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For us, it’s all about the care. Caring for vulnerable children and young people. And caring for our staff. Bring your passion for helping children and young people to grow and develop, and we’ll support you to do the same. Join our brilliant teams, and you’ll enjoy a proper, professional career where your managers will do everything they can to help you thrive. Because it’s all about your career, too – and because we’re growing as a service, you’ll enjoy wide and far-ranging opportunities you simply won’t find elsewhere, not to mention an outstanding benefits package, that includes everything from paid holiday to generous pension.
About the job
Put simply, you’ll join a team of other childcare professionals at one of our six lovely residential children’s homes across Shropshire. You’ll support vulnerable children who live at our homes, providing the safe, homely, therapeutic and supportive environment that vulnerable children need. Sometimes that will mean sleeping over.
About our ‘outstanding’ and ‘good’ children’s residential homes
Shropshire Council runs six children’s residential homes across the county. They’re great places for children to live – and for you to work. Ofsted consistently rate our homes ‘outstanding’ and ‘good’ – and that’s all down to our brilliant, hard-working and friendly teams, who always go the extra mile to help vulnerable children and young people get the love, support and care they need. Each home only houses two, three or four children at any one time, and is well-staffed. The long-term aim is to support children into foster care, or to return to their families.
It’s all about you
It really is. So when you apply, tell us all about yourself, your hopes and ambitions, what makes you tick, and what you think you could give to vulnerable children. You don’t need previous childcare experience (though it can be useful), but it helps if you’re good with young people. Obviously, you’ll be a naturally compassionate and caring person (that goes without saying) – but you’ll also need real resilience and strength of character, as some of the children you support will have complex needs, and may have experienced trauma and abuse. Just remember that your team will always have your back – we get through the tough times together.
It’s all about children and young people
At the end of the day, everything we do is all about the children and young people we care for. About giving them every chance to succeed, at home, at school, in the future. About their hopes and dreams. About the tough times as well as the good times. About long-term relationships that change lives forever. Unlike other organisations, we never do this to make a profit: people always come first, and always will.
It’s all about the benefits
As well as a salary and hourly rates that are at least as good as similar roles in the private sector, you’ll enjoy a whole host of excellent benefits that only we can offer.
- Generous annual leave commencing at 28 days increasing with service to 33 days (pro rata for part time). With additional annual leave purchase policy.
- Proper induction, so you’re properly prepared
- Support and encouragement to gain professional qualifications
- Personal development plans and apprenticeship opportunities
- Access to a benefits platform with a wide range of retail discounts and salary sacrifice schemes (cars, bikes, AVCs)
- Employer contribution Pension Scheme Shropshire County Pension Fund
- Supportive carers and parental policies (maternity, paternity, adoption leave, special leave)
- Many opportunities for flexible and agile working, we offer a hybrid model of working to promote flexible working around personal and family commitments.
- Access to counselling and occupational health services
- Staff network
Before you apply, you MUST:
- Have a full UK driving licence (with ability to drive a vehicle with manual transmission) and have a car available for work
- Be over 21 when the position starts
- Have GCSE level 4/grade C or above in English and Maths
- Have the right to work in the UK – The Local Authority do not currently offer sponsorship
- Show a full employment history
- Be physically and emotionally able to undertake Restrictive Physical Interventions with young people where significant risk is presented
- Be able to work within all Shropshire Council’s Residential Children’s Homes. Although you’ll be based at one home, you may be required to work at other homes as and when
- Have a full DBS check before you start work with children’s residential services
- Be able to work on a shift pattern, including weekends and regular sleeping in duties with the ability to be flexible in terms of working hours to meet the needs of the home, young people and service
- Commit to work towards the Level 3 / Level 4 Diploma as is required from a regulatory standpoint, to be achieved within 2 years.
How to apply
You can apply in two ways. Either apply immediately or register your interest, and one of our team will be in touch.
Apply immediately
Just visit the Shropshire Council’s ‘current vacancies’ pages and apply there.
Here’s the link for the full-time position: Residential Care Worker – Various Locations – Shropshire Council
Here’s the link for the part-time position: Residential Care Worker- Children’s Services – Shropshire Council