Salary: Starting salary is £12 per hour - to include 2/3 sleep-ins per week at £60 per sleep

Position: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

Positions available: 11

Closing date: 31st December 2024

Children’s Residential Support Worker


Do you want to work in care but are worried about unsociable hours? 

Our consistent working pattern of two days on, two days off, gives you more structured shifts and consecutive days off.

Dover | Deal | Sandwich

£12 per hour + incredible benefits package including 28 days paid holiday, staff pension and on-going training to gain invaluable childcare career qualifications.

Are you looking to take the first step on a rewarding career ladder? Whether you’re an experienced care worker or looking to build a career in residential childcare, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for determined, caring and enthusiastic people to play a part in making a real difference in a child’s life.

In our small family-sized homes of three or four children, the role of Children’s Support Worker is to provide safety, support, care and guidance at an important time in their young lives. Don’t worry – we’ll provide all the training you need to get started, and you’re never alone: you’ll start off with a mentor in one of the homes, working in “shadow” shifts alongside other workers.

What makes us different?

  • We make a house a home. Each of our homes looks just like a regular family house. You’ll be part of a team that has a generous budget devoted to decorating the home and taking part in regular activities, days out and quality experiences for the children.
  • Therapeutic care. You’ll receive training (both external and alongside our talented in-house therapy team) to provide the best support for the children in your home.
  • UK-leading pay scales and career progression. Our starting salary is £12 per hour. The role also includes up to three sleep-ins per week at £60 per sleep, meaning that you could earn £30,000 per year. We also have a rolling rota system meaning that your days on shift and your days off will often be consecutive, making it easier for you.

Perks, rewards and benefits

  • 28 days paid annual leave
  • Staff pension scheme
  • Staff loyalty and long service scheme which includes increase in pay and extra annual leave days.
  • Regular team building days, parties, meals and more!
  • Staff discounts at high street shops and online retailers
  • Complimentary health and wellbeing support with our employee assistance programme
  • Full Training Package. This includes a fully funded Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare qualification.

Some of the Duties and Responsibilities:

As a Residential Care Worker, you will form part of a house team of Support Workers, Shift Leaders, Senior Shift Leaders, Deputy Manager, and a Manager. This is a physically and mentally demanding role that will challenge and reward you.

You will play a pivotal role in providing safety, support, therapeutic care, guidance, and nurture to the children and young people in our Therapeutic Community. This will include assisting the children with their daily routines including preparation for school, participation in extra-curricular activities and mealtime preparation. You will share experiences and engage in meaningful interactions to foster positive relationships and sense of belonging. Using the skills you have acquired through training; you will provide therapeutic support and care tailored to the individual needs of each child who may have experienced trauma in their younger years, helping to build a more positive outcome for them.

  • Form part of a team who provide flexible, 1:1 support for young people as part of a shift pattern covering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year within your identified place of work, alongside working within the wider community as requested by the needs of the organisation.
  • To work alongside and in partnership with team members and other multi agency professionals.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people by adhering to the guidelines given in Safeguarding Training, appropriate legislation, and company policies.
  • Understand and adhere to Channels and Choices Policies and Procedures and to National Legislation such as National Quality Standards for Children’s Homes, The Children Act 1989 and 2004, Care Standards Act 2004, and Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.
  • Attend regular and ad hoc supervision as requested with your line manager, attend team meetings and any other meetings as and when required.
  • Attend all training and complete all on-line training as directed by your line manager to help develop your own skills to support children in our care.  On successful completion of your Probation, you will be expected to obtain a formal qualification as required by National Legislation, i.e. Level 3 Diploma in Residential Children’s Services
  • To contact on-call manager/Out of Hours notifying them of any safeguarding or urgent issues regarding the children or the home.

What we are looking for:

  • You must be 21 years of age or over.
  • Good communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • Calm, approachable manner, adaptable and non-judgemental.
  • Able to work under own initiative and as part of a team.
  • Basic housekeeping and cooking skills.

If you’re looking for a rewarding career and the chance to make a real difference to children who need it the most, apply to work for Channels & Choices today. After a successful initial application, we’ll invite you in for an informal interview.

Channels and Choices are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the young people in our care.  Staff are all required to adhere to the organisation’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures.  This post will be subject to a clear Enhanced DBS Disclosure, an employment background check, satisfactory references & verification of a right to work in the UK.  As part of our commitment to Safer Recruitment, CV’s cannot be considered without a completed application form.

Channels & Choices are committed to ensuring that we are always recruiting, retaining and promoting a diverse mix of colleagues who are representative of the diversity in our local community. We actively celebrate our staff’s different abilities, sexual orientation, ethnicity, faith, and gender. Everyone is welcome to apply for a job with Channels & Choices and our staff are supported in their development at all stages in their journey with us.

Channels and Choices reserve the right to carry out background social media checks on all new applicants.

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