Youth Residential Support Worker (Wisbech / South)

This isn’t just a job. It’s a chance to change a young person’s life.

We’re looking for a compassionate, resilient and dependable Youth Residential Support Worker to join our children’s residential team in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. You’ll support children and young people who may have experienced trauma, instability, emotional difficulties or challenging circumstances.

It won’t always be easy. But the moments that matter, such as earning a child’s trust, celebrating their progress and helping them feel safe, make it incredibly rewarding.

• Location: Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Contract: Full time, permanent
• Salary: £33,488 per annum (£16.00 per hour)
• Hours: 40.25 per week on average
• Pattern: Two to three 15-hour shifts a week, on rotation
• Shift times: 07:15 to 22:00
• Breaks: No deduction from pay for breaks
• Sleep-in: One per week, 22:15 to 07:00, paid at £70 per sleep. This is paid separately through the overtime sheet and is not included in your salary.

• You’ll help create a safe, stable and nurturing home where young people feel valued, supported and listened to. Your role will include:
• Supporting children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD)
• Building positive, trusting relationships
• Providing emotional support and positive role modelling
• Supporting routines, activities and everyday life
• Encouraging positive behaviour and maintaining appropriate boundaries
• Responding calmly to incidents, safeguarding concerns and emergencies
• Completing welfare checks, records, reports and handovers
• Following care plans, risk assessments, safeguarding procedures and organisational policies
• Working alongside colleagues, families and external professionals
• Helping maintain a safe, clean and welcoming home
• Working in line with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Quality Standards

Essential

• Experience working with children or young people
• A calm, patient and resilient approach
• A good understanding of safeguarding, child protection and professional boundaries
• The ability to maintain boundaries with kindness, and an understanding that behaviour is communication
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Clear, accurate written record-keeping
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team
• The stamina and flexibility for long shifts, including a weekly sleep-in
• The right to work in the UK
• A full UK driving licence
• Willingness to undergo an Enhanced DBS check, including the children’s barred list, and the other pre-employment checks below

Desirable

• Residential childcare experience
• Experience with EBD, SEN or SEMH settings
• A Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent, or a willingness to work towards it

You don’t need the perfect CV. You need the right attitude, resilience and heart. We welcome people from children’s residential care, children’s or youth support work, social care, care work, behaviour support, SEN or SEMH settings, foster care and supported accommodation.

• £33,488 per annum for an average 40.25-hour week
• An extra £70 for each weekly sleep-in, paid through the overtime sheet
• No deduction from pay for breaks
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Career progression opportunities
• Support from an experienced care team
• A rewarding career in residential childcare
• The opportunity to build meaningful relationships with young people and make a genuine difference every day

The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is at the heart of what we do. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Appointment is subject to safer recruitment checks in line with Schedule 2 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, including:

• An Enhanced DBS check, including the children’s barred list
• Verification of identity and right to work in the UK
• A full employment history, with any gaps explained
• Two satisfactory references, including your most recent employer
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Satisfactory health and fitness information

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to disclose all convictions and cautions that are not protected under current filtering legislation.

You might be the person who helps a young person believe in themselves again. You might be the adult they remember years from now. Apply today and become someone a young person can count on.

Job type: Full time, permanent | Work location: In person