Trainee Residential Child Care Worker

We are seeking to appoint full-time Trainee Residential Child Care Workers to work towards the Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare. The qualification can take up to 24 months to complete, with an opportunity to progress into a permanent Residential Child Care Worker position within our Children’s Homes in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Winsford, and Northwich. Cheshire West and Chester’s Residential service aims to ensure that its most vulnerable children's needs are met and that their life chances are maximised to enable them to achieve their full potential and positive outcomes. Cheshire West and Chester Council is a place where everyone can Thrive – through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money, and Empowerment.

As a Trainee Residential Child Care Worker, you will join an organisation where the focus is on achieving the best outcomes for the children and families whom we work with. The team strives to have purposeful relationships where all our interventions can truly bring about change and make a real difference to the lives of children and young people. Cheshire West and Chester seek to enable a progressive culture where creativity can flourish, where innovation and thinking differently can be embraced, and where ambition and high aspiration for children to improve their outcomes can be upheld for every child.

Over the next few years, the Council is looking to build and expand on this quality service to open new quality homes. Our Children and Families work in a trauma-informed way using our innovative multi-agency partnership model ‘Our Way of Working’.

You will also have access to a range of benefits including:

1. Competitive salary
2. Annual Leave - You will receive 26 days annual leave pro rata per annum rising to 31 days pro rata after five years continuous Local Government Service.
3. Grow your own culture - We have a Career Progression structure comprising of three levels of progression programmes to support your professional development. Extensive training, induction, and support will be offered to all candidates who want to join the council and a regular appraisal process surrounding development needs.
4. Working rewards – We have a variety of schemes available to employees which include additional Annual Leave, car and cycle purchase scheme, WorkFit Membership, home and electronics purchase scheme, in addition to discounts at a wide range of high street and online retailers.
5. Pension Scheme – Our Local Government Pension Scheme is a career average pension scheme with employee contributions of between 5.5% and 8.5% and employer contributions currently of 23.8%. The scheme includes ill health and death in service benefits (after two years membership).
6. Employee Assistance Programme - 24-hour, seven days a week lifestyle support for when you or your family members need a ‘listening ear’ from a qualified advisor on a wide range of personal and work issues.

As a Trainee Residential Childcare Worker, you will work towards your Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare and gain experience supporting vulnerable children and young people. We will train and support you in this role and develop your skillset further with our range of available training courses and resources which our teams are able to source. You will need to be a strong team player with great communication skills and a commitment to working collaboratively.

You will additionally:

1. Receive high-quality supervision, with your own personal development plan to support your career and learning aspirations.
2. Have the opportunity to deliver quality services in partnership with stakeholders based upon a manageable workload within the team, empowering others.
3. A working environment where you will be supported in adopting an evidence-based approach to practice.

If you have commitment, drive, and enthusiasm we would like to hear from you!

For an informal discussion around these posts please contact Residential Manager Amy Burgess: amy.burgess@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk or call between Monday – Friday (09:00 – 17:00) 07860 356690.

Please note - The job may close when a suitable number of applications have been received.