Residential Support Worker - Various Locations

Overview

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families? We are seeking dedicated individuals to join our team to provide a positive living experience for the resident young people by caring for their physical, emotional and social needs. Supporting and contributing to our commitment to equality and positive outcomes for all children and young people.

If you are ready to take on this challenging and rewarding role, we encourage you to apply and join us. Residential Worker are required in various locations around the county, Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Leighton Buzzard. There are full time opportunities for day and night work along with relief work positions.

"It's wonderful to make a difference to a child's life. You're doing everything you would do for them at home, but as a corporate parent within the structure and boundaries set within Buckinghamshire. If you're thinking about working in residential care, do it! It will be one of the best decisions you can make in your life." - Residential Worker

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

As a Residential Worker, you will play a crucial role in providing a positive living experience for our resident young people, caring for their physical, emotional, and social needs.  Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Encourage and stimulate emotional and social growth through out-of-school activities and community engagement.
• Contribute to the formation and implementation of care plans for young people.
• Work in partnership with families, carers, social workers, and other agencies.
• Participate in the admission process, case conferences, and reviews, producing reports on individual development/progress.
• Facilitate the development of life and social skills, independence, and self-management.
• Provide a warm, accepting environment that meets the diverse needs of individuals.
• Promote equal opportunities and challenge discriminatory practices within the Home.
• Attend courses and study days to develop awareness and skills.
• Work on a shift basis to ensure 24-hour care, including sleeping in duties as required.

This is a great opportunity to be part of a supportive team environment that values collaboration and diversity. Provides opportunities for professional development and training and to have a rewarding with the ability to make a significant impact on young people's lives.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

We are seeking dedicated and compassionate individuals who are resilient and able to work in an emotionally and/or physically demanding environment.

Our residential workers are approachable, with excellent listening and communication skills.

You will be committed to equal opportunities and valuing diversity. With the ability to be flexible and adaptable to change.

A team player focused on building productive relationships. With a commitment to training and development

Having commitment to equal opportunities is essential along with an approachable demeanour with a "can do" attitude.

This role may require the ability to travel across the county and work unsocial hours as necessary.

Your Values: We expect you to reflect our organizational values of being Proud and Ambitious, Collaborative, Trustworthy

Please refer to the job summary for further information.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Laura Armstrong at [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight on the 02/12/2024.

Interview date: Assessment Centre TBC

- Please be advised the Residential Support role is not eligible for sponsorship.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

An assessment day will be held, dates TBC

Please state on your application which role you prefer: Day, Night or Relief Staff.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Buckinghamshire is a successful, growing place with fantastic natural assets, a highly productive economy and many resourceful and thriving communities. However, we are far from complacent and our new and ambitious unitary authority is well placed to tackle the challenges associated with growth, an aging population, climate change and inequalities in both opportunities and outcomes – particularly for our children and young people.

Children’s Services is on an improvement journey and as our very recent Ofsted report shows, we have continued to improve despite the pressures of the pandemic and have built solid foundations for future success. Relationships with partners are strong and our collective response to the pandemic has strengthened and deepened our work together.

We have a big, ambitious agenda for Buckinghamshire, and our teams work collaboratively and at pace to make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people across the county.

We are looking for talented and driven individuals to help us achieve the best outcomes for our children, young people and families in Buckinghamshire. Our key priorities include continuing to protect vulnerable children and young people from harm, whilst sustaining an environment where social work practice can thrive. Through our vital work with our partners, including The Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Childrens Partnership, we continue to improve our collective response to children and young people who have been exposed to domestic abuse, exploitation, substance misuse and mental health issues.

No matter what role you take on in our Children’s services, you will be part of a team who is dedicated to supporting children and their families to achieve their full potential.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/