Residential Care Practitioner - Children and Young People

Do you want to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people in Solihull? Solihull Children's Services have an exciting new opportunity for a team of enthusiastic and passionate Senior Residential Care Practitioners to join us as we launch our third small (three bed) children's residential home. Whether you are already working as a Senior Care Practitioner, or you are an experienced Care Practitioner looking to take the next step in your career, we would love to hear from you. We will provide a comprehensive induction and training in the run up to the opening of the home, and where desired, the opportunity to undertake a funded Level 5 Diploma in Residential Childcare, to enable you to join us in our commitment to deliver the highest quality care for our children and young people. Here in Solihull, Children's Services is our top priority within our Council Plan and we are placing children at the heart of all that we do. This highly rewarding role will give you the opportunity to lead a team of Residential Care Practitioners, to make a real difference to children, young people and their families within Solihull. By providing them with a safe, supportive, stable and stimulating environment, you will help to create a strong foundation for a brighter future. With guidance and support from our Registered Managers, as well as managing daily routines, you will also lead and inspire your team of Care Practitioners to act as role models to our children and young people. You will assist our Care Practitioners to address challenges, build the children's resilience and you won't think twice about going above and beyond to enable our children and young people to achieve their full potential on their journey to adulthood. We will also ensure you are given the support, guidance and training you need. You will have access to high quality training through our social care academy. Each of our three bed homes will also have a designated clinical support team, so you will benefit from regular clinical supervision.

You will hold a Level 3 or 4 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or equivalent e.g., NVQ Level 3 or 4 Health and Social Care, Level 3 or 4 Children and Young People Workforce Diploma etc), but there will also be the opportunity to work towards a Level 5 Diploma in Residential Childcare, as funded by us, should you wish. You will have experience of direct work with children and young people within an Ofsted registered residential care setting, including supporting children and young people with emotional behavioural difficulties, and deescalating challenging behaviour. You will also need experience of leading, supporting and motivating a team throughout a shift, and a positive attitude to problem solving. A great team player, displaying great self-awareness and excellent communication skills, you will have the ability to engage and build strong relationships with our children and young people and your staff team alike. And you will have a passion for learning, reflection and growth within this role; striving to deliver a high-quality service and demonstrating a continued commitment to ensuring the wellbeing of our children and young people. Experience and knowledge of safeguarding children and young people and a good understanding of The Children's Home Regulations 2015 are also essential. This post also carries essential car user status, therefore you must be able to drive, have a driving licence and have access to a car, however for disabled applicants, reasonable adjustments will be made where required. Whilst you will be based at one of our three children's residential homes, on occasions you will be required to provide cover across all three homes, to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our children and young people., This post is subject to compliance checks in line with Schedule 2 requirements for working in a children's home, including a pre-employment medical check. This post will also require a DBS check. This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.

At Solihull Council, we pride ourselves on being a Council that is small enough to care, but big enough to make a difference. We place children and young people at the heart of all we do to enable them to achieve their potential and lead fulfilling lives. This means our workforce needs to be effectively led, supported, and well trained. It's our aim to offer high-quality support and guidance to all team members. This includes supporting you, as you support others in the team. We also have a strong culture of child-focused practice. This means transparency, cooperation, and a real commitment to the young people we will care for., You can also find out more about the many great benefits of working for Solihull Council by clicking here.

£32,654 - £37,938 pro rata per annum. Incremental progression is subject to performance. This includes 2 atypical payments for the requirement to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis., Salary: £32,654 - £37,938 pro rata per annum. This includes 2 atypical payments for the requirement to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays for staff working on a rota basis. (For alternative working patterns, where atypicals do not apply, salary Band D will apply; £31,586 - £36,124 pro rata per annum). This role also includes sleep ins, for which a separate payment will be made (currently £41.78). Hours: Full time - 37 hours per week, however, we are very flexible and happy to support part time working, so all requests will be considered in order that we can have the homes rotas covered., We want the best for our children, and we recognise to prioritise our children's care we must also prioritise the wellbeing of those caring for them, so we can offer various shift patterns to allow our staff the ability to maintain a good work life balance. We currently have full time vacancies (37 hours per week), however, we are very flexible and happy to support part time working, so all requests will be considered in order that we can have the homes rotas covered. Please indicate which opportunity you wish to be considered for within your application. Additional payments will be made for Sleep ins (current rate is £41.78). Our Offer to You:

• A funded Level 5 qualification in Residential Childcare (should you wish)
• Competitive pay
• A clear career pathway
• Access to our Local government pension
• Quality training and coaching via our Children's Social Care Academy to support your continuous professional development
• 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days after 5 years of service, and the opportunity to buy up to 10 days of additional leave per year
• Our Employee Assistance Programme - a 24 hour independent, free and confidential advice and support service
• Family and carer friendly policies
• Many other employee benefits including staff discounts, subsidised travel passes and Cycle 2 Work Scheme