Purpose of the role
To provide high-quality, child-centred residential care to children and young people living at Treetops Children Homes, helping to ensure that their day-to-day experiences are safe, nurturing, consistent and aspirational. The Residential Support Worker will build positive relationships, undertake direct work, contribute to care planning and recording, and work in line with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the Quality Standards, safeguarding requirements and the home’s Statement of Purpose.
Implement Treetops policies and procedures, including safeguarding, whistleblowing, safer recruitment, medication, behaviour support, missing-from-home, recording and complaints
Main duties and responsibilitiesCare and relationships
· Promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people at all times and act immediately on any safeguarding concern in line with policy, local procedures and statutory guidance.
· Build warm, respectful, appropriately boundaried and trusting relationships with children and young people, helping them to feel safe, listened to and valued.
· Work in a trauma-informed, restorative and nurturing way that recognises the impact of adverse experiences on behaviour, relationships and development.
· Promote children’s rights, individuality, identity, dignity, privacy, equality, diversity and inclusion, and ensure their wishes and feelings are obtained, recorded and acted upon where appropriate.
· Act as a positive role model, demonstrating resilience, empathy, integrity, accountability and professional curiosity.
Care planning and direct work
· Contribute to the assessment, planning, implementation and review of care in line with each child’s relevant plans, risk assessments, education arrangements, health needs and placement objectives.
· Undertake key-working responsibilities for allocated children where assigned, including direct work sessions, recording, advocacy and contribution to meetings and reviews.
· Support children to engage in education, training, employment, appointments and positive leisure activities, and help them develop practical, social and independence skills appropriate to their age and stage.
· Support children with daily living tasks including routines, healthy eating, budgeting, shopping, travel, and maintaining their bedrooms and shared spaces; provide personal care where appropriate and in line with dignity and care plans.
· Promote family time, positive relationships and effective partnership working with parents, carers, social workers, education, health and other professionals where this is in the child’s best interests and in line with the care plan.
· Ensure care is individualised and responsive to culture, religion, language, disability, neurodiversity, sexuality, gender identity and any protected characteristics.
Safeguarding, behaviour support and protection
· Maintain a strong safeguarding focus, including awareness of exploitation, missing-from-home risks, self-harm, substance misuse, online harm, peer-on-peer abuse and contextual safeguarding concerns.
· Implement risk assessments, safety plans and behaviour support plans consistently, and share concerns promptly when risks change or incidents occur.
· Use de-escalation, co-regulation and relational practice as the first response to distress and conflict. Only use physical intervention where this is lawful, necessary, proportionate, in the child’s best interests, and in accordance with training and policy.
· Ensure all incidents, allegations, complaints, sanctions, missing episodes, physical interventions and significant events are recorded accurately, notified appropriately and followed by debriefs with children and staff as required.
· Challenge poor practice, escalate concerns and use whistleblowing procedures where required.
Health, medication and wellbeing
· Promote children’s physical, emotional and mental health and wellbeing, and support access to routine and specialist health services.
· Administer, handle, store and record medication safely only where trained and authorised, in line with legislation, policy and the child’s prescribed arrangements.
· Encourage healthy routines, nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene and emotional regulation strategies.
Recording, reporting and confidentiality
· Complete all records to a high standard, including daily logs, key-work records, incident reports, body maps, medication records, risk assessments and plans, within required timescales.
· Use the organisation’s IT and recording systems competently and lawfully, ensuring information is factual, respectful, analytical where required, and compliant with data protection and confidentiality requirements.
· Share information appropriately with managers and relevant professionals to safeguard children and support good decision-making.
Teamwork, professional standards and practical responsibilities
· Work effectively as part of the team, contributing to handovers, debriefs, team meetings, supervisions and reflective practice discussions.
· Support a stable, homely and nurturing environment by carrying out household tasks, environmental checks and practical responsibilities to a high standard.
· Maintain a safe, clean and well-presented environment and report hazards, defects and maintenance concerns without delay.
· Carry out household, vehicle and health and safety checks as required, including food safety, fire safety, first aid and environmental checks.
· Handle petty cash and children’s allowances or monies in line with policy, maintaining accurate records and receipts.
· Drive company vehicles where authorised and insured, ensuring safe transport arrangements for children and young people.
· Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and conduct yourself in a manner that promotes confidence in the service.
· Attend and complete all mandatory training and other learning required for the role.
· Work flexibly across shifts and, where reasonably required, across homes or services to meet operational needs.
· Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post and consistent with the safe delivery of the service.
Work Location: In person
