Residential Childcare Practitioner - Cressingham

Enhanced rates of pay are available for overtime, weekend work and sleep-ins.

We are looking for a Full-Time Residential Child Care Practitioner for our Short Breaks Children’s Home.

At Cressingham, we don't just provide care, we create memorable experiences, build confidence, and help children have fun, make friends, and achieve things they never thought possible.

We're a beautiful six-bedded short breaks home supporting children with disabilities and additional needs. From arts and crafts sessions, baking and sensory activities, to visits in the community and exciting adventures, no two days are ever the same.

What makes Cressingham special is our people. We are an experienced, established and supportive team where staff stay for years, and some even choose to retire with us. Vacancies rarely arise, which is why this is a fantastic opportunity to join a service that colleagues genuinely love being part of.

Our home is designed around our children, with fantastic indoor and outdoor spaces that encourage play, exploration, learning and independence. We celebrate every achievement, no matter how small, and work together to ensure every child feels safe, valued, respected and able to enjoy their time away from home.

If you're looking for a career where you can laugh, play, make a difference and go home knowing you've helped create happy memories for children and families, we'd love to hear from you.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

Cressingham is a welcoming six-bedded children's home providing short breaks for around 30 amazing children aged 8-18. We support children with physical disabilities, learning difficulties and sensory impairments, helping them enjoy opportunities, experiences and friendships.

We believe children learn best through play, exploration, positive relationships and meaningful experiences. Whether that's helping a young person build independence skills, supporting them to access the community, joining in a game, celebrating an achievement or simply being there when they need encouragement, every day brings something different.

Our team is passionate, creative and committed to helping children thrive. We work hard, laugh often and support one another, creating a home where both children and staff can flourish.

Why You'll Love Working at Cressingham

• Every day is different
• Join a stable, experienced team with excellent staff retention
• A beautiful home designed for children to have fun, learn and explore
• Opportunities to build lasting relationships with children and families
• Comprehensive training and development opportunities
• Strong management support and a genuine team spirit
• A chance to make a real difference to children's lives every single day
• Be part of Team Reading and an organisation that values its staff

As a Residential Child Care Practitioner, you will:

• Be a positive and professional role model, building effective relationships with children.
• Assist in promoting trauma informed and nurturing home environments for children.
• Keywork children, recognising their positive abilities and supporting and empowering them to develop
• Ensure care plans and risk assessments are up to date and reflect the needs of each child.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children, assess and report areas of concern
• Build strong relationships with families, professionals, and partner agencies.

Staff are required to work on a shift pattern rota, which will include a combination of early (7am-3pm) and late (2pm-10pm) shifts, sleep-ins, weekend working and religious celebration days.

About you

What we’re looking for:

• Experience working with children and young people
• Motivation to work in residential childcare settings.
• Team player with good interpersonal skills and a flexible approach
• Understanding of safeguarding and child protection.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Uses initiative to problem solve
• Commitment to continuous professional development.
• A willingness and ability to demonstrate a commitment to undertake Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or equivalent) if you do not already hold this.
• Sound understanding of ICT with good keyboard skills
• Ability to demonstrate resilience and manage stress
• Flexibility to work shifts, including weekends and nights.
• Driving license desirable and willingness to drive homes vehicle and or use public transport with the children.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact Samantha.whitehouse@reading.gov.uk

To apply you will need to complete an application and if shortlisted we will ask you to answer the following questions before interview.

1. Could you start by telling us why you have applied for this position, and what skills or experience you can bring to the role?
2. Do you have any experience working with children whose behaviour may challenge? Please give an example of how you managed this.
3. If your current team could describe you, what would they say makes you a good residential childcare practitioner?

Closing Date: Sunday 15th November 2026
Interview Date: 25th November
Interview Process: If your application is shortlisted, we will invite you to meet us at the home for a formal interview, this will also include a typed exercise. As part of the process, we may decide to invite you in for a 2-hour shift to meet the children before any offers of employment are given.

Please note: This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship, so applicants must have the right to work in the UK.