Senior Residential Care Officer (Cromwell Drive) (CDC)

Based at: Cromwell Drive Children's Home, Doncaster

Salary details: Grade 8, £35,570 - £39,481 + 8.5% all inclusive allowance for unsocial working hours

Contract Type: Permanent, Full Time

Hours: 37 hours per week

Closing date: 20th November 2026

Enhanced DBS Disclosure is required for appointment to this post.

The City of Doncaster Council is a confident, ambitious organisation which puts improving the life of its residents at the centre of everything we do. You have an opportunity to be part of this in the role of Senior Residential Care Officer.

About the role

Now is an exciting time to join our Residential Children's Services teams at the City of Doncaster Council as we continue to develop and expand our residential offer for children and young people.

Working as a Senior Residential Child Care Officer offers an excellent opportunity to build upon your residential childcare experience and take on a key leadership role within one of our homes. This is a rewarding position where you can make a lasting difference to the lives of children and young people, while supporting and guiding colleagues to deliver high-quality care and positive outcomes.

Our homes are based across the borough and provide a nurturing family environment for up to four children. We are proud that our existing homes are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.

As a Senior Residential Child Care Officer, you will work closely with the Registered Manager and Deputy Manager to provide effective day-to-day leadership within the home. You will help to create a warm, safe and supportive environment where children feel valued, respected and able to thrive.

You will play a vital role in supporting children and young people to achieve their potential by building positive relationships, acting as a strong role model and ensuring their individual needs are met. You will advocate on behalf of children, promote their rights and aspirations, and contribute to care planning and review processes.

In addition to direct care responsibilities, you will provide guidance, support and mentoring to Residential Child Care Officers, helping to maintain high standards of practice and ensuring the home operates in line with Children's Homes Regulations, Quality Standards and the home's Statement of Purpose. You will also take responsibility for leading shifts, coordinating activities and responding effectively to incidents and safeguarding concerns.

The Senior Residential Child Care Officer role is demanding but highly rewarding. It requires resilience, initiative, strong communication skills and a commitment to delivering excellent outcomes for children who need the stability and security of a residential home.

Successful candidates must be willing and able to undertake and complete any training required for the role. You will be expected to hold the relevant Level 3 qualification in Residential Childcare and undertake additional development appropriate to a senior role. This includes completing our behaviour support programme, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), and participating in ongoing professional development opportunities.

Our homes benefit from experienced and supportive management teams who are committed to helping colleagues succeed. We offer regular supervision, opportunities for career progression and a comprehensive training programme to help you further develop your leadership skills and provide the highest standards of care for the children living in our homes.

If you are passionate about improving children's lives, leading by example and supporting others to deliver outstanding care, we would love to hear from you.

About us:

Here at City of Doncaster Council our Residential and Inspiring Futures Teams Service is responsible for caring for and supporting our children in care through our children’s homes, supported accommodation and inspiring our young people to take a next step into adulthood with continued care for our care leaver service.

Our in-house children’s homes have been graded by Ofsted as “Outstanding” and “Good”. We are committed to providing a nurturing and therapeutic environment for children who need it most. Our residential children’s home offers a safe place where young people can heal, grow, and thrive. We believe in the power of therapeutic care and are dedicated to creating a supportive and empowering atmosphere for both our residents and our staff. We are committed to continuing to build upon our achievements and increase our in-house services, creating a skilled, stable, committed, and passionate workforce.

Rota Examples:

Rotas primarily consist of both mornings (7am to 3pm) and afters (2pm to 10pm) shifts, which includes some weekends and bank holidays. The role would require you to undertake sleep in duties, as required to meet the needs of the home which is paid at an additional rate of £44.54 per sleep in.

Typically, the rota runs for 4 weeks where you will work 2 weekends and have 2 weekends off. This can be subject to change to meet the needs of the service.

Shift patterns mainly consist of 8 hour shifts as below:

• Mornings: 7am to 3pm
• Afters: 2pm to 10pm
• Afters and Sleeps: 2pm to 11pm and then 7am to 2pm the next morning

Rotas tend to consist of 9 days off per 4-week rota.

We would like candidates to be highly motivated and willing to have some flexibility to covering additional shifts when needed.

Who we are looking for:

You will need experience or be able to evidence transferrable skills of working with young people who will present with complex behaviours which on occasions can be difficult. If unsure, please get in touch to talk about the role and your work experience.

We are seeking people to join our team who have:

• A genuine passion for working with children and young people.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Flexibility and resilience to work within a rota that includes weekends and unsocial hours.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a dedicated and passionate team making a real impact on children's lives.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment.

We value a range of experiences and skills. If you have transferable skills from other roles or voluntary work, we encourage you to apply.

In return for your contribution, we offer:

• Competitive leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme
• Wellbeing support and staff networks
• Development and training opportunities
• Staff discounts and benefits schemes
• More information on benefits can be found in the attached benefits booklet.

Please review the job summary and profile and demonstrate in your application how you meet the required criteria.

Shortlisting and interview dates are to be confirmed.

If you are interested in finding out more about this exciting role and would like an informal chat, please contact Cathy Richardson, Interim Head of Service Residential at cathy.richardson@doncaster.gov.uk

This post involves working with children and therefore if successful you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service records check at an enhanced level. Further information about the Disclosure Scheme can be found at www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check

We encourage applicants to use their own words to reflect their experience and skills and over-reliance on AI is discouraged.

The Advance Employment Team offers personalised support to help you take your next step into work. From building your CV and getting the right interview skills to accessing a wide range of free courses, the team will help you grow your skills and confidence and find a job you’ll enjoy. Get in touch by email (advanceemploymenthub@doncaster.gov.uk) or visit the Advance website (www.advancedoncaster.co.uk) to discover the support available.

City of Doncaster Council is committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and improving quality of life for all. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults.

We are a Disability Confident employer and committed to a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We offer interviews to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria and make reasonable adjustments as required.

Confirmation of appointment will be subject to a medical assessment.