Teasel Close is a five-bed home for children who have emotional and/or behavioural issues, making it hard for them to live within a family environment.
We aim to provide a supportive, fun and nurturing home, where the children are able to feel safe, valued, respected and cared for. The children we care for very often have gone through difficulties and staff work with the children through challenging times, sharing their triumphs and sometimes mistakes, but always with the best interest of the children at the centre of all our work.
What do people say about us:
“You are all such good people with amazing hearts and I thank you all dearly for making me feel like I am a child and I actually mean something, and I am not a bad person and there are good people out there. You are special.” (Former resident at Teasel Close.)
“In my opinion, Teasel Close has and still does a brilliant job to support my daughter, as she can be challenging. They do their best to keep me updated on her behaviour, good or bad. Thanks for all you do.” (Feedback from a parent.)
Salary: £27,711 - £29,093 per annum including weekend working allowance, salary £26,409 - £27,711 plus weekend working allowance of £1,302 - £1,382. You will also receive an additional Crawley Allowance.
Working Pattern: Full time (37 hours) + rota for evening and weekend work.
Contract: Fixed Term until April 2025 initially, with the potential to extend.
Location: Crawley.
Children’s Residential Recruitment and Retention Payment scheme - £1500 during your first 18 months.
To support recruitment into this vital area, West Sussex County Council offers £1,500 during the employee’s first 18 months where they are recruited to a new permanent role which is identified as hard to recruit and remain in the County Council’s employment during this time.
The scheme consists of two payments: £500 after successful completion of 6 months employment (including successful completion of probation where relevant) and £1,000 after 18 months.
To succeed at this role, you will help to provide a nurturing, positive and safe environment for our children and young people, ensuring that we meet our statutory obligations to the highest standards possible. With direct responsibility for designated children or young people, you will ensure that each person is given the appropriate care and support to achieve their full potential.
Shifts and rotas - for day work, you will be required to work on a shift rota between 07:00 – 22:00, which will include every other weekend and sleep-in duties when needed. This will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate.
Essential
* Good standard of literacy e.g. ability to write reports around individual young people and significant incidents and to be able to write application for level 3 diploma. Could be gained through formal education or vocational experience.
* Grade D or above (3+) in GCSE (or equivalent) Maths and English (Grade C or above (4-9) preferred).
* A Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent qualification (this can be gained on the job but must be applied for within one month of commencing employment and must be completed within 2 years of the date of commencement of employment).
Desirable
* Awareness of the development needs of children in residential care.
* Knowledge of Children’s home regulations 2015 (England).
* Knowledge of how to support children who have experienced trauma, harm or abuse.
* Previous childcare experience, preferably in a residential setting.
* Experience of working with children with disabilities, complex high-risk adolescents or related experience e.g. adults with disabilities.
If you do not hold a Maths and English GCSE at grade D/3 or equivalent, you will need to apply for Maths and English Functional Skills before being considered for this role. You can find out more about gaining a Maths and English Functional Skills on the Government website.
Please be advised you are required to bring certificates for your Maths and English (C and above) and any Childcare qualifications you hold.
As an employer, we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.
In addition to working within a great team and a competitive salary you will have access to:
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
The reference number for this role is CAFHE05409.
For an informal conversation or further information regarding the role, please contact one of the following people:
Zoe Willis (Registered Manager) at zoe.willis@westsussex.gov.uk
Elaine West (Resourcing Specialist) at elaine.west@westsussex.gov.uk
To apply, upload your CV and cover letter, explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role, ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and an occupational health check. A full employment history will be requested and covered for this role.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.
Available documents
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