Casual Residential Child Care Practitioner in Aberdare

Job description

Casual Residential Child Care Practitioner

Grade 7 - £16.08 per hour

Do you have what it takes to make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people with disabilities and complex needs?

Are you a compassionate, resilient and enthusiastic individual who can provide practical, emotional and personal support while helping children and young people to thrive?

We are actively looking for individuals to join our dedicated teams in our Children's Residential Care Homes.

Locations... Ystrad Fechan (Treorchy), Ty Bwlch (Treorchy), Nantgwyn (Aberdare).

As a Casual Residential Child Care Practitioner, you will be part of a caring team that provides a safe, nurturing home for children and young people with a range of needs, including learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, complex health needs, and those who have experienced childhood trauma. You will be led and supported by an experienced Registered Manager and Senior staff team.

Successful applicants will be committed to improving the lives of children and young people with disabilities and complex needs. You will need to work creatively, with a high level of active engagement, to support children and young people to develop life skills, build confidence, increase independence and reach their full potential.

You will be supported and trained to practice in a therapeutic environment, utilizing the Trauma Recovery Model of care.

Much of your role will involve building positive relationships and supporting children and young people with their everyday routines. This may include providing emotional support, personal care, support with health and medical needs, mobility assistance, communication support, and helping individuals to access education, activities, and opportunities within their local community.

Personal care duties may include supporting children and young people with bathing, showering, dressing, toileting, continence care, oral hygiene, hair care, mealtime support, administering medication following training, and supporting mobility and transfers where required. Staff are expected to provide this support in a dignified, respectful and person-centred manner, encouraging independence and choice wherever possible.

You will play an important role in helping children and young people develop life skills, increase their independence, communicate their wishes and feelings, and achieve positive outcomes. Some children may have learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, sensory needs, communication difficulties, or complex health needs requiring additional support and specialist approaches.

This role will involve providing emotional, physical and personal care in a respectful, dignified and person-centred way. You will work closely with families, education providers, health professionals and other agencies to ensure care and support is tailored to each child's individual needs and aspirations. Candidates will need to demonstrate:

• A genuine passion for supporting children and young people with disabilities and additional needs.
• Confidence in providing personal care and support with daily living activities, or a willingness to learn.
• An understanding of the importance of dignity, respect, choice and independence.
• The ability to communicate effectively with children and young people who may have differing communication styles and needs.
• Patience, compassion and resilience when supporting children and young people with complex behaviours or health needs.
• An understanding of the needs of children and young people with disabilities, additional learning needs and complex health needs, or a willingness to develop this knowledge through training.
• Excellent communication skills
• Positivity and resilience
• A commitment to providing safe and caring environments for children and young people to learn and grow
• The ability to invest in developing trusting relationships.
• An enthusiasm and commitment to learning
• An ability to work flexibly

Shifts are inclusive of bank holidays and weekends and are typically worked from 7.30am - 3.30pm and 3pm -11pm. Sleep-ins duties and occasional nights are also required. You may occasionally be required to work in other residential locations to support our other homes within the local authority, to meet the needs of the service.

You will be expected to hold or be prepared to work towards the QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) or predecessor qualification NVQ Level 3 (Children and Young People). You will be registered with Social Care Wales, either on appointment, or following completion of the Induction Framework.

Our Offer to you...

We recognise that working in Social Care is professionally and personally challenging and demands considerable levels of skill, commitment, and enthusiasm. We offer a dedicated in-house Learning and Development Centre which actively supports our staff to maintain their skills and Continuous Professional Development. Successful applicants will be fully funded to receive the necessary training and support required to undertake the role. Successful applicants who do not hold the relevant qualification will be supported to achieve the QCF Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) within 2 years of appointment.

RCT Council employees also have access to a wide range of staff benefits which include:

• 26 days Annual Leave, rising to 31 days after 5 years' service. There is also an option to purchase additional annual leave to a maximum of 10 days (pro rata) per year.
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Discounted LeisureForLife Membership
• Vivup Card (staff discount)
• Technology Purchase Scheme
• Access to our Occupational Health Unit and CARI, our new digital confidential wellbeing tool.

Take a look at our dedicated Children's Services webpages for more Information about why you should choose a career in Residential services. Children's Residential Service | RCT - Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (rctcbc.gov.uk)

Protecting children and vulnerable adults is a core responsibility of all staff appointed to the Council.

In addition to this safeguarding responsibility, the successful applicant for this role will also be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.

The Council values diversity in its workforce. We are committed to ensuring that no unlawful discrimination occurs in the recruitment and selection process on the grounds of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, transgender, including those with non-binary identities, religion or belief or pregnancy and maternity. We offer a number of staff networks for employees including the Allies Network, a Disability and Carers Network and Perthyn our LGBTQ+ Network.

An application submitted for this post in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English.

In support of the Council's voluntary pledge to support the Armed Forces, the recruiter must always be prepared to ensure that applicants who have identified themselves as members of the Armed Forces including Service Leavers, Veterans or Reservists and who meet the essential criteria of the person specification, are offered an interview.

Care Experienced Leavers - Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of the Council's corporate parenting role it is committed to supporting its care experienced leavers. This means anyone who has spent time within the care system at any point in their life. We encourage applications from individuals who are care experienced to enable them to access employment, education, experiences and volunteering opportunities.

The Council will guarantee an interview for any care experienced leavers who wish to take part in the scheme who meet the essential criteria for the role.