residential childcare workers

Residential Childcare Workers don't just have an hourly appointment once a week with a child to 'fix' one small part of their life journey. They must have the courage to be strong enough to keep the child safe through the day-to-day experience of their lives. They must pick up the pieces twenty-four hours a day and help a child make sense of the world around them.

We are currently recruiting residential childcare workers to be part of a staff team who will provide a comprehensive residential service to children and young people. The aim being to ensure the physical, social, and emotional needs of the children are met and to assist in their positive holistic development and resilience.

When you work in children's social care, no two days are ever the same. Our Bwthyn y Ddol assessment centre delivers careers and experiences that are challenging, rewarding, and differentiated by our values in working together to make a positive difference to the lives of children to 'have the best life' possible. We do this by providing them with a safe and supportive environment and a fulfilling experience where their voice is heard and centred on their individual needs and what's important to them. Being passionate about encouraging and supporting children to be the best that they can be is what we are all about.

We are focused on and committed to supporting children and families to reunify and remain together.

We are looking for people who share our values and share our way of working - to be bold, warm, and honest in everything we do, with a commitment to 'making a real difference' to the lives of children, young people and their families.

What does the job entail?

You will be responsible for actively safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home. You will be required to promote structure, boundaries and routines and support young people with their education and with their day to day activities.

What we are looking for from you

You will work as part of a team to create a homely, warm, kind, friendly environment for vulnerable children ensuring that all your actions are transparent and open for discussion in professional supervision in accordance with the National Code of Professional Practice for Social Care. Your role will include undertaking sleep-in duties and working unsociable hours and may include on occasion working waking nights at various locations as required to meet the individual or group needs of children and young people.

Building positive and constructive relationships with the children you support is a vital component of being a valued children's residential worker. Therefore, having a friendly, trusting, supportive nature, reliable and empathic, with a positive outlook on life is essential.

You will work as part of the team to ensure that children and young people receiving short breaks and 12 week assessments in Conwy, receive the appropriate levels and standards of care and support. This will be based on helping children to live their lives differently by involving them in matters and decisions that affect them, as well as supporting them and their families to remain together.

We welcome applications from individuals with at least two years direct experience of working with children and young people in Residential care. However, as progressive county seeking to create opportunities for our employees as well as our residents, we would urge anyone who has not quite reached this two year mark to still share your interest and show us why you would be a good fit for this innovative new team. Similarly, we prefer applicants to have an NVQ/QCF Level 3 qualification award in caring for Children and Young people or be working towards it, but again this is something Conwy are passionate and eager to support the right candidates to achieve.

A good standard of education is essential for this role and as such you will have to be educated to GCSE, Grade C level (5 or more GCSE's) or have a QCF Level 2 in Health and Social Care/Social Practice (or equivalent).

It is really important that you can demonstrate that you have the courage to be strong enough to keep children safe through the day-to-day experience of their lives. Whilst doing this, you will also need to be able to discuss and repair relationships with children by gently, yet firmly holding the agreed line' of expectations in a nurturing, supportive and consistent way.

Successful candidates will also have to demonstrate an understanding of residential childcare practices and the signs/symptoms of abuse and in addition to dealing with difficult encounters and critical situations by applying appropriate / innovative strategies in dealing with anger, stress and upset.

You will be able to demonstrate and describe your commitment and openness to engaging with the approach to the model of care in order to facilitate the therapeutic needs of children/young people.

Experience of working as a key worker with individual children is desirable although again this is something that can be supported. The most important thing is that you will demonstrate your commitment and willingness to consistently and proactively ensure the therapeutic care of children allows for the child to learn and practice new thoughts, feelings, and actions in the most important areas of their lives.

All successful candidates can expect to receive a high level of support, regular supervision, appropriate training an annual performance, development, and review meetings.

Due to the nature of the work, it will be necessary to obtain a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).