Senior Residential Support Worker

Senior Residential Support Worler

Willenhall | Up to £16.00 per hour

You've built the experience. Now take the next step.

You know residential childcare. You understand that the small moments matter just as much as the big ones. You know how important it is for young people to have adults around them who are consistent, encouraging and genuinely invested in their future.

Now you might be ready for more.

As an Senior Support Worker at Progress, you'll continue doing what you do best, building trusted relationships and supporting young people, while beginning to take greater responsibility for practice, quality and leadership on shift.

It's an opportunity to develop without stepping away from the young people who brought you into care in the first place.

Your reward

• Up to £16.00 per hour, based on experience and competency

• £62.55 per sleep-in, minimum one per week

• Additional £2.50 per hour overtime enhancement after qualifying hours

• Plus our wider Progress benefits package

Why Progress?

At Progress, we want you to build more than a job. We want you to build a future.

We support children, young people and adults to live safe, fulfilling and increasingly independent lives. We know the quality of that support starts with the people delivering it.

That's why our culture is built around Care, Trust, Respect and Progress, alongside a commitment to helping colleagues learn, grow and progress their careers.

You could join us as an Senior Support Worker and go on to develop into leadership. Or you might choose to build deeper specialist expertise. There isn't only one definition of progression.

Progress supports development through qualifications, leadership programmes, coaching, mentoring, apprenticeships and practical experience.

Make a difference that lasts

You'll work within our 4-bed children's residential service in Wednesfield, supporting young people aged 14+ with additional needs as they transition to adulthood.

The young people you support may have:

• Learning disabilities

• Autism and ADHD

• Sensory or physical needs

• Emotional or behavioural needs

• Experiences of trauma or neglect

Your job is about far more than completing a shift.

You'll help young people feel safe and valued, develop independence, experience new things and build the skills and confidence they'll take into adult life.

What will you actually do?

You'll:

• Build trusted, consistent relationships

• Support daily routines and independence

• Accompany young people to education, appointments and activities

• Create engaging and meaningful experiences

• Support behaviour positively and safely

• Role-model excellent practice

• Help lead shifts

• Coach and mentor colleagues in the moment

• Contribute to quality and compliance

• Help ensure agreed care approaches are followed consistently

The stepping stone into leadership

The Senior Support Worker position bridges the gap between Residential Support Worker and Team Leader.

You won't be expected to become a manager overnight.

Instead, you'll have the opportunity to develop experience in:

Practice leadership • Shift leadership • Coaching • Mentoring • Safeguarding • Risk • Quality • Compliance

If management is where you want to go next, we'll help you build the experience to prepare.

What we're looking for

You'll ideally have:

• 2–5 years' children's residential experience

• Level 3 Children & Young People qualification or equivalent

• Experience of learning disabilities, complex needs and/or trauma

• Strong safeguarding and risk-management knowledge

• Confidence coaching and supporting colleagues

• The ability to lead by example

Most importantly, you'll be compassionate, resilient and ambitious about what young people can achieve.

Ready for more?

You've developed the experience. Now use it to help develop others.

Join Progress and take the next step in your residential childcare career.

Responsible to: Registered Home Manager
Department: Children's Residential Services

Job role

To provide high-quality, child-centred care and support to children and young people, promoting safety, wellbeing, independence and positive outcomes through therapeutic and relationship-based practice.

As a Senior Residential Support Worker, you will lead keyworking activities, mentor and support colleagues, contribute to care planning, risk management and quality assurance, and undertake delegated shift leadership responsibilities.

Working closely with the Registered Manager and Team Leader, you will help maintain high standards of care, safeguarding and regulatory compliance while acting as a positive role model and advocate for children and young people.

Key duties

Leadership and Practice Support

• Act as a role model for therapeutic and child-centred practice.
• Mentor, support and guide new and less experienced staff.
• Support induction, shadowing and competency development of colleagues.
• Share best practice and contribute to a positive learning culture.
• Support the Registered Manager and Team Leader in maintaining high standards of care.
• Lead keyworking arrangements for allocated children.
• Coordinate and contribute to care planning reviews.
• Monitor progress against outcomes.
• Advocate for children within professional meetings.
• Produce reports for reviews and multi-agency meetings.
• Support children to achieve identified goals and aspirations

Risk Management

• Develop and update risk assessments.
• Escalate emerging risks appropriately.
• Support colleagues in implementing risk management strategies.
• Contribute to behaviour support planning.
• Promote safe and positive risk-taking.

Quality Assurance

• Complete delegated audits and follow up actions.
• Monitor quality of recordings and documentation.
• Identify trends, concerns and learning opportunities.
• Contribute to service improvement plan

Shift Leadership

• Take responsibility for leading shifts when delegated.
• Coordinate daily activities and staffing arrangements.
• Provide guidance to colleagues during shifts.
• Escalate concerns appropriately.
• Support safe and effective service delivery

Safeguarding

• Recognise, report and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns.
• Understand and comply with safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures.
• Maintain professional boundaries at all times.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children at all times.

Care Planning & Outcomes

• Contribute to assessment, planning, implementation and review processes.
• Maintain accurate, timely and professional records.
• Participate in key-working responsibilities.
• Support children to work towards individual goals and outcomes.

Health, Education & Independence

• Promote good physical and emotional health.
• Support educational attendance and achievement.
• Develop life skills, confidence and independence appropriate to age and ability.

Team Working

• Participate fully in team meetings, handovers, supervision and training.
• Work collaboratively with families, schools, social workers, health professionals and other stakeholders.
• Act as a positive role model
• Undertake keyworker/co-keyworker responsibilities and duties where necessary.
• To actively participate in continuing professional development.

The post holder will undertake such other duties as may reasonably be required commensurate with this grade, at the initial agreed place of work or at other locations in the Company catchment areas.

Person specification

Candidates will be assessed for shortlist and interviewed against the following criteria.

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE Grade 4/C or equivalent in English and Maths
• Level 4 qualification in Residential Childcare or equivalent

Experience and knowledge

Essential

• Experience as a keyworker for children with complex needs.
• Experience supporting children with learning disabilities, autism, trauma or behaviours of concern.
• Experience contributing to care planning and reviews.
• Experience mentoring or supporting less experienced staff
• Experience as a keyworker for children with complex needs.
• Children's Homes Regulations 2015.
• Safeguarding and child protection procedures.

Skills and attributes

Essential

• Excellent communication skills.
• Resilience and emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrate patience, resilience and calmness
• Strong written recording and report writing.
• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions
• Strong commitment to equal opportunities and diversity
• Have a desire to make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people

Desirable

• Be IT proficient

Company values

Essential

• Care – Demonstrates compassion, empathy and commitment to delivering outstanding support.
• Trust - Builds positive and dependable relationships through openness, reliability, accountability, and consistency. Creates an environment where children, young people, families, and colleagues feel safe, respected, and supported.
• Respect – Values diversity, promotes inclusion and treats others with dignity.
• Progress – Embraces learning, development and continuous improvement.