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Secure children’s home jobs at Swanwick Lodge

A care role within Swanwick Lodge’s Secure Children’s Home is both challenging and rewarding and provides unique opportunities for staff to develop careers within residential care or social care generally.

Our Young People

Young people living within the home have often had troubled experiences in the past with their family, peers or community. These often result in complex needs which are far better met within our safe and secure living environment. Typically, a young person is temporarily secured within the home for their own safety, the safety of others or in an effort to reduce absconding.

 
 

Why work at Swanwick Lodge

Swanwick Lodge, near Southampton, strives to provide an exceptional level of care to all young people who stay within the home. We empower staff to really support, develop and maximise a young person’s potential, whilst helping young people understand and manage their own emotions positively.

What’s important to us?

Providing a warm, therapeutic, safe and secure environment for young people is key to us. Our staff understand the need to facilitate emotional stabilisation, provide a basis to maximise opportunities available to young people and help facilitate therapeutic interventions. We also relish the opportunity to engage in a movie night, messy play, arts, crafts or even reading books with a young person.

 
I really enjoy spending time with the young people and explain what real life can be like. How to use humour, have a laugh and just enjoy each day.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

The qualities we are looking for in Secure Home Practitioners

  • All care roles must hold a Level 3 (or equivalent) Diploma in Residential Childcare OR have what it takes to complete a Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) within 2 years of employment.
  • All care roles must hold a Level 2 in Functional Skills, which is a C-grade (grade 4) GCSE in both English and Maths.
  • Be passionate about working with young people who have experienced a traumatic childhood.
  • Be able to engage with young people who may struggle with their emotions and recovery from traumatic experiences.
  • Be emotionally intelligent, resilient and put the needs of a young person first.
  • Be physically fit enough to undertake the role and complete mandatory training.
  • Be able to respond to challenging behaviour whilst maintaining positive relationships, and support an environment which enables young people to maximise their potential.

For current vacancies at Swanwick Lodge

Apply for a role

Speak to the team

 

Training and support

Swanwick Lodge Secure Children’s Home will support you through an extensive 4 week induction process, will fund the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) and provide access to extensive training which includes:

  • Level 3 Diploma, Residential Childcare (England)
  • Trauma Informed Practice
  • Team Teach - Positive Behaviour Management
  • First Aid
  • Children’s Safeguarding
  • Food Hygiene
  • Medication Administration

The health and wellbeing of everyone at Swanwick Lodge is important. With your Line Manager and our inhouse Health and Wellbeing Team, you will receive ongoing support so you can deliver exceptional levels of care to our young people.

For further information about NHS roles in the home please visit their recruitment website.

About the team

The home is staffed by a dedicated care team which includes Team Supervisors and Secure Home Practitioners.

Care

Secure Children’s Home Practitioner (permanent, full time and casual positions)

Acts as a ‘therapeutic parent’ and role model to the young people in the home by building positive, trusting relationships and supporting them to feel safe and cared for. Requires a great capacity for patience, empathy, understanding and the ability to stay kind, consistent and respectful even when faced with extremely challenging behaviour. Includes the use of positive behaviour management strategies and physical restraint when required. Day-to-day activities can include cooking, cleaning, engaging in messy play and leisure activities, and helping with the personal hygiene of a young person.

Secure Children’s Home Night Practitioner (permanent, full time and casual positions)

Ensures the needs of a young person are met during night-time hours including; observations, completing clear and accurate records, building checks, managing the risk of self-harm and absconding from within the home.

Team Supervisor

Provides support to care staff, ensuring high quality care is delivered in support of a young person’s physical and emotional needs, and that correct procedures are followed by residential staff in their day to day work.

Health and Wellbeing

Psychology

Ensures the staff team and young people receive the support they need. Focuses on gaining a good understanding of the needs of a young person and provide psychological support using therapeutic approaches, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.

Occupational Therapists

Supports young people to be able to carry out their activities of daily living and aids in the development of skills; daily routine planning, management of sleep difficulties and sensory processing. This is delivered direct through 1:1 or group sessions.

Mental Health Practitioners

Support young people by providing positive emotional, psychological and social support through trauma informed and confidential therapeutic interactions. Young people’s needs are assessed individually and plans of care developed to support any identified needs.

Physical Health Nurse

Reviews and assesses physical health concerns and supports with ongoing treatment. They build strong therapeutic relationships which supports in providing health education and promotion in a structured, individualised programme of care.

Substance Misuse Worker

Assesses any needs or support young people may require relevant to substance misuse. Delivered direct through 1:1 or group sessions.

Missing, Exploited and Trafficked (MET) Worker

Works directly with young people on a variety of issues, ranging from missing, push/pull factors, healthy relationships/friendships and looking at exploitation such as county lines, CCE and CSE. Delivered direct through 1:1 or group sessions.

Recovery Worker

Works alongside the care team and aims to build positive, trusting relationships with young people. Delivers targeted interventions to young people which include; emotional literacy and life skills.

Health Team Administrator

Ensures health-related documents are received, filed safely and communicated in a confidential and timely manner, supporting the team to meet all the health needs of young people when they arrive and leave Swanwick Lodge. 

Education

Senior Tutor

Co-ordinates provision, line managing staff to deliver a high-quality curriculum, where outcomes demonstrate positive impact, helping progress the learners’ ability to maximise their potential. This is achieved by working to the highest standards, committing to professional development.

Tutor

Develops Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) and delivers a high-quality curriculum provision by inspiring and supporting learners to engage, attain and progress. Delivery is implemented effectively and outcomes demonstrate a positive impact, helping learners to maximise their potential.

Learning Coach

Supports young people to access, engage and succeed in their learning, implementing Individual Learning Plans (ILPs). Builds and maintains effective relationships with learners by taking a strength-based approach to supporting them to achieve their learning aims. Delivered direct through 1:1 or group sessions. Leadership and Management

Leadership and Management

Registered Manager

Holds overall responsibility for day-to-day management of the home and is accountable for the delivery of a high-quality care, welfare, safety and security of all young people and staff in the home.

Business Manager

Leads and manages the business department holding responsibility for the financial, domestic, maintenance, security, recruitment, marketing and administration duties within the home.

Team Manager

Provides critical leadership and management to care staff overseeing effective support, care, welfare and safeguarding of young people within the home.

Education Manager

Leads the development and delivery of a high quality and accessible curriculum programme (specific to a setting or provision type).

Head of Health

Manages a team of health care professionals, ensuring the needs of the home are met including the physical, mental and emotional needs of all young people.

Business Support

Administration Officer

Manages administration and reception duties. This includes report writing, data gathering, recruitment and training matters. Supports and mentors staff in their role(s).

Administration Assistant

Attends, plans, records and coordinates young people’s meetings and enters data onto the relevant Management Information System. Undertakes financial duties including raising purchase orders, invoicing and managing petty cash.

Receptionist

Delivers a frontline service ensuring a courteous and professional image of Swanwick Lodge is maintained. Greets all visitors, professionals and contractors in person and on the phone. Monitors CCTV and provides low-level administrative support.

Senior FM Assistant

Liaises with maintenance professionals regarding required works and ensures the home is H&S compliant. Completes internal risk assessments and is responsible for escorting contractors within the home.

Maintenance Worker

Facilitates maintenance repairs within the home and completes seasonal, grounds maintenance. Undertakes monthly procedural tests and audits i.e. fire equipment, fire doors, legionella, emergency lighting and maintenance logs.

Domestic Assistant

Maintains a clean, warm and welcoming home for all young people within the home. Duties include all cleaning, laundry, washing and reporting domestic issues to management.

Cook

Manages the kitchen team, ensuring all catering requirements for staff and young people within the home are met including individual dietary requirements.

Kitchen Assistant

Assists on the production of all prepared meals and helps ensure all young people and staff access the appropriate number of meals per day.

Do you have what it takes?

If you think you have what it takes to work at Swanwick Lodge please contact us today.

Send us your CV