Residential Childcare Worker - Casual

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference to children's lives and help families stay together?

We are looking for caring, dedicated and resilient Residential Childcare Workers to join our innovative Family Connections Children's Home, supporting children and families on the edge of care. As a zero hours employee, you will provide cover for annual leave, training and other planned and unplanned absences with the flexibility of not having a specific rota pattern.

Our Family Connections Home is part of a wider Family Connections Hub and Outreach Service, providing loving, therapeutic short-term care for children aged 11–18 while intensive support is delivered to their families. Our vision is simple: to strengthen family relationships, prevent unnecessary admissions into care, and support children to safely return home whenever possible.

This is far more than a traditional residential childcare role. You will be part of a team providing high-quality, round-the-clock care to children during a challenging period in their lives, helping them feel safe, valued and supported. Through positive relationships, consistency and therapeutic care, you will help young people build resilience, confidence and hope for the future.

Working within our home, you will play a vital role in delivering individualised care and creating a nurturing environment where children can thrive. You will support children with their day-to-day needs, promote their emotional wellbeing, encourage their education and aspirations, and help them maintain meaningful family connections wherever appropriate.

At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and families. Our Family Connections model recognises that lasting change happens when families are supported together, and our goal is always to help children safely remain with or return to the people who matter most to them.

This is a rewarding opportunity to be part of an innovative service that is transforming the way support is provided to children and families on the edge of care.

The role includes 24.5-hour shifts, sleep-ins and weekend working as part of a rota, reflecting our commitment to providing consistent, high-quality support whenever children need it.

If you are passionate about delivering exceptional care, building positive relationships and helping children and families create brighter futures together, we would love to hear from you.

In this role, you will;

Provide Family centred practice: Provide high-quality residential care for children during short stays, ensuring a warm, safe, and nurturing environment.

Empower Families: Deliver intensive, 12-week outreach interventions to parents and carers, using a strength-based approach to build family resilience.

Provide and Practice Trauma-Informed Care: Use your understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to build deep, restorative relationships with young people.

Collaborate: Work as part of a multi-agency team alongside schools, health professionals, and social workers to ensure a unified plan for every child.

Key Responsibilities:

• Residential Care Duties
• Direct Care: Provide 24-hour care to children and young people within the residential home, meeting their physical, emotional, and social needs, this work is based on a 3 week shift rota.
• Home Environment: Share in practical domestic activities to maintain a warm, safe, and nurturing environment, including the preparation of nutritious meals.
• Placement Planning: Contribute to the development and review of Residential Placement plans, behaviour support and risk management plans and step down plans whilst working within a dynamic multi-agency team.
• Provide outreach & family support
• Intensive Intervention: Work directly with parents and carers in their own homes to provide advice to families with complex needs at risk of breakdown.
• Caseload Management: Manage a personal caseload of families, ensuring the "child’s voice" is captured in all assessments and planning.
• Crisis Prevention: Actively work to prevent the breakdown of care arrangements for children and being part of the duty rota that covers early morning, evenings and weekend crisis support.
• Provide Trauma-Informed practice and care.
• ACEs Awareness: Apply a deep understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to all interactions, recognizing how past trauma manifests in current behaviours.
• Strength-Based Support: Use a strength-based model to empower families, focusing on building resilience and protective factors.
• Relational Safety: Establish and maintain high-quality, consistent relationships with children who may have experienced significant trauma.
• Each residential childcare worker will have a lead area of responsibility relevant to the role.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Valid driving licence and own transport, or be able to provide alternative, suitable method of travel is an essential condition for this role.

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Fixed Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

• 4+ days in the office
• Spends most or all of their time in the office, due to nature of the work but can be for reasons such as unsuitable home working conditions or a desire for separation of home and work life.
• The office remains a shared space with cultural encouragement for clear desk policies.

About You

We are looking for individuals who are passionate about caring for children and young people, and who possesses the following skills and experience:

Essential Criteria:

Resilient & Empathetic: You can stay professional and calm in challenging situations while showing genuine warmth and sensitivity.

Experienced: You have a proven track record of working with children and families with complex needs.

Flexible: You understand that our children need support outside of office hours and are happy to work a flexible rota, including weekends and sleep-in duties which also supports excellent work life balance.

Mobile: You have a valid driving license.

Desirable Criteria:

Qualified: You hold (or are committed to achieving) a Level 3 NVQ/QCF in Caring for Children and Young People.

Experience: Experience in providing care to children and young people who are looked after in a residential setting.

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We