Job Summary The Prospering Place is a social care provider aiming to deliver high-quality person-centred specialist care in a residential childcare setting with tailor-made support packages for 7- to 18-year-olds. The purpose of this role is to successfully support children and young people between the ages of 7-18 to transition into independent living whereby they feel confident and well equipped with the necessary skills to live a self-sufficient life. The post holder will join our friendly and professional team and will be required to provide support services in line with The Prospering Place’s guidelines. Organisational Values At The Prospering Place we passionately believe that every young person should be treated as a unique individual regardless of status, sex, age, religion, race, culture, disability, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that our young people have the best possible experience within our home. We are looking for people who are committed to delivering an excellent service to our young people, and who take pride in what they do. We place a high value on treating everyone with respect and dignity and seek people who strive for excellence and innovation in all that they do. We value all our staff and aim to provide rewarding careers and benefits, fulfilling work environments and exciting opportunities. Opportunities We believe that every young person should have opportunities to live a full life with dignity, self-determination, and responsibilities and to make the most of opportunities that are available to them, including in education, employment, and self-development. Quality At The Prospering Place we believe that ‘quality matters’ and we plan, deliver and review our services to the highest professional standards at all times to secure the best possible outcomes for our young people. We recruit staff who share our values and who are highly skilled in delivering a quality service to our young people. Excellence We strive for excellence in everything that we do. Uniqueness We believe that every young person is unique, and our support packages are tailored to suit the individual needs of each young person. Aspirational We are receptive and responsive to new ideas and thinking, so we never stop learning, discovering, and improving. Key Tasks and Responsibilities To maintain a high quality of care and support which meets the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and cultural needs of the children and young people. Working from the guidelines from the 1989 Children’s Act, National Minimum Standards, Every Child Matters and any other relevant legislation. To be passionate, enthusiastic and ambitious about making positive changes in children and young people’s lives to help empower them to achieve their goals and aspire for positive outcomes. To encourage children and young people to access education, training, employment and/or purposeful activities in the community. To support any application or enrolment process which may include help with CV writing and application forms for jobs. To support children and young people to gain vital independent skills such as cooking, cleaning, maintaining good personal hygiene, shopping, and budgeting. To support children and young people through registering them with a GP, dentist and opticians. To contribute to the normal development of the children and young people by ensuring they have a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet. To provide primary basic care and a nurturing, therapeutic environment to help the child or young person to progress, ensuring that they are always offered unconditional and positive regard. To work with consistent boundaries in order to create a safe environment for the children and young people. To be a positive role model for the children and young people and encourage them to develop meaningful positive relationships and attachments. To work alongside the children and young people to help them develop a true sense of identity and feelings of self-worth. To provide a caring, supportive and nurturing environment in which children and young people can feel secure and free from harm and ensure the house rules are abided by. To exercise responsible control to ensure safety and wellbeing needs are met by being alert to signs of distress or abuse and to ensure that the children and young people are monitored and protected at all times. To provide advice, assistance and support on a 1:1 basis to enable young people to address past and present difficulties, as well as provide emotional support at times of difficulty or stress. To build positive relationships with external agencies and stakeholders including social services, education providers and voluntary organisations. To liaise where necessary with other professionals i.e. schools, social workers. To be aware of the children’s rights and to work in an anti-discriminatory and anti- oppressive manner. To organise and supervise recreational activities both inside and outside the home. To be sensitive to the needs of individual children and young people, taking into account characteristics such as race, culture, language, sexuality, disability and religion. To engage, communicate, talk and listen to the children and young people. To observe their behaviour and record this in reports and keep accurate records, including cause for concern, accident and incident forms. To implement and amend care plans to reflect the children and young people’s changing needs. To use reactive strategies to support the behaviour of children and young people who are unable to manage their own behaviour. This includes helping them gain self-control by challenging unacceptable behaviour and rewarding acceptable, pro-social conduct. To assist in preparation for reviews and meetings and attend when required. To work alongside psychologists to enable effective integration of care and therapy. To work with children and young people and their prospective carers to ensure the child’s successful integration into a family when placed. To be a key carer of a child or young person where designated. To act as a member of the staff team, supporting colleagues and being prepared to receive support and advice as necessary. To participate meaningfully in team meetings at regular intervals and attend any training appropriate to the role. To share in the practical activities necessary to maintain the home to the highest standard like cleaning, checking bedrooms and general maintenance. To be accountable for monies allocated for specific purposes where appropriate. To be familiar with and adhere to all The Prospering Place’s policies and procedures, including the Health and Safety Regulations and Procedures and Confidentiality and GDPR Policies. Equality and Diversity The Prospering Place aims to promote equal employment opportunities without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We are a disability-confident company and actively encourage a diverse and inclusive working environment. Disclosure & Barring Service / Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults Applicants who are offered employment with The Prospering Place will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure & Barring Service before appointment is confirmed. This includes details of cautions, reprimands and final warnings, as well as convictions. Further information can be found via https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service. Post holders have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of specific duties relating to their role. Staff are obliged to disclose during employment any pending criminal convictions, including cautions, and any other information relevant to the safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults. Work Visa/ Permits/Leave to Remain If you are a non-resident of the UK or EEA you are required to have a valid work visa and leave to remain in the UK, which is renewed as required. We are unable to employ or continue to employ you if you require but do not have a valid work visa and/or leave to remain in the UK. Personal Specification Applicants must be aged 22 or over. Level 3 in residential childcare or equivalent. Experience working in a semi-residential childcare setting or similar. Be passionate about working with and being a role model to young people to ensure their individual needs and goals are met. Good safeguarding knowledge and experience of working with young people and or/vulnerable groups with challenging behaviours for a minimum of 1 year. Able to use your own initiative. Be able to lone work and work as part of a team. Have good administrative and organisational skills and work to deadlines. Excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as be computer literate. Be able to adapt to different environments and have a flexible approach to work (including working nights on a sleep-in basis and weekends if required). Have the physical qualities needed to meet the role’s requirements (with any reasonable adjustments made). Demonstrate ability to meet The Prospering Place’s organisational values. Training Information Over the course of 15 – 18 months (dependent upon the level of course an apprentice is being enrolled onto), you will study things such as the principles of healthcare and safeguarding, person-centred care & support, physiological measurements, basic life support, dementia, cognitive & mental health support, moving, handling and infection control, supporting daily living, lifespan development and healthcare needs, duty of care and legislation. Higher level courses go into more depth within different pathways such as dementia, learning disabilities and Austism, children & adolescent mental health, combined therapies, complex care, maternity, mental health, rehabilitation, substance misuse and acquired brain injury (these topics may differ). Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship programme, you will achieve a Level 2 or 3 qualification and a TQUK Diploma in Care. We and our employer partners are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, so a DBS check will be required for this role. To make you aware, this position is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as ‘spent’ must be declared, and you will be asked about these during the recruitment process. We and our employer partners are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, so a DBS check will be required for this role. To make you aware, this position is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as ‘spent’ must be declared, and you will be asked about these during the recruitment process. Our delivery of training is through blended learning. Supported by one of our sector specialist tutors, they will deliver teaching sessions using various methods including face to face teaching, Skype, Facetime, telephone and peer virtual classroom whilst using our interactive multi-sensory teaching resources. Teaching sessions are normally bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the learner’s preferred learning style. Additionally, the tutor will provide the support required to ensure the learner enjoys and ultimately successfully achieves their goals and completes their training. We want learners to feel that our team are approachable at any stage of their learning journey. You will initially take an online assessment that will help us to understand your learning style and needs, then we will tailor your learning experience accordingly. We ensure that you stay on track to complete your programme on time by managing your expectations through our state-of-the-art e-portfolio system. At the end of your programme, your learnt knowledge, skills and behaviours will be assessed by an independent assessor in your end point assessment (EPA). As part of the apprenticeship, alongside your job role, 20% of your time in work must be dedicated to developing new skills. This can be any time devoted to learning and improving new skills without interruption.