Residential Childcare Support Worker

Polaris Community; Heysham; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 31,000

Job description

Salary: Basic salary of £23,961.60 with the potential to earn up to £30,681.60 with sleep in shifts.

We are looking for dynamic and inspirational Residential Childcare Support Worker to join our already established Residential Team at Bay View. You’ll be working in one of our family feel children’s homes in Heysham or rural North Lancaster, with a maximum of four young people per home.

Our service requires individuals who will help guide young people aged 8-18 with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties to success and who are dedicated to supporting our ethos. As well as this, you will support in providing a safe, secure, homely and positive environment for the children and young adults in the home so that their lives are progressively improved. All our homes are rated ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ by Ofsted so as such we would need individuals to continue improving and developing the quality, image and reputation of the Home.

It is a requirement that you undertake & complete your Diploma Level 3 in Working with Children & Young People or Level 4 Children, Young People and Families practitioner Apprenticeship within 2 years if you do not already possess this.

You must also hold a full UK driving license.

• Competitive Salary plus up to £6720 in sleep in payments (average of 6-8 sleep ins per month at £70 per sleep in)
• Regular Supervisions
• Company pension
• Access to our Exchange Employee Discount Scheme
• Access to wellbeing programmes via our Exchange Provision
• Comprehensive training programme, followed by a comprehensive and ongoing CPD Programme
• Promotion opportunities

Principal Accountabilities

• To carry out his or her duties as a Childcare Worker and Key Worker so that the National Standards, laid down by Ofsted, are consistently exceeded.
• To ensure that the highest possible standard of childcare is provided to the children who are resident in the Home.
• To purposefully and systematically improve the lives of all the young people who are resident at the Home.
• To build and maintain positive and effective working relationships with family, friends and any other external body, as requested by the Registered Manager.
• To contribute to the building and maintenance of a culture of trust and mutual respect between all involved in the Home, both children and members of staff.

The Provision of Childcare

• The Childcare Worker contributes to the development of appropriate and high quality care plans for each young person.
• All legal requirements, Ofsted standards and the policies and procedures of Bay View Childcare are adhered to at all times.
• Any feedback received from residents, family, friends, placing authorities and any other relevant parties is noted and communicated to the Registered Manager and Deputy Manager by the pre-agreed method.
• The Home is kept clean, tidy, safe and secure at all times.
• The Childcare Worker builds constructive and trusting relationships with the children in the Home, ensuring a full understanding of their personal background and individual needs.
• The Childcare Worker is approachable, friendly and professional, proactively engages with the children and creates an open, positive and inclusive environment so that the children feel that they belong in the Home.
• The Childcare Worker works proactively and constructively with the children, endeavouring to build relationships with them, add to their quality of life and build foundations for future personal success.
• The children are actively supervised and kept safe and the Childcare Worker looks out for signs of unease, frustration and unhappiness and engages with the children as necessary.
• The Childcare Worker is quick to sense, manage and de-escalate any conflict situation which may arise. Any action taken in this respect is in line with the policies and procedures of Bay View Childcare.
• All issues and concerns relating to the children are proactively communicated to the Registered Manager, Deputy Manager and Shift Leader.
• Risk assessments are carried out for all new activities, as requested.
• Pre-activity assessments are carried out for existing activities to ensure that they are able to operate safely and effectively.
• The Childcare Worker is actively involved in activities with the children, doing things with them, very much as a good parent would.
• The Childcare Worker discharges all of his or her responsibilities as a ‘Key Worker’ and ensures that all of the children are treated as individuals.
• The Childcare Worker is careful to maintain regular and constructive communication with the family and friends of the children for whom he or she is the ‘Key Worker’.
• The Childcare Worker remains positive in terms of his or her participation in activities with the children and the relaying of personal life experiences.
• An active and constructive contribution is made to reviews of any child for whom the Childcare Worker is the ‘Key Worker’.
• All of the company’s policies and procedures are followed and all necessary paperwork is diligently and fully completed. The Childcare Worker has a full understanding of the reasons for all records that have to be kept and is quick to ask whenever this is not the case.
• The quality of food provided to the children is in line with the pre-agreed food standards.
• The Childcare Worker actively assists with cooking and the purchasing of foodstuffs, as required.

Bay View is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates. The company is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. You must be willing to undertake a DBS check at enhanced level if successful for the position.