Support Worker - Residential Therapeutic ABC Children’s Services
Role Details
Reports to: Registered Manager or day-to-day direction from the Deputy Manager
Location: The appointed children’s home and agreed activities in the community
Hours: As contracted, including evenings, weekends, bank holidays and sleep-ins or waking nights where agreed
Regulatory body: Ofsted — children’s homes in England
Role Purpose
To provide safe, nurturing and consistent care for children living in the home, helping them feel valued, listened to and supported to make progress.
As a Support Worker you would build trusting relationships and provides practical and emotional support in line with each child’s plans, the home’s therapeutic approach and Statement of Purpose.
The postholder contributes to the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards through everyday practice. They are accountable for their own actions, decisions, recording and reporting.
Key Responsibilities
Therapeutic Care and Relationships
* Use trauma-informed, attachment-aware and relationship-based approaches to understand the needs behind behaviour.
* Respond calmly to distress, maintain predictable routines and fair boundaries, and help children develop trust, emotional regulation and a positive sense of self.
* Apply agreed therapeutic recommendations consistently and record progress or difficulties.
Safeguarding and Child Welfare
* Recognise and respond promptly to abuse, neglect, exploitation, bullying, online harm, self-harm, unsafe relationships and changes in risk.
* Listen calmly to disclosures, record the child’s words accurately and report concerns immediately through the safeguarding procedure.
* Take immediate action to protect children and escalate concerns about unsafe practice through the appropriate procedures.
Daily Care and the Home Environment
* Provide individualised support with meals, hygiene, clothing, sleep, appointments and daily routines, including personal care where required by the child’s plan and within training and competence.
* Protect privacy and dignity and encourage age-appropriate choice and independence.
* Share cooking, shopping, cleaning, laundry and household tasks to keep the home safe, welcoming and personalised.
Children’s Voice, Education and Development
* Listen to children and involve them in decisions about their care and the home.
* Promote identity, equality and belonging, and support safe friendships, family contact and community participation.
* Support education attendance, homework, hobbies, physical activity, play and practical life skills such as cooking, travel and budgeting.
Care Planning and Key Worker Responsibilities
* Read and understand current placement plans, risk assessments, health plans, behaviour support plans and relevant therapeutic guidance.
* When allocated as a key worker, build a purposeful relationship with the child, undertake planned key-work sessions, track agreed goals and record progress.
* Contribute factual observations to reviews, care planning and transitions.
Positive Behaviour Support
* Use prevention, co-regulation, de-escalation and the child’s agreed strategies to reduce distress and avoid restrictive interventions.
* Never use humiliating, threatening or punitive treatment, prohibited sanctions or restraint as a punishment.
* Follow the home’s policy and staff training when responding to incidents, and report and record any intervention promptly.
Health, Safety and Medicines
* Support children’s physical, emotional and mental health needs, attend appointments and seek timely advice when concerns arise.
* Handle or administer medicines only when trained, assessed as competent and authorised.
* Follow risk assessments, fire procedures, infection prevention, food hygiene and safe transport arrangements.
Recording and Information Sharing
* Keep timely, accurate, respectful and child-centred daily records, key-work notes and incident reports.
* Record what happened, actions taken, the child’s views, outcomes and required follow-up.
* Protect confidential information and share relevant information with authorised people when needed for care or safeguarding.
Teamwork and Professional Conduct
* Work constructively with colleagues, managers, families, social workers, education staff and health or therapeutic professionals.
* Attend handovers and meetings, contribute factual information and follow through on agreed actions.
* Maintain appropriate boundaries, complete mandatory training, attend supervision and appraisal, and apply learning and feedback in practice.
* Cooperate with authorised inspections, monitoring visits and audits, and report unsafe practice promptly.
Children’s Money and Property
* Handle children’s allowances, savings, belongings and authorised household expenditure in line with financial procedures.
* Keep accurate records and report missing money, discrepancies, damage or suspected financial abuse immediately.
Person Specification
Essential Requirements
- Child-centred, dependable and respectful, with the ability to maintain boundaries, reflect on practice and respond calmly under pressure.
- Ability to recognise safeguarding concerns, take protective action and report and escalate promptly.
- Ability to build appropriate relationships, support daily living and adapt communication to children’s needs.
- Clear spoken and written communication, accurate recording and ability to use approved digital systems and follow agreed plans.
-Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England), or a qualification accepted by the registered person as equivalent; otherwise, willingness and ability to achieve it within the applicable regulatory timescale.
- Willingness to complete induction, training, supervision and development, and ability to work the agreed rota.
- Satisfactory safer recruitment checks, including identity, right to work, employment history, references and the appropriate enhanced DBS and children’s barred-list check for the role.
Desirable Requirements
- Experience in residential childcare or supporting children with complex needs.
- Knowledge of trauma-informed practice and the Quality Standards.
- Experience of key work and multi-agency working.
- A driving licence where driving forms part of the agreed duties.
- Assessment: Application, interview and relevant practical or scenario-based assessment, supported by references, qualification evidence and pre-employment checks.
Standards of Success
Children feel safe, listened to and supported. Agreed care and therapeutic strategies are used consistently, concerns are acted upon, records show children’s experiences and progress, and allocated actions and learning are completed