Support Officer - Kingfishers Residential Home

Team: CWD - Kingfishers

Job Family: Supporting CBG8 +2
Salary: £31,057 - £34,633 per annum pro rata

Hours: 30 hours per week or 20 hours per week

Location: Kingfishers, Parkside Drive, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU5 5RG

Contract type: Fixed - Permanent  / Relief

Closing Date: 23rd February 2025

Interview Date: Applications will be regularly reviewed and interviews scheduled accordingly- We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
 

About the role:

In Children’s Services we want every child to have the chance to reach their full potential. By promoting independence, we help support them to make their own choices and become part of the community. Our Short Break Service plays a big part in this; offering overnight short breaks and community sessions which provide social opportunities to children with disabilities. As a Support Officer, you’ll help support these children/young people to expand their knowledge and skills. By helping every child find their greatness, you can find yours too.

Our team at Kingfishers are passionate about providing children within our care a 'home from home' environment which is safe, stimulating and welcoming. We are situated in Houghton Regis, with easy access to the M1, less than 10 minutes from junction 11a. There are also numerous bus routes which service the local area and are just a short walk away.

As a Support Officer you will help ensure the physical, emotional and identified personal care needs of children and young people are met through the provision of a supportive and caring environment either within a residential home or in the community. You will also work with young people and others to assess needs and to work jointly in the preparation, implementation and delivery of Care Plans, maintaining the development of positive child care practice, in keeping with the aims and objectives of the service.

You will support with personal care, individual development, meals, medication, education and all other day to day activities, as well as make sure that the home is clean, tidy, warm and inviting; fulfilling the needs of children, young people and families regardless of disability, racial/cultural origin or gender. You will take on responsibility for key working and attend all relevant meetings for your key young people, from ‘Child In Need’ to ‘School Reviews’. You will be responsible for keeping Care Plans and Risk Assessments up to date and regularly reviewed for each child / young person you key work. You’ll also work closely with other agencies (such as Health and Education) as well as children’s families.

This is an excellent opportunity to make a real difference to someone's life whilst developing your career in a business that can offer support, training and progression.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking to speak to enthusiastic reliable and flexible people with excellent communications skills and a passion for caring for young people with disabilities. Diploma Level 3 in Residential Childcare would be great, but we would love to hear from you if you have a genuine interest in the role and are willing to work towards the qualification.

We provide ongoing training opportunities for our team members to ensure that the successful candidate feels confident and competent to work with our young people.

Our homes offer care 24/7 so you will need to work on a shift basis, including, days, nights, sleep-ins, evenings and weekends.

To join us, you must have experience in working with children/young people with disabilities in a relevant setting.  You’ll have an understanding of children and young people with disabilities, and how to meet their needs and provide them with great opportunities. With experience in a caring role, you’ll be a positive, practical person. You will be adaptable, flexible and people-focused, with the ability to build professional relationships. You will need to be IT literate, able to write reports and use your initiative and think on your feet.  

Desirable Criteria

·         Diploma Level 3 in Residential Child Care (England) qualified or working towards

·         Good communication and listening skills

·         Demonstrates a caring nature

·         Excellent organisational skills

·         Recognises cultural diversity

·         Good team player

·         Track record of showing initiative and sharing ideas

·         Experienced in being positive and consistent

·         Accurate record keeper

·         Sound knowledge of disability

·         Takes accountability for own training and continual professional development

·         Ability to work within a 24/7 operation 

This role is covered by the Code of practice of the English language requirements for public sector workers. 

Bring your skills to our team and you’ll enjoy an attractive benefits package, plus the support to achieve a relevant Level 3 qualification. You’ll also get the chance to find your greatness by giving children a brighter future. To find out more about working for Central Bedfordshire Council please click here.

Our Offer

We have a number of rewards and benefits available to our staff, to view these please visit our Rewards and Benefits page

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You will be expected to demonstrate how you meet the key accountabilities and competencies in this Recruitment Pack.

Our Competency Framework and Qualification Guidance are to be read in conjunction with our Recruitment Pack.

For an informal discussion about this position please contact: Becky Perry (Registered Manager) at Rebecca.perry@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 4400

For queries related to the recruitment of this vacancy, please contact: The Recruitment Team at recruitment@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

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Safeguarding:

Central Bedfordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees, volunteers and contractors to share this commitment. This post is subject to the disclosure of criminal records.  

To maintain a fair and consistent approach for applicants, it is Central Bedfordshire Council's policy to only consider applications made via our online application system and we therefore thank you for not submitting your application offline. 

Our National Careers Service team offer a free weekly workshop covering CV writing and how to complete the statement sections of the Central Bedfordshire Council online application form. This MS Teams workshop is open to anyone from the UK and lasts around 1.5 hours. Please book your place here. 

More information about this service can be found here: Support getting into work or learning | Central Bedfordshire Council