Children's Residential Senior Practitioner

The starting salary for this role is £35,730 per annum for working 36 hours per week.

Due to internal development, we are delighted to be offering two opportunities for Senior Practitioners to join our fantastic teams based at Hornbeam Children's Residential Home in Walton-on-Thames and Extended Hope in Redhill.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a qualified Residential Worker to further enhance their knowledge and leadership skills, working alongside the team fully supported by management. Please note, internally the position is currently known as Portfolio Lead, however it is due to be changed to Senior Practitioner in the near future.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), 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 (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Roles

As a Senior Practitioner in our Residential Service, you will provide pivotal support to our Deputy Home Managers, staff and team around the children and young people we support. You will lead the way in improving outcomes and ensuring that our home is a safe and nurturing environment where our children and young people can thrive.

Senior Practitioner at Hornbeam

This is a unique role where you will be at the forefront of working directly with children and young people through a mixture of individual and group interventions, whilst also working strategically to lead and develop your team and support high quality practice within our home.

We are looking for an individual who can join our service to confidently lead our home and inspire the children, young people and staff within it. You will support the home by providing expert advice and creative opportunities to access resources that enhance the purpose and well-being of our children and young people within the parameters of national guidance, standards and regulations associated with statutory residential children's services.

Senior Practitioner at Extended Hope

Our home provides specialist care and support for children and young people who are experiencing emotional/mental health difficulties who access the home for short breaks.

The Senior Practitioner will work with colleagues to deliver a multi-agency intensive support service for all our children and young people who access short breaks at the home.

You will be involved in the following:

• Supporting the smooth running of Extended Hope short-breaks home.
• Facilitating the provision of planned and emergency placements, out of hours
• Bespoke placement arrangements
• Direct work with children and young people with complex mental health needs
• Shift-leading and promoting positive outcomes for all our children and young people
• On call - offering support to colleagues
• Practice and service development

In all that you do you will ensure our services are compliant with national good practice, guidance, regulations and legislation, including Ofsted frameworks. You will also contribute to regular audits and inspections to ensure that we are effective and delivering key outcomes.

In return for your expertise, commitment and experience we will enable your ongoing learning and development through a culture of high support and high challenge, and access to a range of learning and development activities.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:

• A Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, or equivalent, with the expectation to work towards completing level 5 in Management and Leadership
• Your ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with children, adolescents, their families and professionals
• An applied knowledge of contextual children's safeguarding and associated issues
• Proven experience of multi-agency working
• Demonstrable competence in effective assessment, risk management and strengths-based care planning
• Experience of delivering statutory childcare services including the residential care of children and knowledge of the Children's Homes Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards

As part of your application, you will be asked to submit a CV and answer the following questions:

• Please tell us what has motivated you to apply for this role?
• Please tell us about the skills and experience you have of providing children's residential care?
• Please tell us about any experience you have of multiagency working and why this is important.
• The work we do is very challenging (but rewarding). Using an example tell us about a time when you dealt with a challenging work situation effectively. What was the outcome and what did you learn from it?

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and Residential staff will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel. 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.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 6th January 2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

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.