The role

Are you ambitious for our children and young people? So are we.

It’s an exciting time to join Southwark Council as we prepare to open our very first children’s home. We are passionate about ensuring our children grow up in the borough they call home, surrounded by the people who matter most to them. Our vision is to transform young lives through meaningful, nurturing relationships and high-quality, personalised care.

As a Children’s Residential Practitioner (Waking Night), you will play a key role in shaping the future of our residential service, ensuring our children feel loved, safe, and supported to achieve their aspirations.

About the Role

Working as part of a dedicated team, you will provide overnight support to children and young people with emotional and behavioural needs. Your responsibilities will include:

• Creating a safe, caring, and nurturing environment that promotes independence and positive experiences.
• Managing overnight routines, responding to children’s needs, and providing reassurance when necessary.
• Supporting children who may experience crises, ensuring they receive appropriate care and intervention.
• Completing domestic duties to maintain a homely and welcoming environment.
• Recording and updating children’s plans, providing clear handovers to the day team.
• Administering medication in line with policies and procedures.
• Attending training, supervision, and team meetings to continuously develop your skills.

About You

We are looking for passionate and resilient individuals with:

• A Level 3 Residential Childcare qualification (or a commitment to achieving this post-probation).
• Experience working with children and young people in a residential setting.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, child development, and person-centred care.
• Strong communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to remain calm and supportive in challenging situations.

A commitment to equality, diversity, and ensuring every child is valued is essential.

Shifts are typically 21:45 – 07:45 (10-hour shifts), with opportunities for additional hours based on service needs. Employees working night shifts receive enhancements of time and a third between 10pm – 7am, plus additional overtime rates.

We have two 30 hour posts available, and one 10 hour post.

About the Service

Southwark Council is committed to delivering exceptional care to children and young people in our borough. Our new residential service will offer:

• A welcoming, child-centred home environment.
• A comprehensive induction, training, and development programme to support your success.
• Ongoing supervision and career progression opportunities within a council that values its workforce.
• A strong team culture focused on achieving the best outcomes for children.

If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact and be part of an ambitious new service, we want to hear from you!

This post does not offer visa sponsorship. Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

#LI-PC1

This post requires a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) DBS check at Enhanced level.

Benefits and more information:

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.

Recruitment timetable

Advert close: 30th March 2025

shortlisting date: 4th April 2025

Interview date: 17th April 2025

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

•  Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
•  Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
•  If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Attachments

• Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification.