Residential Child Care Workers (Full-time) inEdinburgh inEdinburgh PUBLISHED 28 APR 2024

Department:
Care


Employment Type:
Permanent - Full Time


Location:
Balerno, Edinburgh


Reporting To:
Residential Team Manager


Compensation:
£28,123 - £35,605 / year


Description



Harmeny Education Trust
is a sector leading children's charity, providing therapeutic care and education for children with complex additional support needs. We work on a day and all-year-round residential basis, supporting children and young people aged 5 to 18 years. Harmeny is situated in a beautiful 35-acre estate, which includes residential and education accommodation, mature woodland, community garden, orchard, wildlife habitats and children's play areas.

We are looking for
Residential Child Care Workers
to join our Care staff team, which operates all year round. The post holders will contribute to the creation of a culture and ethos in which the needs of the children are paramount and provide them with security, safety, care and social development to enable them to reach their potential.

The successful candidates will work 39 hours per week, working five days from seven, according to a rota system*. Evening and weekend work is required. A driving licence allowing the use of our vehicles is essential.

Applicants should be registered, or will need to register within the first six months of employment, with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in line with the requirements for residential child care workers.

We will consider experienced and inexperienced applicants, with or without the necessary qualifications. We have a robust induction to support staff to work at Harmeny, and we will provide full funding and support for staff who need to undertake qualifications for their role.

Please see our careers page for an outline of all the benefits on offer, and what makes Harmeny such a great place to work.

The salary for the post is as follows:

• £28,123 (unqualified)
• £29,624 (part-qualified)
• £32,455 to £35,605 (qualified)
  
  

Generous sleepover allowance of £75 per session is paid in addition to salary.

For more information about the role, please contact a member of the Care Management Team on , or email

• Rota system
  
  

Harmeny runs a nine-week rotating pattern in the care team. Full time Residential Child Care Workers work five weekends out of nine, so approx. every second weekend. On two of the five weekends, a 13-hour shift is worked on one of the days. On other shifts, timings are either 7:30am-3:15pm or 2:15pm-10:00pm / 2:45pm-10:30pm.

Sleepover duties (10:30pm-7:30am) are required as part of rota too and one will work approx. three to four per month. Rota is issued one month in advance, however 'off duty' pattern is available for the year (April to March).


Key Responsibilities

• Promote a positive ethos in the school consistent with Harmeny's vision, purpose and core values.
• Support the Residential Team Manager with the implementation of management decisions, consistent with the Harmeny and cottage plans, policies and procedures.
• Be an integral part of the Care staff team.
• Care for the children's everyday requirements and to help create a homely, caring and safe environment for all the children at Harmeny.
• Communicate and interact positively with children using solution-focussed and strengths-based principles in line with Harmeny policy, procedures and core values.
• Develop and implement care plans which address the needs of the child.
• Be involved in the development and implementation of risk assessment planning for children.
• Understand children's behaviour and support them to manage their behaviour themselves.
• Be involved in the development and implementation of cottage improvement plans that reflect recommendations from the Independent Care Review outcomes – "The Promise".
• Where required, as a last resort, implement physical intervention techniques.
• Support children's learning during and out with the formal school day.
• Be a designated keyworker as directed by the Residential Team Manager or Care Management Team.
• As designated keyworker, participate in regular reviews and submit written reports on individual children.
• Attend regular staff and children's meetings as required.
• Ensure that all children's personal records including case notes, reviews and medical information are kept up to date.
• Attend supervision, Annual Performance Review, training and other meetings as required.
• Undertake sleeping-in duties as required by the staffing rota.
• Participate in residential trips and holidays when required.
• Have a flexible approach to the timetable and working patterns at the discretion of the Residential Team Manager or Care Management Team.
• Undertake domestic and food preparation duties as directed, and ensure that others in the team also do so.Undertake induction and other relevant training as required to fulfil the duties of the post and maintain SSSC registration.
• Undertake any other duties as delegated by the management team that are consistent with the role of Residential Child Care Worker.
  
  

Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge And Experience

• Qualifications in line with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) registration requirements for residential child care workers (e.g. HNC and SVQs). For more details, please visit www.jobsincare.com/job/jYDlLkt in residential work and / or childcare, including working with children with complex social, emotional and behavioural needs.
• Knowledge and understanding of children who are looked after and accommodated, and children with complex additional support needs.
• Knowledge of child development, childcare legislation, good practice guidance, policy and procedures and a commitment to Children's Rights.
• Knowledge of outcomes of the Independent Care Review "The Promise".
• Understanding of the duty of care to children and colleagues.
• Understanding of the practice issues of physical intervention (PI), and ability to undertake PI when required.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Good organisational and administrative ski