Residential Worker - The Maples

Permanent, Full Time

£20,604 to £26,801 per annum

Location: Harlow

Closing Date: 16th March 2021

Please note this role is based at The Maples in Harlow. The Maples is a short breaks children's residential home that supports young people with autistic spectrum disorders, physical and learning disabilities.

Due to nature of this role and the need to meet the ofsted regulations around the minimum age of a carer in an environment with children up to 18 years old, any applicants need to be at least 23 years old in order to undertake this post.

The work pattern for this role will be on a rota basis and hours are averaged over the rota. The shift patterns require staff to work two out of three weekends and Bank Holidays including Christmas and New Year. You will be expected to sleep in and be on call overnight on a regular basis depending on the needs of the service.

Please be aware that you need to be able to start work at 6.45am.

Note: In addition to the basic salary offered the role also comes with a 6% allowance (£1,236 to £1,608 pa), £36 per night for sleep in's and a possible opportunity for overtime.

You are required to state your full employment history since leaving full time education (with any employment gaps of 4 weeks or more being explained) on your application in order to be considered for the role. Failure to do so will result in your application not being considered.

In-house training will be provided for this role, so it is a fantastic opportunity to start your career within children and families social care.

For more information on the Children and Families function, the services within the function and the office locations we work from please click on the following link: ps://view.pagetiger.com/cerbygt/1

Job Purpose

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting the development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

The Residential Worker will effectively contribute to care planning and working with children and families directly to ensure the delivery of good quality care.

Experienced in supporting children and young people within a children's residential environment, the role will demonstrate collaborative working with children and young people to establish a positive working relationship which provides support.

Service/Functional Accountabilities

• Responsible for directly supporting children and young people within a residential home, to ensure all regulatory requirements and codes of practice are met.
• Supporting the planning process for children and young people, contributing to the assessment of individual needs and developing placement plans, to ensure clarity on how these needs will be met, implemented and monitored on a regular basis.
• Facilitate constructive contact with children and young people's families to ensure that the young people receive care to support them in preparing for adulthood.
• Supporting young people to ensure they are encouraged and supported to make decisions about their lives.
• Work collaboratively with the management team to ensure that the young people live in a healthy environment in order to be more independent.
• Contribute to ensuring young people are able to access education and pursue their particular interests to further develop their ability to be independent and preparation for adulthood.
• Contribute to the operational effectiveness of Residential Home ensuring the care of young people is regularly monitored and on occasion and includes leading shifts, on occasion.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Educated to NVQ level 3 Caring for Children and Young people or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Evidence of experience of working with young people in a paid or voluntary capacity; or paid work in residential care with other service users.
• Understands and demonstrates the ability to promote people's equality, diversity and rights alongside experience of being able to protect children from abuse.
• Experience of using relevant technology in which to store, access and retrieve key client information.
• Experience of contributing to the development, provision and review of Placement, and other care management plans, with evidence of the ability to encourage young people to develop and maintain a positive sense of identity.