Senior Residential Support Worker - (Job ID : CJ/ 12407)

Location: Dartford Kent

Salary: £18000 - £20000 per annum - dependant upon experience and qualifications

As shift leader you will be responsible for supervising and supporting the work of team members on shift

Hours of work: 40 hours per week average on a shift basis to include sleeping-in duty on a rostered basis

Main Purpose of Job:

To support children and young people to develop and improve their relationships with others, their social and life skills, academic attainment and participation in recreational and leisure pursuits through contributing to the provision of stable, secure and safe surroundings, planned activities and individual interventions.

To establish a nurturing and supportive relationship with children and young people in order to help them develop functional and constructive relationships with others.  

Within the overall framework of the clients' philosophy of care and statement of purpose to participate as a team member in providing care and support to the children and young people placed in the home.

To act as shift leader supporting the team in providing a stable, caring and supportive environment for children and young people that respects and affirms their racial, cultural and religious identity and lifestyle.   

To assist children and young people to develop socially acceptable behaviour through encouragement of positive behaviour, constructive response to inappropriate behaviour and adherence to the clients' behaviour management strategies.

Tasks/Duties and Responsibilities:

By acting as shift leader and coordinating and working with other members of the team to be actively involved in the direct care of the children and young people in accordance with standards of care as identified within the relevant policy or practice guidelines.  This will include, for example:

Contributing to the normal development of the children and young people and promoting a healthy life style.

Being aware of the children’s and young people’s leisure and recreational needs and supporting their active participation in these.

Carry out therapeutic crisis intervention as necessary (and after training where required).

Listen to and talk to children and young people, observe their behaviour, and record significant features. Prepare residents to deal with problems and where necessary helping them to make the transition towards independence

Where appropriate to do so and in line with agreed placement plans to work in partnership with parents to help achieve good outcomes for their children.

Work co-operatively with children’s services, health agencies and other community based services, to provide the most effective service for families and their children.

Education is provided on site. Senior Residential Support Workers will promote and support children and young people’s education and work in partnership with teaching staff.

Taking an active part in social activities, both on the premises and, as agreed, away from the home.  This will include driving the home’s private cars for shopping and other excursions.

Providing for the child or young person’s physical needs as necessary, for example, by cooking, washing, ironing, shopping, encouraging good personal hygiene,  budgeting skills and working towards enabling young people to carry out such tasks  for themselves.

Contributing to placement planning, participating in reviews and other meetings as required. To assist in the implementation of placement plans and supporting children and young people to work towards agreed goals. This may include assisting children and young people to return to their families or enable them to move on to alternative cares or independence at the appropriate stage in their lives.

To take on key worker responsibility for one or more child or young person.

To support any planned contact with family or others important to the individual child or young person, as agreed by reviews/planning meetings or court hearings. This includes protecting children and young people from contact with individuals who have been deemed as inappropriate or a danger to the individual child or young person.

To join other members of the staff group accompanying the children and young people on their annual holiday as determined and selected by the managers.

To handle petty cash transactions and manage these in line with the homes procedures to do so.

To undertake record keeping and report writing within agreed frameworks, protocols and policies. To ensure all such records are completed during the shift.

Staff supervision responsibilities

To conduct handover meetings at shift change-over.

To ensure all relevant records have been completed at the end of a shift by members of the team. To conduct individual supervision for Residential Support Workers and contribute to the completion of annual appraisals.

This post requires the worker to follow a rota completed by the registered manager / deputy that includes sleep-in duties, evenings, weekends and bank holidays. 

SRSW are also required to participate on the On-Call roster

FOR A REWARDING CAREER IN CARE APPLY TODAY to Claire Joy at Kent Social Care Professionals on 01622 765365 !!!