Waking Night Therapeutic Child Carer

Job Purpose
To contribute to the maintenance and provision of a high quality therapeutic community residential service for young people. To work within the framework of good practice as set out in the Staff handbook and training materials. The primary role is to provide safety, security and support to young people during the night time hours. It is acknowledged that for prolonged periods, the young people will be asleep. These periods provide opportunities for important administrative and domestic tasks which play a vital support role in the overall functioning of the home
Key Responsibilities and Duties

• To be involved in the direct delivery of services to the young people.
• To assist the Management team in achieving the aims set out within the policy of the organisation and in accordance with statutory, organisation requirements.
• To assist the Management team in providing the highest possible standards of care guidance, support and protection for the young people and co-operate fully with colleagues in achieving these objectives whilst remembering the needs of the child are paramount.
• To be included on a work rota that provides staff cover on a shift basis. The pattern of these to be determined and planned in advance by the manager to meet the needs of the home
• To carry out any of the practical tasks out lined on individual job lists.
• Supervision of clients at night. Regularly checking both in house and grounds
• To report any serious faults to senior staff or Shift Co-ordinator and to repair any minor maintenance to the unit as they may judge to be within their competence.
• Record keeping and administration as required to include supporting with auditing and maintenance of children's files, collation of reports and communication with external agencies.
• Familiarising themselves with written fire drill procedures, location and use of fire extinguishers and alarms and other necessary safety precautions and to implement such procedures as and when appropriate.
• To be constantly vigilant on health and safety matters and to share concerns of same immediately with line management.
• Security of the home at night. All necessary precautions must be taken to affect efficient security and prevent heat/light loss.
• Ensuring environs are kept clean and tidy.
• Attendance at Staff meetings, and any other meeting as required and to ensure the prescribed action is shared appropriately.
• Attending and contributing to a regular supervision session by arrangement with the Registered Manager.
• Taking a full and active part in 12 monthly appraisals as arranged by the Care Manager and your supervisor and to carry out such actions as are specified in this document.
• To attend training as arranged as part of your individual development plan.
• To complete mandatory and regulatory training as required by and provided by the organisation
• Responsibility to understand and promote the Organisation's policies in relation to care and control, child protection, open access to records and equal
• Dressing appropriately at all times when on duty.
• Any other duties delegated by the Care Manager and senior staff. This is likely to include specific responsibility for delegated tasks.

Special requirements:

• To work with and maintain a high level of supervision of young people
• To communicate with other departments on a regular basis (Education/Therapy)
• To be aware of and to understand the needs of Looked After Children
• To understand the importance of maintaining a therapeutic and caring ethos.

Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified.
Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description. It is understood that areas of responsibility are from time to time subject to review and are negotiable in the light of the needs of the Care and the professional development of the staff.
This job description may be reviewed on an annual basis, or earlier if necessary. In addition it may be amended at any time after consultation with you.
We operate as formal Therapeutic Communities this is a planned and deliberate use of roles, structures, routines and environments to underpin and contribute to the therapeutic task. To support this, all our job roles and training and designed to follow the practitioner competencies that have been developed externally by The Consortium for Therapeutic Communities and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
We include a copy of the competencies here for your information.