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Job Title: Residential Care Officer Level 1, Lincolnshire Secure Unit
Working Pattern: Full-time, permanent; shift pattern including weekdays, weekends and bank holidays
Salary: £30,024 - £32,597 (Pay Award Pending)
Location: Lincolnshire Secure Unit, Sleaford Lincolnshire
Closing Date: Monday 31 August 2026
Interviews: Week commencing Monday 7 September 2026

Lincolnshire County Council is looking for experienced & creative individuals to join our Residential Care team as a Residential Care Officer Level 1 at Lincolnshire Secure Unit. This twelve-bedded Local Authority Secure Children’s Home gives the highest level of care and education for young people who are placed here via the courts for Youth Justice or Welfare reasons.

Due to recent changes in immigration law in the UK we are unable to offer skilled worker visa sponsorship for this role as it does not meet the requirements of RQF Level 6.

We're looking for people who are passionate about care, want to be part of better and are deeply committed to helping young people.

Working as a Residential Care Officer you will join an established and experienced care team in the mentoring of children and young people who can display sometimes extreme challenging behaviour. Our Care staff are expected to create a safe environment for the young people, using a trauma informed approach to support the best possible outcomes.

About the role

The role is to encourage and enable children to achieve their maximum potential whilst respecting the rights of the child and enable them to assume responsibility for their actions commensurate with their age, ability and aptitude.

You will have the ability to engage with children and young people to enable them to develop new skills, improve their social skills and life choices, whilst modelling constructive social behaviour and setting boundaries. We’d also like to see where you’ve been able to provide care and control to young people who can display aggressive and challenging behaviour.

This role is offered on a full time/permanent basis where you will work a shift pattern. This involves working through the week, weekends and bank holidays.

About You

Essential requirements;

• Enthusiasm; we enjoy what we do and want you to as well.
• Resilience; we are sometimes faced with challenging situations and you will need to bounce back quickly.
• Innovation; we offer activities, can you think of any new ones?
• Flexibility; We react and adapt to change on a daily basis
• Team ethics; we are a team and succeed together through supporting one another.
• Hard working; you will be required to complete a fully funded QCF3 in residential childcare

About the Team

We are a friendly team who are passionate about our role and dedicated to the young people we work with. We would like to invite you to join our growing team in a role that provides variety and challenge, where no two days are the same. We will help you learn new skills, encourage your development and work with your to reach your potential…all within a friendly and welcoming environment.

The authority is one of the largest county councils in the UK and we are ambitious for both the Children & Young people and the staff who work here. We care about our staff, It's important to us that you have an excellent work/life balance and the opportunity to further develop your knowledge and skills in a supportive Local Authority setting.

We are offering a competitive salary of £30,024 to £32,597 (Pay Award Pending) along with a pension, a comprehensive benefits package including excellent discount schemes, cycle to work, civil service sports council membership and many areas for professional support and development.

Applications Close on 31/08/2026 and interviews will be held the week commencing 07/09/2026.

For an informal discussion regarding the role please contact james.guthrie@lincolnshire.gov.uk or sam.joiner@lincolnshire.gov.uk

PLEASE NOTE: It is imperative that your personal statement clearly states why you have applied, how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role as set out in the Job Description (attached on LCC jobs Site) and what you feel you can bring to this role, the team and the wider County Council.

Please refer to our Job Information Pack here to support you in your application.

A relocation package may be considered for the successful candidate. More details relating to our Relocation Policy can be found here.

Please be advised that this position may be subject to a criminal record check.

On occasion we receive significantly more applications than expected for some vacancies and under such circumstances we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the advertisement. We therefore strongly advise you to apply for the role promptly to avoid disappointment should the closing date be brought forward. Please also note: once an application is submitted it is final and cannot be amended. If you withdraw your application, it cannot be reinstated and you will not be able to submit another application for that vacancy. If you have an issue with your submitted application, please contact recruitment@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 3 months for equal positions.

Lincolnshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Fluency Duty

In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Our values – collaborative, adaptable, eco-conscious, supportive, and responsible – guide everything we do. We’re looking for candidates who share these values and bring them to life in their work, helping us build strong teams and make a real difference in the communities we serve.