Residential Child Carer

**JOB DESCRIPTION**

**Job title**: Residential Child Carer (Grade 2)
**Responsible to**: Registered Service Manager

JOB PURPOSE

Work closely with autistic and/or neurodivergent children and young people, supporting them in all aspects of their daily lives, helping them to live as safely and independently as possible and encouraging them to achieve their full potential in terms of self-development, domestic, recreational and leisure activities.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Work with Registered Manager to ensure the highest standards of care are delivered in line with current legislation, best practice, care standards and the residential service policies and procedures.

2. Ensure quality standards are maintained in preparation for announced/unannounced inspections.

3. Work towards the achievement of relevant qualifications to ensure that staff comply with current legal requirements and National Minimum Care Standards.

4. Safeguard and promote the welfare of children at all times and protect them from risk of harm.

5. Comply with the Society’s Safeguarding Policy and report any concerns to the appropriate person.

6. Safeguard the confidentiality of information in accordance with the Society’s policies and procedures.

7. Implement the 24-hour curriculum and liaise with teaching staff to enhance the development of the children and young people you support.

8. Encourage children and young people to achieve their full potential in terms of self
- development, domestic, recreational and leisure activities.

9. Supervise children both on and off residential premises, ensuring risk assessment and health and safety procedures are strictly adhered to. This may include supporting children on their annual holidays, visits to the doctors or other necessary appointments, and taking them to and from school.

10. Contribute to monitoring children’s wellbeing in line with NEAS’ Positive and Proactive
Support policy.

11. Liaise with family, care and teaching staff and other professionals, ensuring the needs of the children and young people are central in all communications.

12. Carry out daily activities or shift work, including sleep-ins, evenings and weekends on a rota basis. And provide temporary cover, so far as is practicable, for other team members.

13. Maintain records as required by the residential service, including documenting the progress and achievements of the children and young people you support. This includes writing daily feedback in the children and young people’s Care Files.

**Revised October 2021**

14. Implement Individual Care Plans and Individual Behaviour Plans, as directed by Registered

Manager.
15. Undertake general domestic duties as required, ensuring children’s belongings are in good condition.
16. Assist with the induction, training and supervision of new, or more junior, team members.
17. Work within a team setting, being courteous, respectful and anti-discriminatory at all times.
18. Attend all mandatory training within the timescale required, including e-learning.
19. Attend appraisal meetings, team meetings and supervisions when required.
20. Any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post.

**Commitment to safeguarding**

The North East Autism Society is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. We recognise it’s our responsibility to take all reasonable steps to promote safe practice and to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from harm, abuse and exploitation.

Employees and volunteers will endeavour to work together to encourage the development of an ethos which embraces difference and diversity and respects the rights of those we support.

**Supporting autistic individuals**

Supporting autistic and/or neurodivergent people in a specialist care setting provides a rewarding and diverse day-to-day job, however aspects of the role can be demanding. This includes times of crisis when it may be hard to understand and respond to the needs of those we support.

Some of the children, young people and adults we support may have additional, co-occurring conditions including communication and/ or physical disabilities or difficulties meaning certain environments can be overwhelming and stressful. While others will have encountered placements breaking down in the past, relationships changing and other traumatic situations.

Crisis situations do occur and while full ongoing training, peer and managerial support is offered, the role does require resilience and a strength of character alongside the ability to put training theory into practice.

**Revised October 2021**

**Revised October 2021**

**ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE**
**Education **GCSE (or equivalent) in maths and English* NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Residential Child Care, Caring for Children and Young
**and ** People, or equivalent*
**training ** _*Please note, NEAS can arrange an