Residential Therapeutic Intervention Worker and Edge of Care Outreach Worker

About the role

This is a dual-function role combining day-to-day residential care within a children's home setting with 1-to-1 outreach support for children and families on the edge of care. Achieving for Children (AfC) is opening a new home in Surbiton and expanding its outreach provision, and this post will operate across three sites: Old Windsor, Teddington and Surbiton.

The Residential Therapeutic Intervention Worker will provide day-to-day care of children and young people within a family-based environment that promotes positive attachments and relationships. You will work alongside the wider framework of professionals and families in order to understand a child's life experience and respond and act in ways that promote a child's opportunities and potential. The role sits within a pioneering residential and edge of care outreach service, and there will be opportunities for growth and development whilst contributing to the ongoing work of supporting children and families.

This role includes:

• Providing the best quality of personalised nurturing care that meets the needs of very vulnerable young people
• Contributing to developing and maintaining a stimulating, nurturing home where children feel happy, cared for and safe
• Working alongside experienced professionals to understand each child's life experience and promote their potential
• Providing 1-to-1 outreach support to children, young people and families in their own homes and in the community
• Engaging constructively with a wide network of professionals and families

The role requires shift work across all seven days of the week, throughout the full year, including Christmas, New Year and other bank holidays. Contracted hours average 36 per week (156 hours per month). The role includes sleep-in duties, and a sleep-in allowance is paid where applicable. Part-time applications are welcomed; the advertised salary will be pro-rated and candidates should specify this in their supporting statement.

Due to the nature of working in children's homes, enhanced vetting is required, including a review of your full employment history from the point you left school. This role does not offer sponsorship.

For an informal discussion about the role, contact Christine Flowers, Operations Manager, at christine.flowers@achievingforchildren.org.uk. To apply, click Apply Now.

About You

AfC is looking for someone who brings both warmth and resilience to the work of supporting some of the most vulnerable young people in their communities. This role calls for someone who can hold professional boundaries whilst building the kind of consistent, trusting relationships that make a genuine difference to children's lives.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be able to engage appropriately with young people and develop rapport
• Recognise signs of abuse and trauma and deal with safeguarding issues appropriately when they arise
• Be able to recognise and manage conflict and challenging behaviours and situations with young people
• Be able to form and sustain positive and professional working relationships across a wide network of colleagues and professionals
• Have an understanding of the social, emotional, educational, cultural, religious and recreational needs of young people
• Have experience of keeping and maintaining records in accordance with local policy
• Be able and willing to undertake all tasks associated with parenting a young person and demonstrate good parenting skills
• Have the ability to cope with the pressures of a residential care setting

AfC is committed to making recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and particularly welcomes applications from sections of the community currently underrepresented within their teams. AfC is proud to be a Disability Confident employer and is committed to promoting equality and diversity, and developing a culture that values differences.

This post is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Appointment is conditional upon receipt of a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a barred list check. It is a criminal offence for a barred person to seek to work in activities from which they are barred. Safer recruitment practices apply, including checks on work and education history and online searches. The UK's points-based immigration system affects right-to-work eligibility; candidates are advised to check the GOV.UK website for current guidance.

Achieving for Children's Offer to You

AfC's Children's Services have been rated Outstanding by Ofsted in both Richmond and Kingston, with services praised for exceptional care and a workforce that puts children at the centre of everything they do. The specialised Fostering Service has been separately inspected and graded Good. This is a service setting the standard for excellence, and one that invests in the people who make that possible.

AfC is a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities — Windsor and Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond — combining a public sector ethos with the freedom to innovate. Staff have access to a genuinely wide range of resources and a competitive salary, and the organisation is focused on creating a positive, supportive working environment. Benefits include:

• 29 days annual leave, rising to 33 days after two years and 35 days after four years, with an additional day off in your birthday month
• Local Government salary and pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme)
• Flexible working options to support a good work-life balance
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
• A range of staff benefits and discounts
• And more, including tailored induction sessions commencing on your start date