Residential Care Worker

Human Resources & Development - Form 35a Version 16 - Issued June 2026 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT ▪ Job Title: Residential Care Worker (Part time) ▪ Post Number: To be confirmed ▪ Grade and SCP: Grade 7+2, SCP 12 - 20 ▪ Directorate: People Where your role fits at Shropshire Council At Shropshire our priority is to be a 'best value' authority that delivers, enables, and influences for Shropshire and its residents by:  • Being financially stable and sustainable  • Having clear priorities and purpose  • Supporting and enabling our workforce to excel  Recognising the challenge across local government today.  This starts with our Improvement Plan to address immediate challenges, while ensuring a focus on the future and how the Council will need to look, feel, and operate to best serve the needs of the county and its residents, and being aware of changes in national policy.     Our Shropshire values: PROUD  • Partnerships   • Respect   • Opportunities   • Understanding   • can Do   Aim to unify the workforce, support transformation, improve trust, and build a modern, sustainable Council. As a member of the Residential Service within Children and Young People's services, you will support the achievement of these key priorities, making a real difference to the lives of people in Shropshire. A Residential Care Worker cares for children and young people aged from 5 to 17 years of age in residential settings, assisting those with disabilities, mental health challenges and/or behavioural & learning difficulties by providing both practical and emotional support. You will be working in a home completing typical household tasks like laundry, preparing meals, doing a school run or making sure our children clean their teeth and have a shower or bath. Some days you may be kayaking, going bowling, hiking up the Wrekin and other days you might be plaiting hair, teaching someone how to shave or helping a child build stronger relationships with their family among many other invaluable things. Overview of your role To assist the Registered Manager and other senior staff in creating and maintaining an effective physical and emotional environment for children accommodated, consistent with the Statement of Purpose for the home. To support the achievement of departmental and divisional objectives as outlined in service plans and to relevant Departmental, Professional and National Care to work Standards/Legislation. Who will your manager be and what will you be responsible for? You will be: ▪ reporting to Registered Manager who is in turn responsible for your health and safety, training and development. What will you be doing? ▪ Promote the safety and welfare of children accommodated. ▪ Actively promote the education and achievement of children in the home. ▪ Implement the homes ethos, philosophy and approach to caring for children. ▪ Understand and adhere to Shropshire Council policy and procedure at all times. ▪ Communicate clearly and constructively about the home, colleagues, young people and Shropshire council at all times. ▪ Partake in regular supervision ensuring that all actions are completed in the required timeframe. ▪ Work flexibly in order to meet the needs of the home, young people and service. ▪ Attend team meetings and allocated training outside of designated shift pattern. ▪ Demonstrate an understanding and awareness of issues relating to diversity and anti-discriminatory practice. ▪ Using training and experience to de-escalate volatile situations and deal with the presenting behaviour of the young people including Restrictive Physical Intervention where necessary. ▪ Have a commitment towards continuing personal and professional development through the staff development processes. ▪ Commit to achieving the Induction Standards in the first six months of employment and to achieve the Level 3 Diploma in Children, Families and Young People or equivalent as defined by the children's homes regulations (2015) within two years of start date of the post. ▪ To be accountable for spending of petty cash in line with homes processes. ▪ Assist the Registered Manager in providing an atmosphere within the home which will enable children and staff to develop their full potential, ensuring that each child receives the necessary care and attention required, consistent with departmental policy ▪ To work with initiative, resourcefulness and accountability at all times to support ▪ with the functioning of the team. Explore and implement new methods of caring (e.g. Outreach, Restorative practices and preventative work). ▪ To make decisions based on the best interest of the young person and service at all times. ▪ To implement all learning in regard to training on a daily basis. ▪ To role model high levels of home keeping and domestic duties, setting a good standard of care for the home including cleaning and cooking. ▪ To understand and apply safeguarding processes. ▪ To ensure that all working hours are used effectively, being pro-active and working on own initiative. ▪ To keep up to date precise records for the young people in line with the systems of the home. ▪ Undertake the necessary supervision, support and guidance of children in the home, and in the wider community. ▪ Report to the Registered Manager or Deputy of any complaints received from children, relatives, friends and visitors to the home. ▪ Assist in promoting children's physical, emotional and psychological health and ▪ ensure prompt access to doctors and other health professionals. Interact with families, case managers and other relevant agencies concerned with individual children as directed by the Registered Manager. ▪ Work to ensure care practices in the home comply with OFSTED regulatory standards. ▪ Contribute to the formation of policy within the home. ▪ Ensure that any necessary repairs to the building or equipment are brought to the attention of the Registered Manager. ▪ Monitor care plans for children within the home and to act as key worker to a specific child/young person. ▪ Support and encourage children's engagement in leisure activities enabling them to develop in confidence and enjoy their interests. ▪ Work to a child's Positive Handling Plan including de-escalation strategies and restrictive physical intervention in line with policy and procedure. ▪ Comply with safe systems of work in accordance with the Department's Health, Safety and Welfare policies and procedures. ▪ Ensure knowledge of legislation relevant to Children's homes including the Children's Homes Regulations (2015), completing self-learning as necessary to guarantee practice is in line with current quality standards. The above duties are an illustrative outline and are not an exhaustive list. You will be expected to become involved in a range of work to enable the service to respond effectively to the changing requirements of the Council and changes affecting the workforce. What we expect of you You will: ▪ adopt a customer focused approach when delivering your service, ensuring engagement with service users and maintenance of an appropriate personal profile, ▪ act as an advocate for your service and work collaboratively with colleagues across the whole Council to meet the needs of the people of Shropshire, ▪ meet individual, service and personal development targets agreed through the Performance Development Review Process, learn from experience and are committed to continuous improvement individually and as an employee of the Council, ▪ work with colleagues to meet your team's key performance indicators, support a culture of team working and ensure the team functions successfully in support of the Council's corporate and service objectives. ▪ meet the behaviours and competencies adopted by the Council in the way in which they achieve their objectives and carry out their work. ▪ A priority for the Council is the protection of vulnerable people, ensuring they are able to live as independently as possible. The post-holder will promote and engage with Council's responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults, and protect their right to be safe from harm. What are your conditions of Service The conditions of service are those laid down by Shropshire Council, which have been adopted and amended as necessary from those laid down by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. The post is permanent with a requirement to work across all children's residential services, work base will be assigned for the purposes of mileage, however this can change dynamically based on the needs of the service, including an outreach programme within the community at times; this includes short notice emergency placements and short breaks for children. Your post is subject to the following: ▪ The post is Permanent, for 18.50 hours per week, ▪ Actual hours are as determined by the duty rota and will include evening and weekend working. Time off in lieu of hours worked beyond the rostered commitment is allowed where appropriate. ▪ The post holder is required to take part in the "Sleeping-in" rota for which an agreed allowance will be paid. ▪ The post is subject to the Council's annualised hours scheme as implemented within the specific work area. Annual leave entitlement is a pro rata flat rate scheme of 207 hours (28 days) annual leave plus bank holidays, with five days extra awarded to those staff with five years local government service giving an entitlement of 244 hours (33 days). Two days of an employee's allowance (pro rota for part time staff) must be taken at Christmas for any potential Christmas closures. Employees who work in a building/service which is required to open over the Christmas period, the ...