Residential Children's Worker (2 posts)

Derbyshire provides consistent, good quality care through twelve children's homes across the County. Our homes provide an environment where young people feel happy to live.

Under-pinned by Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy (PACE), trauma informed practice, social pedagogy and person-centred approach to inform practice, we work continuously to improve the quality of our Children's homes, ensuring our young people have every opportunity to thrive and develop.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at children's home in Gatekeepers Lodge. The home provides medium/long-term care for one child at a time (aged 7- 18 years old), supporting a transition to long term placement or reunification. The successful candidate will work with a supportive management team, receive regular supervision and be involved in helping to develop the service. Minimum age requirement is 23 years old, due to the ages of the young people.

Our Residential Children's Workers provide a service to Children within Specialist Services in accordance with legislative and policy requirements. Working as part of a staff team who provide support and a person-centred service to children and young people, they are responsible for the holistic care and safety needs of the children.

They work in close collaboration with partner services to support children and their families. They embed the therapeutic ethos of Derbyshire Residential Services within the Homes, to ensure that all areas of a child's care address their physical, emotional, and social development.

As an RCW, you will need to have an openness to and an aptitude for relationship focused and psychologically informed working practices. You must have the appropriate skills and experience to perform and work within an environment that can, at times, require using your own initiative along with an understanding of the children act, the quality care standards and Children's Homes (England) regulations 2015.

You must hold, be working towards, or be willing to undertake and complete within 2 years of starting work at the home, the Level 3 Children and Young people's Workforce Diploma and Social Care Pathway (England) 2015. OR you should hold an equivalent qualification such as The NVQ 3 caring for children & young people and be prepared to complete any additional work to meet the required level. More information on the role can be found within the Job and Person profile.

Salary details: Grade 9 £ 16.25- £ 17.24 Monday to Sunday 7am-7pm. After 7pm until 7am £21.67 - £22.66. Bank Holidays £32.50 - £34.48 Bank Holidays.

For more information on our residential children's service please visit https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/social-health/children-and-families/children-we-look-after/residential-care/young-people-who-need-residential-care.aspx

You must have the appropriate skills and experience to perform and work within an environment that can at times require using your own initiative along with an understanding of The Children Act, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards. You must hold, or be already working towards or be willing to undertake and complete within 2 years of starting work at the home, the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England). Equivalent qualifications (eg NVQ Level 3 Children and Young People's Workforce Diploma and Social Care Pathway (England) 2015) will also be accepted, although you will need to be willing to complete any additional work to meet the required level, if required.

Working hours include unsocial hours, evenings and weekends.

To request an informal discussion, contact Natalie Cantrell via email -Natalie.cantrell@derbyshire.gov.uk

Working for Derbyshire

Derbyshire is also a great place to live and work. It's only a short drive to Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Manchester but is also home to miles of beautiful countryside and has the Peak District National Park on its doorstep. The county enjoys house prices below the UK average and has great road and rail links. In addition to location, there are several perks to being a Derbyshire County Council employee:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• generous annual leave and flexi-time scheme
• travel expenses
• discount on leisure centre memberships
• free car parking at most sites
• an in-house counselling services
• occupational health service
• access to sessions with a trained physiotherapist
• cycle to work scheme

Provisional Interview Date : Beginning of April 2025

Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Click here to see our policy on criminal background checks.

The job may require unsocial hours working including weekends and Bank Holidays. Payment arrangements will be detailed in any contract offer made.

Saturday and Sunday hours will be paid at plain time where it is part of your normal working pattern unless it is between 7pm and 7am, where enhanced rates of pay apply. Enhanced pay rates are paid for Bank Holiday working.

Apply now and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with us! By joining Derbyshire County Council you will have access to a range of amazing rewards and employee benefits, including our generous annual leave scheme, excellent local government pension and fantastic employee discounts. To discover more detail about the rewards and benefits available to you, click here

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We are accepting CVs for this position so it's easier than ever to apply! Just click on "Apply for this job", register and upload your CV.

Please note: We do not currently possess a visa sponsorship licence, and as a result, we are unable to review applications from individuals who do not possess the right to work in the UK. If you believe that your visa status enables you to work in the UK independently, kindly add your share code and date of birth to your application, and if shortlisted, we will conduct the necessary checks before proceeding further.