Residential Childcare Worker - High Trees

About Us

High Trees is an 'Outstanding' Ofsted-rated home. Our home is small and inviting and we look after the individual needs of children with severe and complex learning disabilities and their families.

Our dedicated and skilled staff team are keen to ensure that children who stay with us, whether full time or for short breaks, feel at home and feel safe, have many opportunities for both fun and learning and reach their full potential in a range of creative ways.

We are ideally located in a lovely area, with a large, open garden with a patio area and are very much a part of the community. Watch our video here on Working in Residential Childcare

About the Role

Salary: £28,598 - £30,584 per annum (includes a weekend working allowance). You will also receive an additional Crawley Weighting Allowance (£561 per annum) and a generous pension, annual leave and additional benefits.
Working Pattern: Full time - 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Crawley
Working pattern: Morning and afternoon shifts rota'd between 07:00 - 22:00, which will include every other weekend and sleep in duties when needed. The number of sleep ins can vary dependent on need and this can be discussed further at interview.

We are looking for candidates who can provide a nurturing, positive and safe environment for our children and young people, ensuring that we meet our statutory obligations to the highest standards possible. With direct responsibility for designated children or young people, you will ensure that each person is given the appropriate care and support to achieve their full potential.

For more information, please visit our dedicated Residential website, Careers in Children's Residential Care

Experience and Skills

• Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent. If you do not have this, the service will support you to complete this qualification; you must achieve this within two years of appointment as it is a statutory requirement of this post.
• Sound communication and interpersonal skills to a range of children and families.
• Ability to promote and encourage a multi-agency approach to support the child.
• Ability to use initiative to resolve problems within given parameters.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise work.
• Ability to work as part of a team around a child.
• Good standard of literacy e.g. ability to write reports around individuals and significant incidents.
• Experience of working with children with disabilities, complex high-risk adolescents or related experience e.g. adults with disabilities - Desirable

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where you can achieve your full potential and are rewarded for the work you do.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

• an excellent local government pension scheme
• generous holiday entitlement of 244.2 to 266.4 hours
• access to a wide selection of retail discounts and savings such as groceries, shopping, travel and more through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.
• a range of commuting and business travel discount and initiatives
• maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
• health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• financial wellbeing support including access to educational tools and webinars, loans or debt consolidation options and savings scheme
• training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05820.

To apply, upload your CV and application form, explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role, ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and an occupational health check. A full employment history will be requested and covered for this role.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!