As a Children's Support Worker, you will play a crucial role in providing direct care, advice and assistance to children in need. This role requires empathy, patience, and dedication to supporting children through various challenges they may face. As a residential support worker you will attend to the children's practical, physical and emotional needs. To act as an appropriate role model and to work closely with them to enable them to address any individual difficulties and achieve their optimum potential. You will work closely with families, social workers, and other professionals to ensure the well-being and development of the children living with us in our homes. To achieve this you must work both independently and as part of a team.
Equal Opportunities: All children are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way. As a residential support worker you are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging any behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference.
Accountable to: Team Leaders, Deputy Manager, Registered Manager, Responsible Individual
Individual Specific Duties and Responsibilities
- To maintain a high quality of care and support which meets the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and cultural needs of children and placed in the care of Remarkable Outcomes.
- Working from the guidelines from the 1989 Children’s Act, National Minimum Standards, Every Child Matters and any other relevant legislation.
- To provide a caring, supportive and nurturing environment in which children can feel secure and free from harm.
- Establishing positive relationships with children and always offering them unconditional and positive regard. Help children develop a positive self regard for themselves and build a positive identity.
- Helping children gain self control by challenging unacceptable behaviour and rewarding acceptable, pro-social conduct. This to be done in a non confrontation manner that would be counter productive for the child’s emotional wellbeing.
- Respond to crises or emergencies effectively, following established protocols and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of the children. Share this information with all professionals involved within the care of children.
- Ensuring that each child's care plan, risk assessment’s plans, missing from care protocol and behaviour management plans are followed and amended as appropriate to reflect their changing needs
- Attending to practical matters in relation to childcare (cooking, cleaning, general maintenance around the home etc). Be responsible to encouraging the children to have a sense of pride within their own home.
- To act as a key worker or co worker for our children and to ensure their care plans are up to date and that all their care needs are being met. This involves completing regular key work sessions and documenting the progress made within their individual care and placement objectives.
- Provide support and guidance to families, offering resources and assistance to strengthen family dynamics and support the child's integration into the family unit.
- To provide a positive role model to be able to offer advice, guidance and assistance where appropriate. It is expected you will conduct yourself as a responsible person at all time.
- Collaborate with other professionals involved in the child's care, including social workers, teachers, therapists, and medical professionals, to ensure holistic support and continuity of care.
- Providing advice, assistance and support on a 1:1 basis to enable children to address past and present difficulties. You will be expected to know a child's individual care journey and be empathetic and understanding in your approach.
- Providing emotional support at times of difficulty or stress. To remain calm, consistent and always operate with the children's best interests at the forefront of your actions at all times,
- Being ambitious for children, helping them achieve their goals and optimise their potential. Celebrate their successes however small they may seem.
- Providing support for children in their education and extracurricular activities, this may include supporting them in the classroom if necessary. Facilitate educational activities and skill-building exercises to support the intellectual and developmental growth of children.
- Keeping accurate records and documentation of interactions, observations and progress for each child adhering to confidentiality and privacy polices. Also provide written reports on young people for planning meetings, reviews or any other meetings as directed by the line manager.
- Empowering children and facilitating their active involvement in the decision making about their lives and future.
- Acting as an advocate at meetings for children, be their voice when they feel that they are being un heard. It is your responsibility to make the relevant referrals needed for specific professional services.
- Encouraging the children to develop links with the community, attend off-site activities and expand their personal social network
- Being aware of the aims and objectives of the home and working collaboratively with colleagues to achieve them
- Attending team/ staff meetings and making a positive contribution to them Actively contributing to the development of the team by being a pro active member.
- Receiving and storing information to improve communication.
- Being willing to give and receive feedback on performance with colleagues and managers
- Being aware of childcare plans for all young people and providing support for colleagues by maintaining consistency in the execution of those plans
- Providing informal practical and emotional support to colleagues experiencing difficulties
- Attending and contributing to regular supervision sessions in line with the National Minimum Standards
- Monitoring the conduct of colleagues and referring on any causes for concern (Whistleblowing) You have a duty of care to report any practice concerns to your manager as soon a reasonably practical.
- Being familiar with all Remarkable Outcomes policies and procedures and adhering to them within your every day practice.
General Responsibilities
- Driving company vehicles (current driving licence holders subject to procedures)
- Receiving training appropriate to the role and maintaining an up to date training profile
- Responsibility for the accurate maintenance of financial records appropriate to the duties of the post
- Responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of self and colleagues in accordance with the requirements of the companies policies and procedures.
Special Conditions
This post requires you to do varying shifts, which include early morning and late evening work, sleep-in. As a residential support worker you are required to work weekends as part of a rota and Bank Holidays when required. Sleeping-in duties are also required for which an additional payment is made. On occasions you may be requested to change your rota at a given notice as per your contract, to ensure the contingencies of the service are covered. This may also include covering an additional sleep-in duty as an emergency measure.
In accordance with the guidelines on Health and Safety, to accept responsibility for working within these guidelines and reporting any concerns to the Registered Manager. To undertake such other duties appropriate to the grade of the post and the needs of the Home such as basic maintenance and basic gardening in order to develop and maintain a safe and homely environment for the children.
In line with the regulations you will be required to be enrolled and actively working towards the relevant qualification, Level 3 Diploma or Level 4 Apprenticeship in children and young people within residential settings. The enrolment will happen after successfully passing your probation period.
This post requires the you to have a clear Criminal Records Bureau check at all times Changes to personal circumstances which may effect this must be notified to your line manager immediately failure to do so can potentially lead to disciplinary action.
Pay: £14.19 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid training
Work Location: In person
