Job Description

Job Title:

Therapeutic Care Worker - Berrow WR13

Please Note: You must be eligible to work in the UK. We do not offer Visa sponsorship

Hours:

39 hours (shift pattern over 3 weeks, some weekends and evenings included)

Job Summary

To help maintain and develop a nurturing, therapeutic and fun environment for 5 girls aged 8 - 13, who have had traumatic early years experiences. Creating a home where they can feel safe, loved and begin to make positive memories.

Main Duties

In the simplest terms, the duties of a TCW are similar to those of any parent and our house follows the general routine of any other house that has children, so a usual weekday would involve the following:

Assist the children in completing their morning routine - breakfasting, cleaning teeth and readying for school.

Whilst the children are in school most paperwork tasks are completed - emails to Social Workers, report writing, recording of Key Work sessions, activity planning etc so some basic IT skills are required. This is also a good time to complete domestic tasks involved in any household, such as shopping and cooking. The Registered Manager will also use this time to seek input from staff for the Reg 44 and Reg 45 reports.

After school could be taking children to clubs and activities, playing in the garden, helping with homework, or resolving any issues from the day and then sitting down for an evening meal.

Night-time routines involve settling the house down ready for bed, showering, chilling out and bedtime stories. Weekends can be filled with activities planned by the staff team, such as ice skating, walking, shopping or attending club and sports matches.

Planning of activities for the children is important. Finding clubs and societies for them to join, such as trampoline club, riding lessons or sports clubs helps build self-esteem. Also, arranging and participating in things in the house - music lessons, arts and crafts, board games etc.

Other tasks involve monitoring health and wellbeing of our children and taking appropriate action and reporting when you have concerns. All staff must complete safeguarding training as part of their induction and are expected to follow the home's Safeguarding Policy, reporting concerns promptly in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures. Staff are expected to understand and comply with Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) and Keeping Children Safe in Education where relevant.

We are Ofsted registered and so all staff must ensure they are working within all regulatory and statutory guidelines set out in acts such as the Children Act 1989, the Children Act 2004, and the Care Standards Act 2000, along with their associated regulations, such as the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015. This will be under the direction of the Registered Manager and Deputy Manager. This also means working within the framework described in the home's Statement of Purpose.

All staff have a duty to follow Health and Safety policies and regulations in all areas of the home - from driving company cars, to infection control, to safe medication dispensing.

Basically, there's too many to list, so any other tasks or duties deemed appropriate as directed by the Registered Manager in line with the needs of the children and the service.

How do we complete these duties?

There's no denying that the job is demanding with a range of tasks to complete, so how do we manage to keep all the plates spinning?

Working therapeutically

means putting the child at the centre of everything we do, seeing the world thorough their eyes, through the lens of their experience and then making decisions on the best course of action. It means knowing all about our children. What they have experienced, what things they like and dislike, what is in their care plan, how to de-escalate them, what's their favourite food. The home operates as a Therapeutic Community and uses PACE as it's model of practice. Staff will receive training in these areas model and be expected to consistently apply therapeutic principles in their day-to-day interactions with children.

Role modelling

is a huge part of the job and in all kinds of ways. How to act in public, how to take disappointment, how to apologies when you've made a mistake, how to consider a healthy diet and lifestyle, how to try and fail - the list goes on.

Team work

is essential. The children we care for have a range of traumatic backgrounds and adverse experiences. To deliver outstanding care we need to help each other, support each other and back each other. Attending and contributing to team meetings is essential. Our staff must be able to organise and prioritise their working days and remain

consistent

when interacting with our children.

Being proactive

, thinking ahead. What needs to be done? When does it need to be done by? I've got 10 mins spare; is there any little jobs I can get done? There is always something to be done...

Working in collaboration

with other agencies and stake holders, such as school settings, Social Workers and family members; including facilitating and attending family visits.

The children we care for, and their families, come from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds so we must be aware of cultural needs and sensitivities and work accordingly, being

inclusive and non-discriminatory.

Genesis is committed to equality of opportunity in employment. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.

So, what sort of skills and experience are we looking for?

Resilience.

Can you stay calm and patient after a 13-hour shift, when faced with confrontational behaviour from the children that challenges you? This will happen from time to time and an ability to be calm, resilient and use a range of strategies to manage those situations is required; as well as the ability to manage your own emotions, opinions and feelings in those situations.

Maintaining boundaries,

both in terms of the behavioural expectations and also professional boundaries around relationships with other staff and children.

An ability to be

self-reflective

is essential. As a staff team we have to be able to analyse our individual and group practice to see what we are doing well and where we need to improve. This involves group reflective practice as well as 1:1 supervisions with a line manager that you are expected to take an active part in, monthly.

A willingness to work with children and to learn and develop in the role.

This could be formal courses and structured learning in the shape of qualifications or informally getting better at the job, learning about the role and the theories that underpin what we do. If you already have some experience of working or volunteering with children, then that is great, but not essential.

You must be able to

meet the shift pattern

and have a

manual driver's licence

as you will be required to take children to clubs, appointments and family time.

In line with The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015, all care staff must hold the Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or equivalent) within

two years

of starting employment. If you do not hold this, the company will sponsor you (via a training agreement) to undertake the qualification after successful completion of probation. You will be expected to begin the course within 6 months of starting in the job role.

NB:

Although working primarily at one home, circumstance may arise when you will be required to work at other Genesis houses.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 26,500.00-29,500.00 per year

Benefits:

Childcare Company events Company pension Discounted or free food Employee discount Free parking Health & wellbeing programme On-site parking Referral programme Sick pay
Ability to commute/relocate:

Malvern WR13 6AQ: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):

Do you hold a manual driving licence?
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person

Expected start date: 05/01/2026