Senior Residential Childcare Practitioner / Therapeutic Childcare Prac

Senior Residential Childcare Practitioner / Therapeutic Childcare Practitioner

Location: Merstham, Surrey Salary: £29,290.55 to £33,180.42 per annum Sleep-in shifts are paid additionally at £62.40 per night covered. Hours: Full-time, averaging 40 hours per week Contract: Permanent Rota: Flexible, including evenings, weekends and sleep-in duties Probation: Six months

About the Role

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Senior Residential Childcare Practitioner / Therapeutic Childcare Practitioner to join a specialist residential children’s service in Merstham, Surrey.

This senior position involves supporting highly vulnerable children and young people who may have experienced trauma, adverse childhood experiences, mental health challenges, domestic abuse, substance misuse, sexual abuse, learning difficulties, and complex emotional or behavioural needs.

You will deliver high-quality, trauma-informed care and take a leadership role within the home. Your responsibilities include supporting staff, contributing to care planning and safeguarding, and ensuring a therapeutic approach is embedded throughout the service.

Key Responsibilities

Provide personalised, high-quality care and support to children and young people in line with relevant legislation, Ofsted standards, and Children’s Homes Regulations. Ensure the safeguarding, welfare and development of young people at all times. Lead shifts, offering guidance and support to Residential Childcare Practitioners. Act as deputy for the Deputy Manager when required. Supervise, support, induct and develop care team staff. Assist with managing the staff rota and arranging cover, including during emergencies and out-of-hours periods. Support staff compliance with safeguarding procedures, Children’s Homes Regulations, Ofsted requirements, health and safety policies, and other relevant legislation. Lead incident management and liaise with professionals such as social workers, police, and emergency services. Support Key Workers with care planning, reviews, risk assessments, and communication with families and professionals. Deliver individual and group interventions with young people. Promote therapeutic parenting and trauma-informed approaches, helping young people develop emotional regulation and positive coping strategies. Embed the therapeutic care model across all aspects of the home. Support young people experiencing emotional, behavioural and psychological difficulties. Apply appropriate de-escalation and physical intervention techniques in line with training and organisational policies. Maintain accurate records, reports and care documentation. Assist with medication administration and the safe use of specialist equipment. Encourage positive outcomes in health, education, employment, social development, and preparation for adulthood. Contribute to safeguarding, multi-agency and child care review meetings. Support the development and delivery of staff training where qualified to do so. Monitor health and safety and help maintain a safe environment. Undertake sleep-in duties as part of the rota.

About You

We are looking for a caring, resilient, reflective and psychologically minded professional with substantial experience supporting children and young people in residential care.

Ideally, you will have:

Experience working in a residential childcare setting. Previous supervisory or leadership experience. Expertise in supporting children and young people with complex emotional, behavioural or psychological needs. A strong understanding of safeguarding and risk management. Experience contributing to or overseeing care plans and risk assessments. Good knowledge of children’s social care legislation, including the Children’s Homes Regulations and Quality Standards 2015. Understanding of trauma, attachment, separation and child development. Familiarity with therapeutic parenting approaches such as PACE. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. The ability to work collaboratively with families, social workers, health professionals and other agencies. Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands. Confidence in using IT systems for record keeping and communication.

Essential Qualifications

Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or equivalent). Willingness to complete the organisation’s Therapeutic Care Programme and progress to Therapeutic Childcare Practitioner status. First Aid qualification is desirable. A degree or qualification in psychology, social work or therapeutic practise is desirable.

Additional Requirements

Full UK driving licence with confidence in driving both short and long distances. A manual licence is preferred or willingness to upgrade. Willingness to travel to other children’s homes or temporary locations as required. Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and sleep-in shifts according to service needs. Successful and ongoing satisfactory DBS clearance.

Benefits

30 days’ annual leave, including bank holidays Pension scheme Employee Assistance Programme Sleep-in allowance paid in addition to salary Comprehensive training and development opportunities Clear pathway to progress into a Therapeutic Childcare Practitioner role

Interested?

If you have experience working with children and young people and are passionate about delivering trauma-informed, therapeutic and high-quality residential care, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Apply now or contact me at for further information