Residential Team Leader

About the role

This Team Leader role sits within Southwark's new Children's Residential Homes Service, supporting children and young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, complex trauma, attachment difficulties and, in some cases, learning difficulties. Working from a base in Peckham Rye, South East London, you will lead a team of Residential Practitioners to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed care within a safe and nurturing home environment.

Working closely with the Registered Manager, you will provide day-to-day leadership and supervision, help maintain practice standards, and promote a culture of continuous improvement. You will support children to build emotional resilience, develop life skills and grow in confidence and self-worth. Some of the homes may accept emergency or same-day placements following a thorough assessment of the child's needs and the home's ability to provide appropriate care.

The role is 36 hours per week, working various shifts including weekends. Specific shift times and rota patterns are not detailed in the advert; candidates are encouraged to raise questions at the informal enquiry stage.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing day-to-day leadership, guidance and supervision to a team of Residential Practitioners
• Creating and maintaining a safe, nurturing, child-centred home environment in line with individual care plans
• Supporting children and young people to develop resilience, independence and positive life skills
• Building effective relationships with children, families and partner agencies
• Supporting the Registered Manager with the effective operation of the home and monitoring of practice standards

Three permanent positions are available. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Radoslaw Bielec at Radoslaw.Bielec@southwark.gov.uk. To apply, click Apply Now.

About You

Southwark is looking for an inspirational and resilient leader who can motivate others to deliver exceptional care for children and young people. You will bring relevant frontline experience alongside the ability to guide and develop a staff team.

The ideal candidate will:

• Hold the RCF Level 3 in Residential Childcare, the RCF Level 4 Children Young People and Family Practitioner Diploma, or an equivalent qualification — this is an essential requirement for the role
• Have experience of working with children and young people in a residential childcare or similar setting
• Have experience of supervising, leading or mentoring staff teams
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of safeguarding, child development and trauma-informed practice
• Be able to promote positive behaviour support approaches and lead practice improvement across a home

Southwark particularly welcomes applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, to increase representation at senior management level. As part of its commitment to inclusion, the council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for members of the Armed Forces and veterans, people who are currently or have previously been in care, and people who consider themselves disabled or have a long-term health condition — provided the minimum requirements for the role are met.

This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at Enhanced level, including a check against the Children's Barred List. Appointment is subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, including right-to-work verification.

Southwark's Offer to You

Southwark is an incredibly diverse borough, with its many spoken languages, cultures and communities shaping the character of the place. That diversity is reflected in the workforce, and the council is committed — through its Southwark Stands Together programme — to tackling racial inequality across both its communities and its staff.

Southwark's REACH values underpin how the council works: Resident-focused, Empowering, Accountable, Collaborative and Honest. These values shape how colleagues work together and with the people and communities they serve. For further information on benefits and working for Southwark, visit the council's jobs site to discover more.