end them; what causes breakdowns, and the problems associated with dysfunctional relationships; able to advise staff of appropriate strategies to use when working with children/young people and their families.
• An understanding of the various reasons children and young people come into care including the various pathways into care.
• A good understanding of the legal, procedural and policy context of residential childcare.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety at Work and how to draw up or implement relevant risk assessments.
• Knowledge of Local Safeguarding Board procedures and the risk management of children and young people who are or may be at risk.
• Understanding the educational, health, social, emotional and psychological needs of looked‑after children and young people, ensuring these needs are met.

Skill and Abilities

• Able to support the Registered Manager in ensuring all staff work in an anti‑discriminatory and anti‑oppressive way and develop a good understanding of these values.
• Responsible for effective day‑to‑day running of the residential home in the absence of the home’s Registered Manager, managing a team of staff and work allocations, and undertaking direct work with children in the residential home when necessary.
• Team building: ability to work in conjunction with others in the team and direct the work of colleagues where appropriate; promote and develop the professional skill base of team members; provide formal and informal supervision, identify appropriate Personal Development plans and ensure their implementation and review as necessary; support staff in developing skills and knowledge; assist the Registered Manager in identifying and incorporating staff training needs.
• Communication – written and verbal: demonstrate skills in communicating effectively via written reports, email, media presentations, multi‑professional meetings; hold discussions with parents, children, colleagues and other professionals, present cases and pass on information coherently; act as chairperson in meetings relating to staff or young people in the absence of the Registered Manager.
• To provide care and control, including emotional support and appropriate boundaries for behaviour: understand the complexities of group living, lead and facilitate group work in the absence of the Registered Manager and advise and support staff with 1:1 direct work; anticipate, diffuse and deal appropriately with situations of verbal and physical conflict and restrain young people when necessary, as indicated by legislation and local guidelines; support staff in encouraging service users to express their wishes and needs and act as an advocate when necessary; assess needs, plan and implement care programmes, ensure PEPs, Placement plans, Care plans and Pathway plans are appropriate to the needs of the young person and in line with the home’s objectives; support the Registered Manager and all aspects of the home’s financing/budgets; support the Registered Manager in implementing appropriate procedures for the recruitment and selection of employees and their induction.
• Equality and Diversity: promote equality and value diversity by interpreting equality, diversity and rights in accordance with legislation, policies and procedures and relevant standards; identify patterns of discrimination and take actions to overcome this and enable others to promote quality and diversity and a non‑discriminatory culture that supports people in exercising their rights.

Working Hours and Environment

Your working hours will typically average 37.5 hours per week but may vary based on business requirements. The hours will normally be on a shift rota basis. You will be required to work evenings, sleeps and weekends due to the nature of the role. You must be within commuting distance of Nuneaton.

Salary and benefits up to £34,275 dependant on experience plus an Ofsted bonus scheme.

What We Can Offer you

• Competitive salary up to £34,275 (depending on experience)
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Regular salary reviews
• Professional training & development opportunities
• Therapeutic training & consultation for all staff
• Performance related bonus for achieving Ofsted ratings
• Open minded, supportive management team
• Progression and growth opportunities
• Opportunities to be part of creating additional new residential care homes.
• Wonderful working environment

Additional Pay

• Loyalty bonus
• Refer a friend bonus scheme up to £500
• Ofsted Performance bonus
• Free meals whilst on shift
• Free initial DBS check

Schedule

• Shift hours as required including sleeps
• Working within a staff rota
• On call when required

Licence/Certification

• Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) / Level 4 Diploma in Residential Childcare Worker or Equivalent
• Attained, started or willing to commence Level 5 Qualification in Leadership & Management in Children’s Services
• People’s Services in progress or willing to commence Diploma of Higher Education (preferred)
• Full UK Driving Licence with at least 2 years driving experience
• UK Right to work full time (minimum 37.5 hours per week)
• Must be 25 years of age or over
• United Kingdom work authorisation (preferred)