Children's Home Residential Practitioner

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

• Job Title: Children's Home Residential Practitioner
• Job Location: Shire Hall
• Salary: £31,015 - £33,673 per annum (plus enhanced pay)
• Hours per Week: 37
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Closing Date: 08/11/2026
• Job Requisition Number: 13982
• This post is open to job share on an 18.5 hour a week basis

Make a real difference – join us as a Residential Practitioner

Are you motivated by purpose? Do you believe every child deserves safety, care and the opportunity to thrive? If you are passionate about making a positive difference and want to contribute to the continued development of our children’s homes, we would welcome your application.

We are recruiting compassionate, resilient and dedicated people to join our established children’s home teams. Our homes are operational and growing in occupancy, and successful applicants will play an important part in building on the strengths of each home, developing a positive team culture and providing safe, nurturing and consistent care for children.

In accordance with Schedule 9, Part 1, of the Equality Act 2010, this role has a Genuine Occupational Requirement for the postholder to be aged 21 years or above. This is an essential and proportionate requirement to ensure the effective and appropriate delivery of the service due to the nature of the duties of the role and the ages and complex needs of the children and young people in our care.

Right child, right support, right time, every time

Following our June 2025 Ofsted inspection, our Children’s Services were rated ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding’ elements. Ofsted praised our leadership for creating a culture where children, families, and staff feel valued and heard, and where risk is managed confidently and ethically.

Our purpose-driven children’s homes are designed to meet identified needs and provide children with stable, nurturing care. As occupancy grows, we are continuing to strengthen our teams, embed consistent practice and build on the individual strengths of each home. Our approach is centred on trauma-informed care, specialist support and staff development so that colleagues feel prepared, valued and confident in providing high-quality care.

About you

We’re looking for people who:

• are passionate about helping children and young people flourish.
• are empathetic, patient, and resilient, with strong teamwork and communication skills.
• can build trusting relationships with children who may have experienced trauma.
• are flexible to work shifts, evenings, weekends, and sleep-ins.
• are committed to learning and professional development.

Desirable:

• a Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England), or an equivalent qualification; alternatively, a commitment to achieve the Level 3 Diploma within two years of starting work in the home.
• a full driving licence and willingness to drive as part of the role.
• willingness to undergo the required pre-employment and safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

About the role

As a Residential Practitioner, you will contribute to the day-to-day care of children and to the continued development of the home as occupancy grows. You will:

• Provide high-quality, individualised care in a safe and nurturing environment.
• Use trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches to support children’s emotional wellbeing and development.
• Promote positive relationships, life skills and growing independence.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partner professionals to implement each child’s plans.
• Support children to participate in education, recreation and personal development opportunities.
• Respond safely and professionally to challenging situations, using agreed therapeutic and behaviour-support approaches.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to the home’s safeguarding, regulatory and quality standards.

Typical shift pattern: 10:00am–11:00pm, followed by a sleep-in and 7:00am–10:30am the next morning. Shift arrangements may be reviewed in line with operational requirements. *Hours worked between 8:00pm and 6:00am, at weekends or on bank holidays attract an unsociable-hours payment in addition to the basic salary for this post.

Why join us?

• be part of a forward-thinking, values-led team.
• receive specialist training and clinical support.
• make a lasting impact on children’s lives.
• grow your career in a supportive and ambitious environment.

How to apply

For further information about the role, please contact ChildrenHomeRecruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

Interviews are due to take place in person W/C 16th November

We reserve the right to close an advertisement earlier than the stated closing date if we receive a suitable number of applications.

We may be able to offer sponsorship for this role, in line with Home Office guidance and subject to pre-employment checks. Applicants must already hold a valid right to work in the UK that Gloucestershire County Council can transfer.

In accordance with our Safer Recruitment Policy, safeguarding references will be requested before interview for candidates who are shortlisted. This helps us assess suitability to work with children, and the references may be discussed at interview. Please provide details of at least two referees. One must be your current or most recent employer, and the other should be from a previous employer. Together, the references must cover the last three years of your employment and/or education. If you are leaving full-time education, or have not worked since leaving, one referee should be the head of your school, college or university. We cannot accept references from friends, family members or workplace colleagues who are not more senior than you. References will normally be requested through DocuSign, so please let your referees know that they may be contacted.

Additional Information

To access the job profile for this role, please follow the link below:-

Residential Practitioner job profile

This position is subject to a DBS check.

Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.

Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.