Senior Residential Childcare Practitioner

About the role

This is a senior practitioner role based at East Sussex County Council's residential home in Eastbourne, supporting children and young people with a range of disabilities and additional needs. The home is a safe and welcoming space where children and young people can feel valued, understood, and supported to be themselves.

As a senior practitioner, you'll lead by example, support colleagues, and make sure every child has their needs met with care tailored to who they are. The children and young people who live here need support across a wide spectrum — from communication, mobility, and personal care through to managing emotions, building confidence, and developing everyday life skills. Many have faced challenges in their early lives and need patient, reliable adults who genuinely care.

This role includes:

• Leading by example and providing mentoring and support to colleagues
• Producing and reviewing detailed care plans and risk assessments
• Working as part of a multi-agency care team to meet each child's individual needs
• Helping children and young people build confidence and develop everyday life skills
• Ensuring care is tailored to each individual and consistent with current Children's Homes Regulations

The post is worked on a rota basis and includes shift work, weekend working, and sleep-in duties. Additional payments apply for sleep-ins. The stated salary is inclusive of a weekend working allowance (two increments).

To apply, upload your CV and a supporting statement via the Apply Now button. Your supporting statement will be used for shortlisting, so please make clear how you meet all of the criteria in the person specification, drawing on relevant work or life experience, education, or personal interests. Interviews will take place face to face in Eastbourne within two weeks of the closing date. For an informal discussion about the role, contact Emma Quicke, Registered Homes Manager, at Emma.quicke@eastsussex.gov.uk.

About You

We are looking for someone committed to working with adolescent children who can build supportive, meaningful relationships and help young people reach their potential. You'll bring both the practical skills for a senior role and the personal qualities needed to be a reliable, consistent presence in the lives of children who need it most.

The ideal candidate will:

• Have experience working with children and young people in a residential care setting
• Be able to demonstrate knowledge of childcare and child development
• Have the ability to produce and review detailed care plans and risk assessments
• Demonstrate leadership and mentoring skills, with the ability to guide and support colleagues
• Be able to work effectively as part of a multi-agency care team
• Have an understanding of the current Children's Homes Regulations

East Sussex County Council is committed to equality of opportunity. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and actively work to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. If you require any reasonable adjustments due to disability to enable you to participate fully in the recruitment process, please contact the hiring manager using the details above.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check or Enhanced check for Regulated Activity. Evidence of an overseas police check will be required if you have lived or worked abroad. East Sussex County Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

East Sussex's Offer to You

Children's residential homes at East Sussex are places where the culture is shaped by people who genuinely care about the young people they work with. As one colleague puts it: '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.'

East Sussex offers a diverse range of benefits to support you throughout your employment, including:

• A competitive salary with built-in weekend working increments
• Additional sleep-in payments on top of your basic salary
• Access to a Local Government Pension Scheme
• A wide range of employee benefits — click Apply Now to discover more
• Priority shortlisting for candidates who meet certain criteria