Description

Are you curious about what it means to be a Residential Support Worker? 

Being a Residential Support Worker represents a unique opportunity to work as part of a team dedicated to supporting and safeguarding children and young people within one of our residential homes. We are looking for additional staff to join our already established team at our community home in Woking and would love to hear from you if you are motivated by helping children and young people to succeed. 

We support children and young people using therapeutic interventions and restorative practice to help them to navigate challenging situations, develop appropriate coping strategies and build healthy relationships.

The starting salary for this role is £29,697 per annum for working 36 hours per week. This role requires shift working on a rota basis so may not suit everyone. On average you would be required to work two sleep ins per week and approximately one weekend in three as part of a 24-7 caring service. We provide enhanced rates of pay for any unsociable hours you work including sleep ins, weekend and bank holiday working.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave.
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme to support health and wellbeing.
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave.
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more.
• Two paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources.
• Relocation bonus
• Refer a friend payment of £750 as a thank you for finding the right residential worker.

The Role:

As a residential support worker, you will be part of a committed team supporting children and young people to ensure their safety and well-being. Our young people often have complex needs and may have experienced trauma in their early lives, making the work we do both challenging and rewarding, with no two days being the same.

We are steadfast in our belief that working alongside children and young people, regardless of the challenges they face, is invaluable. You may not notice the impact you make day-to-day, but over time, this is a role where patience, understanding and the motivation to empathise with what's happening for a particular child or young person will realise long-term positive outcomes. You will play a key part in their journey

We are looking for role models who understand the importance of providing our children and young people with the best life chances possible and who can demonstrate positive values and behaviours. Our standards are high, and we pride ourselves on prioritising the well-being and safety of our children. We are looking for individuals to join us who can assist with day-to-day tasks around the home, can prioritise effectively, communicate articulately, and are ambitious for our young people, helping them to reach their full potential.

In this role every day brings new challenges, unexpected situations, and surprises so you will need to be calm, adaptable, and able to bring a sense of fun to how you work and interact with our children and young people. You may find yourself wearing many different hats throughout your day from mentor helping to navigate or overcome a difficult situation, to tutor helping with homework, to parent helping with bedtime routines. Whatever the role you play, it will be purposeful.

Supporting You:

We are dedicated to providing consistent care and building effective relationships, not just with our children and young people, but with each other and with our partner organisations and colleagues who support us with our work.

We will support and invest in you to achieve the mandatory, nationally recognised, Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (within two years of starting) if you do not already have this. We have a proven track record of supporting staff to pass their qualification and are proud of the achievements of all staff we invest in.

Gaining this qualification will unlock opportunities for you to progress to a Senior Residential Worker (starting at £32,512 per annum) and will help you grow the skills and confidence needed to be an effective Residential Worker. Working in children's residential services is a great opportunity and gateway to developing a career within care. We offer a clearly defined career pathway and progression opportunities with our expanding children's residential service as we continue our journey to open further homes this year and beyond. You will have access to a wealth of personal development and resources to ensure you feel confident to succeed and progress in your role, working as part of a wider network with support from professionals such as psychologists and our Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) service to enrich your practice. 

Shortlisting Criteria:

To apply you will need to upload your CV and answer the following questions:

• Looking at our advert please tell us what it is about the role that has motivated you to apply?
• Please tell us about the relevant experience or transferable skills you have in relation to this role.
• What three qualities do you have that would make you a good Support Worker and why will these be important?
• Please tell us how you would you handle a situation where challenging behaviour was present? Please offer a relevant example if you can.

Our Requirements

Due to our legal obligations, we can only accept applications from people 22 years old and above.

This role requires a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or an equivalent qualification. If you do not currently hold this qualification (or equivalent) but are successful in the interview and meet the enrolment criteria (including English and Maths skills), you will be enrolled in a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, subject to funding.

In addition to the above, to meet the criteria of the Level 3 Diploma, you must have lived in the UK/EEA for the last 3 years and you must also have the right to remain and work in the United Kingdom for the duration of the study programme. Failure to achieve the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare or losing your right to remain and work in the United Kingdom may result in the termination of your employment.

We are unfortunately not able to offer sponsorship at this time. 

Our residential workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and to use home cars located on site to support our young people to attend a wide range of places including appointments, activities or trips as agreed. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long-term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

Working in our homes represents a unique opportunity to support our children and young people with their everyday lives. To do this safely you will be asked to tell us about any allergies you have that may need to be reasonably managed to ensure your safety and wellbeing with minimal impact to the children and young people we care for.

Contact Us:

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills, or any barriers to employment. If you have any questions about these roles please contact Sarah via email at residentialrecruitment@surreycc.gov.uk

Applications will be reviewed and considered on an ongoing basis.

What Next?

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a short first round virtual interview to explore your answers to the above questions (lasting approx. 10-15 min), and if successful following this, invited to meet us at one of our homes for an interview.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

We are committed to the safe recruitment of staff in our Residential homes across Surrey therefore if you are successful in being offered a role within our service, we will work with you to collect all required checks in line with government guidance. You can find out more about what information you will be asked to provide HERE.

Our Values 

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application.

The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form.

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. 

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.

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