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Houseparent – Independent Secondary School – Lambeth – Full-Time – January 2025
Role: Houseparent
Contract: Permanent, Full-time (44 hours per week) – Boarding House is closed for Christmas & Summer Holidays
Start date: January 2025
Actual Salary: up to £27,143 per annum
EARLY APPLICATIONS ADVISED
The school is looking to invite candidates to apply for a Houseparent role in this unique and exciting central London day and boarding School.
As a member of the Boarding Team, you will lead one of our boarding ‘houses’, looking after the welfare of students within boarding.
This requires the postholder to:
• help maintain a boarding ethos and identity
• provide a presence in the boarding areas of the College
• support and embody the values of the College
• be available to support students reactively and proactively
Houseparents are:
• Expected to work in a collegiate way with other members of the pastoral team, including the Assistant Principal (Pastoral and Boarding), Housemaster/mistresses and other key staff to monitor the boarders, ensuring that they are maximising their potential and develop into caring, thoughtful, confident members of society
• Ambitious and confident yet not arrogant
• Generous in spirit, interesting, interested, and able to respect and communicate effectively with people of all backgrounds
The role includes some overnight duties, and as such, single person accommodation will be provided in the boarding house.
All staff are expected to be active in promoting the school’s aims and supporting an ethos that encourages achievement and high standards for all students.
Our Independent Secondary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our students and Houseparents are expected to undergo advanced safeguarding (Child Protection) training.
Knowledge, skills, and traits
• Strong pastoral care
• The ability to keep calm under pressure
• Proven track record of working with young people.
• Excellent communication and IT skills
• Effective judgement and decision-making abilities
• Effective problem-solving skills
• First aid trained
• Calm and diplomatic
• Well-presented and professional attire
• Good health record
• Punctual time-keeper
• Flexibility and willingness to accept additional responsibilities
• Good interpersonal skills
• Team player, but also able to work autonomously
• Ability to use initiative
• Good English language written and verbal skills
Key qualities
• Experience of working within a boarding or residential environment
• Working knowledge of Child Protection (Safeguarding), the National Minimum Standards for Boarding and ISI regulations and guidelines
• Certified at the enhanced DBS level (check undertaken prior to employment)
• High quality written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking
• Strong organisational skills, including use of educational MIS
• Experience of effectively managing Teams
Desirable
• Level 3 Safeguarding Trained
• BSA Accredited Boarding Practitioner Level 2
• BSA Advanced Certificate
• Undertaken Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) training
• Mental Health First Aid Youth champion
• Experience or qualification in coaching
• Experience of working in a boarding school context
• Current First Aid certificate (Training to be provided)
General responsibilities
• To aim at providing “the gold standard experience” for all students
• To build and maintain positive and constructive relationships with students, in order to provide them with the best possible care and support
• To play an active role in ensuring the students welfare and personal development, building and maintaining strong relationships with parents, guardians and agents
• To promote and safeguard the welfare of young people and young persons by adhering to and ensuring compliance with the School’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy at all times.
Role specific
• To actively promote the key values of the school: respect; tolerance and kindness
• To work collaboratively as part of the boarding team and the wider college body.
• To work according to the boarding house rota including a combination of days, weekends and nights as required.
• To implement college policies including those pertaining to Safeguarding (Child Protection) & behaviour.
• To ensure the highest standards of supervision, support and care for boarders.
• To work within and to apply the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Boarding together with ISI guidance.
• Provide medical assistance for minor illnesses & first aid, maintain accurate medical records for students and liaise with the Matron and local medical services where necessary
• Maintain student files to a high degree of accuracy including records of behaviour, sanctions, rewards, medical history, medical assistance given, etc.
• Record sanctions.
• Ensure the smooth running of daily service including laundry, cleaning, maintenance & catering
• Ensure that students are awake and leaving for lesson on time, report any illness or un/authorised attendance to college/personal tutor
• Ensure that students are in the boarding house and follow procedures if students are late/missing at curfew
• Supporting a culture of warmth, community & support within boarding
Benefits and duties
The school places great emphasis on the professional development of its entire staff.
Staff at our school enjoy a significant range of professional benefits
A comprehensive schedule of continuing professional development and INSET training, both internal and external, is provided for all staff.
Access to complimentary Health Assured Assistance to support staff wellbeing and all meals are provided whilst on duty.
An interest-free loan for a travel season ticket is offered to all staff on application to the Finance
Manager.
Children of staff are offered a reduction in school fees.
Other benefits include:
• Competitive salary
• Single-bed studio in central London location
• Employee assistance programme
• Working in one of the most vibrant and exciting locations in the UK
• Group pension scheme
• Access to onsite gym and pool
• Eligible for Cycle-to-work scheme
• Access to Star Card employee benefits as a worker on the Southbank
Interested in this exciting opportunity as a Houseparent for a leading Independent Secondary School in Lambeth, South London? – Do not delay in applying!
Please see our website page headed ‘About’ and scroll to the bottom to see our ‘Privacy Notice’ for an explanation about how we use information we collect about you. We are dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment.
You will have a safeguarding responsibility if appointed. The successful candidate will be subject to enhanced clearance through the Disclosure and Barring Service and employment will be subject to references. This post is not exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Houseparent – Independent Secondary School – Lambeth – Full-Time – January 2025
