Care Team Leader

About Joneshouse
Joneshouse opened in 1995 with a mission to help support young children who have experienced trauma, and whose lives have been severely disrupted, to grow socially and emotionally and learn to cope with school and everyday life. We help them wherever possible to return to families and day schools before they reach their teenage years. Joneshouse is well known throughout the sector for providing residential care focused on transitions back to a family setting before the teenage years. Our success rates with primary age children are exceptional, confirming our status as a leading provider of therapeutic care and education.

Main Purpose of Post
To lead a residential care team who ensure the physical, emotional, and other daily care needs of children are provided for within a supportive, homely, professional, and caring environment.

The Expectation of the Team Leader

• To ensure childrens safety and well-being is appropriately protected at all times (including those who may go missing or may be at risk of harm, including exploitation, neglect, abuse, self-harm, bullying, and radicalisation).
• To provide high standard help, care, and support.
• To actively promote tolerance, equality, and diversity, and challenge any discriminatory behaviours.
• To be involved in the planning, review, and recording of information linked to a particular child or children in a way that will help all those involved with the child to make considered decisions which will contribute to the childs success.
• To bring energy and a positive outlook to the children we look after, in a way which models positive parenting and inspires children.
• To inspire and lead a team of staff to deliver high-quality care which will meet the specific needs of the individual children living at the childrens home as stated in Joneshouses statement of purpose.
• To manage in a way that will result in positive experiences and progress for the children.
• To have a good understanding of the legislation and guidance that applies to childrens homes.
• To have a good understanding of Ofsteds policies and procedures, including guidance on the childrens homes inspection framework.

Level of Post
The Care Team Leader is a vitally important role within Joneshouse. You will be accountable to the Deputy Manager, who in turn reports to the Registered Manager. Everyone within Joneshouse has a responsibility for, and is committed to, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and for ensuring that they are protected from harm. We carry out the appropriate vetting and verifications on all staff and this post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. To ensure that care is provided within a professional, positive, and homely environment which positively integrates race, spirituality, gender, disability, and sexual orientation and meets individual needs.
2. To establish positive relationships with the children, assessing needs, and working jointly in producing, implementing, delivering, and revising individual care plans.
3. To work with children individually and in groups with the aim of building positive relationships, instilling self-confidence, strengthening social skills, understanding and managing personal behaviors, and learning new life skills.
4. To organise and participate in activities for the children.
5. To work to provide a positive, welcoming, and stimulating environment for the children, including carrying out cleaning, gardening, and other domestic duties.
6. To adhere to all reporting and recording procedures and ensure the production of timely reports and correspondence to a professional standard.
7. To communicate effectively with other agencies and professionals, and when requested prepare written reports.
8. To be responsible for dealing with petty cash and other purchasing duties in accordance with established procedures and policies, ensuring that all petty cash dealt with is accurately recorded and reported.
9. To act as a Joneshouse parent to the children, providing guidance and support to the children whilst maintaining professional boundaries at all times.
10. To work as a Child Champion, ensuring sessions are carried out in a timely and appropriate manner.
11. To ensure all duties associated with running a childrens home during a shift are completed to a high standard.
12. Ensuring that all other duties commensurate with running a childrens home are completed to a high standard.
13. To be responsible for the management of shifts as required.
14. To ensure necessary liaison and communication takes place within the home and outside with families, other members of the wider Joneshouse Community, schools, other agencies, and the local community.
15. To attend, with guidance, court proceedings, child protection conferences, and panels and to contribute reports and information as requested.
16. To act immediately upon any suspicion, evidence, allegation, or concern in relation to safeguarding in accordance with safeguarding children policies and procedures.
17. To work on designated projects as required and to keep abreast of developments within the profession.
18. To complete mandatory training in a timely manner.
19. To complete accredited qualifications as dictated by regulations.
20. To attend and contribute to regular supervision and annual appraisal.
21. Ensure that safe working practices are employed by all your team members at all times in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work legislation.

Specific Team Leader Duties22. To assist the Deputy Manager/Registered Manager in providing operational management of your staff team and to deploy appropriate staff resources to ensure that key tasks are fulfilled. 23. To assist in setting and reviewing targets and objectives for the home to ensure that work is focused and has clear direction. 24. To organise, deliver, and coordinate induction, supervision, appraisal, and support of individual staff in your team, as required by the Registered Manager. 25. To provide and collate evidence of childrens progression by ensuring monitoring and data sources are recorded in a timely and accurate fashion. 26. To promote the strengths of Joneshouse during regulatory visits. 27. To be creative and contribute to developing quality initiatives. 28. To adopt a positive attitude towards the Team Leader role. 29. To administer medication in accordance to the policies and procedures of the service. 30. To have a practical and working knowledge of the Guide to the Childrens Homes Regulations including the quality standards 2015. 31. To assist the Deputy/Registered Manager to manage the budget of the home effectively.

Person Specification

• Experience: Previous extensive experience of working with children in a residential social care setting.
• Knowledge: Understanding of relevant child care legislation, child Safeguarding policies, and procedures.
• Education/Training/Qualifications: Level 3 Children and Young People Workforce Diploma or willingness to obtain within 12 months.
• Skills & Abilities: Excellent verbal communication, written, and IT skills.
• Other work-related requirements: Support the therapeutic core values of Joneshouse and willingness to undergo a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.