Residential Child Care Practitioner

Residential Child Care Practitioner

 

Job Introduction

This role has a starting salary of £28,508.50 per annum (Including 15% shift allowance), based on a 37-hour week rising up to £34,569 per annum. Enhanced rates of pay are available for overtime, weekend work and sleep-ins.

About us
Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service.

 

We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including Reading Borough Council, policy, public health and voluntary groups. We are responsible for the delivery of children’s social care, early help & prevention, education services (including SEND). This also includes fostering and adoption, the Youth Justice Service and traded services with schools.

 

Our main aim is to protect and enhance the lives of the children of Reading. We help families find long-term solutions to ensure children lead happy, healthy and successful lives.

Our Home
Pinecroft shared care service is dedicated to supporting children with physical disabilities, learning difficulties and/or sensory impairment. We pride ourselves in offering high quality personalised care to the most vulnerable and complex children aged 8-18. Our goal is to transform lives by being passionate, committed and creative in everything we do. We believe improved outcomes for children are possible through a proactive and consistent approach, where learning through play and accessing the community is essential.

 

About the role
The role requires staff to work on a shift pattern rota, which will include a combination of early (7am-3pm) and late (2pm-10pm) shifts, long days (7am-10pm), sleep-ins, alternate weekend working and religious celebration days. The home will be closed on bank holidays unless service needs require us to be open. This shift-based role involves personal care/manual handling, domestic duties including preparation of meals and cleaning, medication administration, key working, report writing and accompanying the children on activities and appointments. Pinecroft invests heavily in the continued professional development of its staff, once you have completed your probation, we will offer the opportunity to gain the nationally recognised Level 4 children and young peoples and family’s practitioner residential pathway qualification.

 

Benefits of working with us
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

 

You will receive a competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
• 26 days' holiday plus public holidays (rising to 33 days after 10 years' service) with the option to buy additional annual leave days.
• Local Government Pension Scheme with AVC (additional voluntary contribution option)
• Excellent training and development opportunities.
• A 24/7 employee assistance programme.
• Discounted Childcare scheme.
• Salary Sacrifice Car lease scheme
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Membership to RBCs staff club that provides discounted rates to trips and shows.
• Free parking
• Refer a friend scheme, £500 for each person referred to work with us.
• Bus to work scheme offering a 20% saving on standard prices.
• Brighter Rewards, employee discount scheme offering savings with hundreds of retailers, including supermarket, high street shops and a wide range of restaurants.
• Blue light card

To apply you will need to upload your CV, complete an application and answer the following questions.
1. Could you start by telling us why you have applied for this position, and what skills or experience you can bring to the role?
2. Do you have any experience working with children whose behaviour may challenge? Please give an example of how you managed this.
3. If your current team could describe you, what would they say makes you a good residential childcare practitioner?

 

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a short first round virtual interview to explore the above questions (Lasting approximately 20 minutes), and if successful following this we will invite you to meet us at the home for a formal interview. If successful following formal interview you will be invited in for a 2-hour shift to meet the children. We will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis so feel free to submit your application as soon as you wish, and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Additional information

 

Please note, this role does not qualify for sponsorship for the international candidates.

Our recruitment process aims to create and maintain a safe workforce and contains robust vetting procedures, the successful applicant will be offered a role subject to satisfactory refences and an enhanced DBS ‘disclosure and barring service’ check for regulated activity (formally known as CRB) and the children and adults barred list checks will be required for this role.

Inclusion and Diversity
We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.

 

Asking for Adjustments
Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.

If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.

Closing date – 6 April 2025
Interview Date – Monday 14 April 2025

 

Please note we have the right to close the advert early upon receipt of sufficient applications.

We look forward to receiving your CV and application.