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Children's Home Practitioner

Employer
Hampshire County Council
Location
Cypress Lodge
Salary
£20,830 - £23,411 per annum
Closing date
31 Aug 2019

Children's Home Practitioner

Salary range: £20,830 - £23,411 per annum, plus enhancements (including sleep-ins, Sunday and Bank Holiday working)

Work location: Cypress Lodge, Basingstoke

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

Closing Date: 31 August 2019

Contact details for an informal discussion: Tamara Pearcey (Registered Manager) or Sue Harvey (Deputy Manager) on 01256 461785

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of young people?

Are you caring, creative and passionate? Do you love working with children and young people and want to help make a significant contribution to their lives? If so, we are looking for Practitioners at Cypress Lodge, our residential home in Basingstoke. We are looking for enthusiastic people with the ability to build warm, positive and strong relationships which will form solid foundations for positive outcomes for our children. 

We believe passionately in ensuring our child care practitioners have the skills and knowledge to be able to authoritatively parent our children within our service. Through working within our Model of Care – Pillars of Parenting – we focus on each child’s individual signature strengths to support them to develop and achieve and experience positive and warm relationships within the home leading to positive outcomes. As such we require our practitioners to complete and pass the Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship for child care practitioners with an end assessment following the Residential Childcare Pathway unless they have an equivalent qualification.

 

You will be a positive role model and corporate parent supporting the physical, social and emotional development of our children in care. You will help to create positive experiences and encourage healthy lifestyles by working in partnership with the children and other key colleagues to support the Children's goals, aspirations, development and growth. In this interesting and varied role, you will be supporting the leadership team in effective day to day running of the home, while educating and enhancing the children’s life skills.

 

The role involves shift work, which is most likely to be a 24-hour shift (including a sleep-in) but may also be an early, late or weekend shift. As such, you will need to be flexible and able to respond with short notice.

 

As a valued employee of Hampshire County Council, we'll provide you with a range of benefits, including Local Government Pension Scheme, salary progression in line with your performance, generous annual leave entitlement (minimum of 24 days per annum raising up to 30 days after 5 years of service) and many more!

For more information about this role, please visit our ‘Careers in Residential Care’ website here.

What does the role involve?

  • Actively contributing to developing individual care plans and placements plans in conjunction with colleagues.
  • Responding to and actioning any health needs of the children.
  • Actively supporting and encouraging children to progress towards their full potential. Demonstrating the ability to make and sustain positive relationships with children and their families.
  • Using appropriate IT and reporting systems to measure progress and keep accurate, clear and concise records.
  • Carefully managing personal health and safety and contributing to the safe functioning of the home.
  • Continually and actively assessing risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them, including reporting and responding to any child protection concerns.
  • Understanding the needs of the children in the home and using this understanding to form interactions with the children, their families and other professionals.
  • Reporting and responding to any child protection concern in line with departmental procedures.
  • Meeting children’s basic needs in a way which demonstrates care for the child, acknowledges their individuality and enables them to learn how to meet their own needs.
  • Contributing to and following individual behaviour management plans including physical handling strategies such as Team Teach.
  • Receiving and storing information in line with good practice and departmental policy and procedure.
  • Taking responsibility for own development and engaging with activities which support continuous professional development.
  • Maintaining an awareness of and complying with corporate and departmental policies and procedures. Ensuring any practice which causes concern is addressed with the senior member or a member of the management team.

What do we need from you?

  • Maths and English at GCSE grade C or above or an equivalent level.
  • NVQ level 3 or a QCF level 3 in Residential Child Care or equivalent qualification. If you don't hold this qualification, you will be required to undertake the apprenticeship to the required level 4 and training within the Model of Care (Pillars of Parenting) within the specified regulatory timescale.
  • Ability to form positive relationships which support children to make progress and enjoy positive experiences.
  • Awareness of the development needs of children in residential care.
  • Knowledge of how to safeguard and protect children in residential care.
  • Knowledge of how to support children who have experienced trauma, harm or abuse.
  • Physically fit enough to be able to participate in all aspects of Team Teach and Team Teach training, including physical interventions.
  • Ability to demonstrate emotional literacy in relationship to self and others.
  • Ability to undertake 24-hour shifts (including sleep - ins), work evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
  • IT proficiency.
  • Capability to meet the travel requirements of the role.

Working conditions in this role may include:

  • Personal Care and food handling.
  • Verbal abuse and/or aggression. 
  • Personal Protective Equipment to be worn to the body and hands.
  • Meeting the travel requirements of the role.
  • Rotating shifts (including sleep-ins, evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays).
  • Chemical Hazards.
  • Human Blood or Human Bodily Fluid e.g. First Aid.

Vetting Requirements:

This post is subject to a criminal records check. Please note, we will take up references prior to interview.

 

Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.

Corporate Equalities Employment Policy:  In order to combat indirect discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied to any for achieving equality of opportunity in its employment practices. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of their gender, disability, age, ethnic or national origin, marital status, creed, sexuality, trade union activity or responsibility for dependants unless a Genuine Occupational Qualification (GOQ) applies. In order to combat indirect discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied to which would have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. 

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