Senior Residential Childcare Practitioner

About the role

We are looking for a Senior Residential Childcare Practitioner to join our open home in St Leonards on sea. Children in care are some of the most vulnerable in the community and looking after them is one of our most important responsibilities.

The home is an open group setting for children and young people with a variety of complex individual needs, who may have had challenging and adverse life experiences prior to coming to the home and require a level of support that may not be able to be offered in other care settings. We need people who are able to deliver high quality care, to meet the physical, emotional, health and social needs of children and young people in our homes.

The successful candidates will work on a rota basis. The post includes shift work, weekend working and sleep-in duties with additional payments for sleep-ins applying. Please note the basic salary is inclusive of a weekend working allowance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Working directly with children in a residential care setting
• Demonstrating effective leadership and mentoring skills
• Producing and reviewing detailed care plans and risk assessments
• Working as part of a multi-agency care team
• Understanding current Children's homes regulations

To apply for this role, please follow the 'Apply Now' button above and upload your CV and a supporting statement. We will be using your supporting statement to shortlist so please be sure to address how you meet all the criteria in the person specification, drawing on any relevant work/life experience, education, or personal interests.

For an informal discussion about this role please contact Mandy McDonald, Registered Homes Manager - Silver Birches at Mandy.mcdonald@Eastsussex.gov.uk or 01424 756654. Interviews will take place in person, in Eastbourne within two weeks of closing date.

About You

If you are committed to working with adolescent children, build supportive and meaningful relationships, and want to help them reach their full potential, develop and maximise their opportunities, then we would like to hear from you. Our looked after children can often be challenging and will require a professionally nurturing approach.

The ideal candidate will:

• Have experience working directly with children in a residential care setting
• Demonstrate a good understanding of child care and child development
• Show effective leadership and mentoring skills
• Have the ability to work as part of a multi-agency care team
• Understand current Children's homes regulations

We warmly welcome applications from all sections of the community, but particularly encourage those from groups that are underrepresented in our current workforce: Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, those who are disabled, men and those who identify as LGBTQ+. We are working towards recruiting a workforce that reflects our community because we recognise the unique skills, experience and perspective that each individual brings.

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced check for Regulated Activity with the Disclosure & Barring Service. We regret that we are unable to offer sponsorship of visas for these positions.

East Sussex County Council Offer to You

We offer a diverse range of benefits to help and support you during your employment. As one of our employees, Casey, Project Officer says: 'The best thing about working for East Sussex is knowing every person who works here cares about our residents and wants to achieve the best outcomes for them.'

We are building a workforce for the community, from the community, recognising that diversity brings unique skills, experience and perspective that benefits the children and young people in our care.