Job Description
Senior Residential Childcare Practitioner
Location: Derby
Salary: £37,158.58pa to start, with a rise after successful 6-month probation
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 56.5 hours per week (inclusive of sleep-ins), 3-week rolling rota
We’re working with a forward-thinking, therapeutic children’s home in Derby who are looking for a committed Senior Residential Care Practitioner to join their team. If you’ve got real experience in residential childcare, know what it means to build trust with young people, and can lead by example in often challenging environments, this could be a brilliant opportunity.
The home supports young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), many of whom have faced significant disruptions in their lives, be it family breakdown, instability in foster placements, or trauma.
What you’ll be doing:
As a Senior Practitioner, you’ll provide nurturing, high-quality care and be a key part of the young person’s support network. You’ll also have responsibility for leading shifts, supporting other staff, and contributing to the safe, consistent running of the home. You’ll take the lead on care plans, risk assessments, and be a reliable point of contact for the young people in your care.
Key parts of the role include:
* Leading shifts and supporting a small, committed staff team
* Safeguarding young people and implementing individual risk management plans
* Supporting daily routines including school runs, appointments, family contact and activities
* Offering consistency and structure while modelling therapeutic parenting approaches
* Being a keyworker and taking ownership of care planning and outcomes
* Keeping detailed, timely records and ensuring compliance with relevant standards
* Taking part in regular supervision, completing required training and qualifications
* Supporting new staff and contributing to their ongoing development
* Providing hands-on care including cooking, cleaning and day-to-day responsibilities
* Responding calmly and supportively to crisis situations when they arise
About you:
You’ll already have at least two years' experience in a residential childcare setting and will have managed or supported staff during shifts. You're someone who knows the challenges of this work and why consistency, empathy and resilience are non-negotiable. You're naturally calm under pressure, able to maintain boundaries, and understand how your behaviour influences the young people you support.
You’re someone who:
* Holds a Level 3 or 4 diploma in Residential Childcare or Children, Young People and Families Practitioner
* Has at least 2 years of experience working with children in residential or transferable youth support settings
* Has experience managing teams or leading shifts
* Is emotionally intelligent, patient and committed to trauma-informed care
* Has a full, clean UK driving licence (this is essential for the role)
* Is confident with paperwork, systems and following procedures
Shift pattern and working hours:
You’ll be working on a 3-week rolling rota, averaging 10 shifts per month (including sleep-ins), totalling 244.5 hours per month. Shifts are 08:00 to 23:00 with a sleep-in, then half-hour handover the next morning (08:00–08:30). This structure allows for proper rest between shifts and a clear, consistent rhythm in the home.
Why this opportunity stands out:
* A therapeutic, relational approach to care
* Stable team and leadership who prioritise development and consistency
* Strong structure, clear expectations, and a calm, supportive culture
* An opportunity to genuinely make a long-term difference in the lives of young people
If you’re ready to take the next step in your residential childcare career and want to work in a home where young people and the staff who support them are genuinely valued, we’d love to hear from you.