Senior Residential Child Care Worker - Pebbles Care

Department: Care Operations

Reports to: Registered Manager

Safeguarding statement: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young people in our care.

All postholders are subject to background checks and satisfactory enhanced disclosure and barring checks (DBS/PVG).

Overall purpose of the role

The overall purpose of the role is to provide high-quality care and support to young people who are looked after away from home.

Our homes operate within the regulatory frameworks set by Care Inspectorate Quality Standards (Scotland), and the Children’s Homes Regulations (England).

Those we care for include children and young people who have experienced family or placement disruption, emotional/behavioural difficulties, or other significant disruptions to their lives.

Main duties, responsibilities and accountabilities

Safeguarding through individual risk management planning for young people. Promoting positive social engagement/interaction, healthy relationships and building of trust in a safe and measured way, applying safeguarding principles throughout.
Providing high levels of nurturing care underpinned by principles of therapeutic parenting.
Supporting children and young people throughout their daily routines by accompanying where necessary and transporting to and from activities, school or learning environments, appointments, including family contact and providing supervising when required.
Participating in activities with children and young people, encouraging engagement in education and positive and appropriate hobbies and interests. Preparing and supporting young persons with tuition and homework.
Maintaining a safe and clean home environment, including the completion of all domestic duties eg cleaning, cooking, washing and, general housekeeping
Lone working and or as part of a wider professional team.
Ensuring confidentiality is maintained at all times, reporting directly to your line manager any information or concerns in a timely and accurate manner.
Participating in supervision, personal development plans, and attend all mandatory and relevant training along with completion of the SCQF level 7 or Level 4 Diploma /relevant to Children and Young People’s Residential workforce, within the specified time.
Ensuring all aspects of daily and reporting recording is completed within a timely manner, and in accordance with agreed company policies and procedures.
Ensuring you are compliant with Codes of Practice set by both your employer and respective regulatory bodies ie SSSC (Scotland), familiar, and remain updated with all company policies and procedures, relevant legislation, all required codes of practice, and individual young people’s documentation.

General responsibilities

Health & Safety: To ensure the continued compliance in relation to health & safety within the department. Ensure targets are met each month in relation to the undertaking of audits & inspections and that safety concerns are identified and addressed through to satisfactory resolution for the department. Promote positive culture in relation to health & safety within the department and across the business.

Quality

Collaboration: Build and maintain solid relationships with all departments across the business, working collectively to achieve the overarching company objectives in a safe, clear, positive, openly supportive, and engaging manner.
People: Responsibility for setting and monitoring of objectives of direct reports through the probationary and appraisal systems, identifying training needs and submitting training requests in a timely manner, management of annual leave and absences.

Qualifications, skills & experience

Essential

Must have current, valid UK driving licence
Motivation to work with children from disadvantaged backgrounds
Pass DBS/PVG enhanced checks (if successful)
Relevant sector registration, SSSC or equivalent
Right to Work in UK

Desired

Minimum of 18-24 months’ experience in childcare or youth setting
Qualified in SCQF level 7 / NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Children and Young People’s Workforce
Relevant experience within alternative social care settings (adult LD, Substance misuse support, domestic abuse
An understanding of the challenges young people and carers face within residential childcare

Competencies

Verbal and written expression – the ability to communicate in clear language and to adjust ones use of language to the audience’s level and the ability to express ideas and views clearly to others in writing.
Basic computer literacy is required.
Accountability – Being accountable and passing on accountability for one’s own actions and those of colleagues and the organisation.
Sensitivity – Being attuned to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others and being aware of the influence of one’s own behaviour on them.
Resilience – The flexibility to work towards shared goals in challenging circumstances.
Energy – The ability to motivate others and remain enthusiastic when in challenging situations.
Learning ability – The ability to absorb new information readily and to put it into practice effectively.

Person specification

Adaptable – ready to change routine with the ability to remain fully functional by adapting to changing circumstances (environment, procedures, people)
Co-operation – ability to work effectively with other to achieve a share goal, able to let the group’s interests prevail over own interests
Integrity – passes on information consistently and honestly, does not abuse position or power, guards sensitive information, treats everybody equally, respectfully and without discrimination
Listening – ability to show understanding of information including non-verbal, patiently lets other person finish their story, shows genuine interest.
Stress management – ability to perform under pressure and in adversity, has proper self-perception and distinguishes essentials from side issues.
Workmanship – carries out one’s work in accordance with professional standards or profession, has thorough knowledge of field, carries out job as a committed professional and maintains and improves own knowledge and skills.