Children's Residential Support Worker

**Who are Fair Ways and what do we stand for?**

Fair Ways is a leading children’s services charity based in the Solent, delivering Fostering, Education, Residential, Mental Health and Family services and cares for over 400 children, families, young people and vulnerable adults each year.

Fair Ways is a great place to work. We are a team. We care about each other and are all committed to making a change to the lives of the young people and service users in our care. We will not apologise for calling our staff great, the best, or world-class. Our staff are at the core of our organisation and we celebrate them by shouting it from the rooftops

**Where and when do we need you?**

We are recruiting for a Support Worker for our residential children’s home in Portchester. Our home accommodates children aged 12 - 18 and specialises in providing therapeutic informed practices for our young people, supporting them towards independence. You will be working as part of a wonderful team and encouraged to develop your career within an ambitious and growing organisation that is committed to staff retention and development. The successful applicant will work onsite supporting a team of support workers and the home management to ensure the delivery of continuous high-quality service and growth.

We are looking for a Support Worker to be involved in exciting and rewarding things like:

- **Building respectful impactful relationships**: Proactively maintaining safe and respectful relationships with children through effective support, guidance and care ensuring the maintenance of safe professional boundaries in line with best practice.
- **Advocating for children in care and ensuring they have a voice**: Engaging in key work responsibilities for nominated children within the home, providing the children in our care with a consistent adult presence and an identified member of the team linked to their specific support plans.
- **Taking an active role in play, activities and confidence building**: Being actively involved in the planning and execution of a range of enriching opportunities for the children through different mediums such as crafts, outdoor activities, play and learning to provide an enjoyable, varied and engaged home environment.
- **Supporting positive lifestyle choices**: Demonstrating the therapeutic importance of maintaining a clean, tidy and homely environment through effective role modelling and education, promoting high standards of physical care, hygiene and safety and demonstrating positive and healthy choices to support children to develop and thrive.
- **Being a Trauma Informed professional**: Using our industry recognised RiiSE training to deliver trauma informed responses through the individualised use of therapeutic and, where appropriate, physical intervention to ensure our children are supported appropriately during times of crisis.
- **Keeping vulnerable children and young people Safe**:Managing any child protection issues that may occur through effective reporting in line with the policies and procedures of the residential home in partnership with the senior leadership team and any relevant external agency to keep children safe from harm for the duration of their placement with Fair Ways.

This role is offered on a full time/permanent basis, working as part of a rolling rota (Monday - Sunday) following a 2 on/4 off shift pattern to include 1 sleep for every other block worked. Days start at 07:30 and finish 23:00 and during this time you will have the opportunity to have all meals provided as the nature of your role will include mealtimes with the children and other staff.

**Desirable. but not Essential**
- Whilst we value the knowledge and understanding that experience and qualifications can bring we also know that some of our best people have come to us from unrelated backgrounds. These people already held our core values at heart, and with the dedication of our amazing in-house training and development team, we have supported the rest_
- Previous experience of working with Children and young people with health/social care/educational needs
- A Level 3 qualification Level 3 in CYPW Diploma in childcare or equivalent

**Let us look after you**

At Fair Ways, we care about your well-being, here is what we currently offer to our dedicated team:

- **Exciting Opportunities**: Participate in free staff lotteries with amazing prizes, such as £1000 holiday vouchers, weekends away, luxury hampers, £1000 fostering referral scheme and vouchers. Experience a workplace that celebrates your contributions.
- **Work-Life Balance**: Enjoy a Holiday Accrual Scheme, an extra day of annual leave as a ‘wellbeing day’ and the option to purchase additional holidays (up to 5 days). We value your time and offer flexibility to accommodate your existing commitments.
- **Health and Support**: Benefit from Simply Health, our health cash plan, and access to our Employee Assistance Scheme, providing emergency financial a