Join to apply for the Residential Children's Worker (Gatekeepers Lodge) role at Derbyshire County Council
Closing date: 14 September 2025
Derbyshire provides consistent, good quality care through twelve children’s homes across the County. Our homes provide an environment where young people feel happy to live.
Under-pinned by Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy (PACE), trauma informed practice, social pedagogy and person-centred approach to inform practice, we work continuously to improve the quality of our Children’s homes, ensuring our young people have every opportunity to thrive and develop.
This is an exciting opportunity to work at a small children’s home. It is a low occupancy, specialist provision that provides care to children 11-18 years old, supporting a transition to a permanent home. The successful candidate will work with a supportive management team, receive regular supervision and be involved in helping to develop the service. Minimum age requirement is 21 years old, due to the ages of the young people.
Our Residential Children\'s Workers provide a service to Children within Specialist Services in accordance with legislative and policy requirements. Working as part of a small staff team who provide support and a person-centred service to children and young people, they are responsible for the holistic care and safety needs of the children.
They work in close collaboration with partner services to support children and their families. They embed the therapeutic ethos of Derbyshire Residential Services within the Homes, to ensure that all areas of a child’s care address their physical, emotional, and social development.
As an RCW, you will need to have an openness to and an aptitude for relationship focused and psychologically informed working practices. You must have the appropriate skills and experience to perform and work within an environment that can, at times, require using your own initiative along with an understanding of the Children Act, the Quality Care Standards and Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.
You must hold, be working towards, or be willing to undertake and complete within 2 years of starting work at the home, the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England). Or you should hold an equivalent qualification such as The NVQ 3 caring for children & young people and be prepared to complete any additional work to meet the required level. More information on the role can be found within the Job and Person profile.
For more information on our residential children’s service please visit https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/social-health/children-and-families/children-we-look-after/residential-care/young-people-who-need-residential-care.aspx
You must have the appropriate skills and experience to perform and work within an environment that can at times require using your own initiative along with an understanding of The Children Act, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards. You must hold, or be already working towards or be willing to undertake and complete within 2 years of starting work at the home, the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England). Equivalent qualifications (e.g., NVQ Level 3 Children and Young People’s Workforce Diploma and Social Care Pathway (England) 2015) will also be accepted, although you will need to be willing to complete any additional work to meet the required level, if required.
Working hours include unsocial hours, evenings and weekends.
For an informal discussion contact Natalie Cantrell 07528063869
Working for Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a great place to live and work. It’s only a short drive to Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Manchester but is also home to miles of countryside and has the Peak District National Park on its doorstep. The county offers house prices below the UK average and has good road and rail links. In addition to location, there are several perks to being a Derbyshire County Council employee:
* Local Government Pension Scheme
* Generous annual leave and flexi-time scheme
* Travel expenses
* Discount on leisure centre memberships
* Free car parking at most sites
* In-house counselling services
* Occupational health service
* Access to sessions with a trained physiotherapist
* Cycle to work scheme
Provisional Interview Date: 22 September 2025
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Entry level
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