Senior Residential Practitioner (Acorn Lodge) - REQ004876

Job title: Senior Residential Practitioner (Acorn Lodge)

Salary: SO1 £34,434 - £36,363

Hours: 37 (Shift Work, Weekends & Bank Holidays & Sleep‑In Duties)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Acorn Lodge – Children with Complex Need

About the Role

We are looking for an enthusiastic, skilled and compassionate Senior Practitioner to join our care team. This is a key leadership role supporting the current management team and ensuring high-quality, child and person‑centred care.

You will be responsible for leading shifts, supporting staff, promoting a restorative and strengths‑based approach, and ensuring the wellbeing, dignity and rights of every individual in our service. Mentoring ad Role modelling to staff and young people is key to this role.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and oversee shifts, including evenings, weekends and sleep‑in duties
Deliver high‑quality personal care in line with individual needs and care plans
Complete and review care planning, risk assessments and daily records
Attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary and professionals’ meetings
Provide supervisions, mentoring and guidance to support staff
Promote a restorative approach, encouraging independence and positive outcomes
Ensure practice reflects equality, diversity and inclusion at all times
Maintain professional standards and comply with all regulatory and organisational policies
Build positive relationships with individuals, families and external partners
Implement Childrens Homes Regulations including Quality Standards into every day practice
Have knowledge and understanding of Ofsted Inspections
Initiative to plan, prepare and execute tasks without prompts

About You

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

Experience working in Children’s Care or support setting, ideally at a senior or shift‑lead level
Minimum Level 3 in Residential Child Care or Equivaent
Strong communication, leadership and organisational skills
A compassionate, caring and person‑centred approach
Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults or young people
Ability to work flexibly across a rota, including weekends and sleep‑ins. This will include Christmas and New Year shifts.
A restorative, reflective and inclusive approach to supporting individuals and staff
Confidence in managing reporting, record‑keeping and care planning
Fun, child focussed and the ability to learn
Have a thirst for training and development

What We Offer

Supportive management and a positive team culture
Ongoing training and professional development
Opportunities to progress within the organisation
Competitive salary and sleep‑in / weekend enhancements
Meaningful, rewarding work where you can make a real difference
A restorative working environment
Equal opportunities for all

Acorn Lodge is an “Outstanding” home which provides care to the Children & Young People of Leeds where we continue to enrich and promote the best outcomes for our Children and Young People.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

The Senior Practitioner’s role is to lead the residential practitioner team which supports, encourages and safeguards children and young people in their development, enabling them to make positive contributions to their families, society and local communities.

You will do this by fostering positive relationships and maintaining strong bonds between children and staff based on shared daily life and routines, joint activities and established boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

Responsibilities

Undertake key worker role, implement care plans, conduct risk assessments and devise support and health plans
Provide and maintain a safe, stimulating and secure living and learning environment supporting day-to-day physical and emotional needs
Work with professionals and communities of origin to sustain links and understand past problems
Nurture children’s ambitions for their future and their learning, both in and out of school
Support children and young people’s emotional, mental and physical health needs to build self-esteem
Respect privacy whilst maintaining a duty of care ensuring that living spaces are clean and safe
Provide appropriate levels of personal care for children and young people with disabilities and complex needs, including bathing, toileting, dressing, changing and feeding as appropriate
Ensure that all records are accurate, up to date and GDPR compliant
Manage complex and challenging behaviour in an assertive, restorative and sensitive manner
Work to reduce the likelihood that a child/young person becomes criminalised, encouraging restorative approaches and outcomes
Day-to-day management including deployment of staff ensuring appropriate cover in the home
Responsibility for the home in the absence of the Registered Manager and Deputy Manager commensurate to the grade
Lead and participate in the planning and delivery of opportunities for of young people
Supervision and appraisal of staff in line with associated policies and procedures, including participation in recruitment, selection, induction, training and support processes as required
Administer and record prescribed and other medication and supervise others in this activity in line with Medication Policy and Procedure
Provide reports, minutes, maintain records, attend, and chair meetings and reviews as required.
The hours of work are primarily determined by the needs of the service and are worked on a rota basis and include weekends and Bank Holidays. There may be a need to undertake sleeping-in duties as required
Maintain a close working relationship with colleagues, other council directorates, service users, carers, external agencies and the wider public
Be flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required, commensurate to grade
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion and development programmes
Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice
Contribute to the overall ethos, work and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days and events as requested
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures such as child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all by working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures
The postholder is expected to work within the parameters of the council’s flexibility protocol
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post

Qualifications

To work in this role you must hold at minimum NVQ/QCF Diploma Level 3 in Residential Child Care, as well as the QFC Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services Level 5. If you do not hold this qualification we will fund you to study for it. You must complete the qualification within a reasonable period of starting work, normally 3 years. Failure to achieve the QFC Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services Level 5 will prevent you from continuing in this post.

Person specification

Essential requirements: The candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities. We will use one or more methods to assess whether candidates meet the essential requirements, including application form, interview, test and certificate.

We will only shortlist candidates for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Skills required

Able and willing to travel and work flexibly across different work locations including providing support to children living within family settings as appropriate
Able and willing to work on a rota basis and change work patterns as reasonably required, including undertaking sleep-ins, early mornings, late evenings, weekends and bank holidays
Able to build relationships and actively engage with individual and groups of children and young people
Able to build relationships and communicate effectively with a wide range of people
Able to accurately maintain manual and digital records in accordance with the requirements of GDPR
Able to use initiative to adapt to changing circumstances and develop solutions to issues
Able to demonstrate skills in managing conflict and aggression using de-escalation techniques
Able to take a lead role, manage, plan, deploy staff, follow procedure and maintain records
Able to make assessments, formulate and facilitate care plans and present observations and reports on young people
Able to lead in the planning, implementation and evaluation of group activities and individual work

Knowledge required

NVQ/QCF Diploma Level 3 in Residential Child Care
QFC Leadership Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services Level 5; if you do not hold this qualification you must complete it within a reasonable period, normally 3 years after starting work (we fund the course)
Of relevant legislation, guidance, policies and the ability to interpret and apply them consistently
Understanding of child and adolescent growth and development
Principles of risk assessment and management, child protection and safeguarding
Understanding of responsibilities in terms of health and safety, security, confidentiality and data protection
Of the needs of looked after children and the importance of advocacy for children and young people
Good standard of literacy and numeracy
Basic computer literacy and of the use of Microsoft packages

Experience required

Recent experience of working with young people or vulnerable adults who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties, in either a paid or voluntary capacity
Of supervision of staff, personal and team development and training

Behavioural and other characteristics required

Be physically fit enough to carry out all requirements of the role including the use of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) to manage challenging behaviour as required
Committed to continuous improvement
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under the council's Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development
Understand and embrace our values, behaviours and codes of conduct

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