Residential Support Worker

Our home and approach

Viner House, operated by Innovative Start Ltd, is designed for up to three children aged 8-17 with learning disabilities. Associated mental health, emotional, behavioural, sensory and physical needs are assessed individually; no diagnosis or risk is assumed to apply to every child. Care is relationship-based, trauma-informed and focused on safety, belonging, communication and increasing independence, within the home's Statement of Purpose and registration conditions.

Purpose of the role

Provide warm, consistent and practical care that helps each child feel safe, develop trusting relationships and enjoy everyday life. Work with the child, their family and professionals to carry out individual plans and build communication, confidence and independence.

Your everyday contribution

• Support waking, meals, personal care, education, activities and bedtime at the child's pace. Encourage participation rather than routinely doing things for the child.
• Offer reassurance, enjoyable experiences and clear, kind boundaries. Celebrate achievements that matter to the child, including small steps towards their own goals.
• Work as a reliable member of the team. Read plans and handovers, complete allocated tasks and seek help whenever a child's needs exceed your competence or the available staffing.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Children's safety, rights and welfare take priority over routine tasks.

Legal and practice framework

Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015: all nine Quality Standards (regulations 6-14), with relevant duties on safeguarding, behaviour, medicines, staffing, records and oversight.

DfE Guide to the regulations and Quality Standards; Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026; Ofsted SCCIF: children's homes. Apply these alongside Buckinghamshire safeguarding procedures, the home's policies and applicable equality, data-protection, health-and-safety and working-time requirements.

Care responsibilities

1. Individual care, communication and rights

• Get to know each child's interests, strengths, routines and preferred ways of communicating. Use their communication passport, visual supports, signs or other agreed methods; allow processing time and check understanding.
• Follow care plans, placement plans, risk assessments and agreed routines. Respect privacy, identity, faith, culture and relationships; challenge discrimination and help children make choices in accessible ways.
• Undertake key-worker duties when allocated and supported. Help children contribute to reviews, keep meaningful memories and access advocacy, their social worker and complaints procedures without fear.

2. Safeguarding and immediate action

• Recognise and act on abuse, neglect, exploitation, bullying, self-harm, missing episodes and unsafe adult or peer behaviour. Notice changes from the child's usual communication, presentation or behaviour; never dismiss concerns because a child has a disability or does not use speech.
• Protect the child, listen without leading questions or promises of secrecy, record their words or communication accurately, and report concerns immediately to the Registered Manager or on-call manager. Call 999 when there is immediate danger; do not wait for management permission.
• Use the safeguarding escalation pathway and whistleblowing procedure. Bypass anyone implicated in a concern; contact the Responsible Individual, children's social care, the Local Authority Designated Officer, police or Ofsted as appropriate. Do not investigate allegations yourself or delay an external referral when a child remains at risk.

3. Positive relationships and safe responses

• Use the child's positive behaviour support plan, predictable routines, communication aids and calm de-escalation. Explore pain, distress, sensory overload and unmet needs; support recovery and repair relationships without blame.
• Never use humiliating treatment, corporal punishment, food deprivation or restrictions on family contact as punishment. Any restraint must be a last resort, lawful, necessary and proportionate to prevent injury or serious property damage, and within training and policy. Do not restrain solely to secure compliance or prevent a child leaving.
• Arrange first aid or medical help after an incident when needed. Report promptly and complete required control, discipline or restraint records before the end of the shift wherever possible, and in all cases within 24 hours. Support management review and the child's accessible debrief.

Safe practice and accountability

4. Health, personal care and medicines

• Provide personal and intimate care with dignity, explanation, appropriate consent and the child's involvement. Follow individual plans for nutrition, allergies, toileting, mobility, sleep and health; seek advice where consent or a refusal creates a safety concern.
• Give medicines only after training, assessed competence and authorisation, following the prescription, medication administration record and any as-required protocol. Record administration immediately; report refusals, omissions, errors and adverse effects without delay. Never change a dose or use medicines to control behaviour for staff convenience.
• Recognise illness, pain or deterioration and obtain timely clinical or emergency help. Undertake specialist healthcare tasks only with child-specific training, written instructions, appropriate clinical delegation and assessed competence.

5. Learning, family life and independence

• Support education, school or college attendance, appointments, play, hobbies and community activities. Follow education, health and care plans where applicable and share barriers to learning with the team.
• Support family time according to the child's plan and any restrictions. Teach everyday skills through cooking, shopping, budgeting, laundry and care of belongings, while keeping the home welcoming rather than institutional.

6. Records, teamwork and a safe home

• Complete factual, respectful records and handovers before leaving duty, including the child's views, support given, progress and outstanding concerns. Report serious events immediately to enable management's Regulation 40 response; never wait until the next team meeting.
• Complete allocated household, food safety, fire, infection prevention and environmental checks. Follow each child's evacuation plan, safe moving-and-handling instructions and transport arrangements; drive only when licensed, insured and authorised.
• Protect confidentiality, use approved recording systems and maintain professional boundaries online and in person. Cooperate openly with audits, Regulation 44 visits, Regulation 45 reviews and Ofsted inspections. Report errors and learn from feedback.

Development and limits of authority

Complete induction, the required qualification programme and child-specific competency checks. Attend regular practice-related supervision, team meetings, development and annual appraisal. Do not undertake unsupervised tasks until competent and authorised. All support workers report to the Registered Manager, not the senior worker; a delegated shift lead may coordinate work. Admissions, staffing decisions and statutory management responsibilities remain with the Registered Manager/registered person.

How performance is reviewed

Success is evidenced by children feeling listened to and supported; progress towards individual goals; reliable care and handovers; prompt safeguarding action; and accurate records and completed learning.

Report any change relevant to safeguarding, suitability or safe working promptly. Follow the agreed rota, rest arrangements and professional conduct requirements.

Person specification and appointment

Selection is based on evidence from the application, interview, practical scenarios and verified checks. Reasonable adjustments are considered throughout recruitment and employment.

Qualification Hold the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England), or an accepted equivalent, or commit to achieving it by the applicable Regulation 32 deadline.

Experience and potential Relevant care, childcare, education or support experience, or transferable experience demonstrating suitability and the ability to learn through supervised practice.

Safeguarding Understanding of professional boundaries and the need to recognise, record and immediately report concerns; willingness to challenge unsafe practice.

Individual support Able to build safe relationships, adapt communication, follow plans and provide dignified personal care. Willing to complete child-specific training.

Communication and records Able to communicate respectfully, work within a team, make accurate written records and use digital systems, with appropriate support or adjustments.

Personal suitability Integrity, patience, reliability and emotional resilience; ability to perform essential duties safely with reasonable adjustments and to work the agreed rota.

Desirable experience and skills

A completed residential-childcare qualification; experience of children's residential care, learning disabilities, key working, positive behaviour support or communication aids. A driving licence valid in the UK is desirable where it supports children's activities and appointments.

Qualification requirement

For an unqualified care worker, the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England), or an equivalent accepted by the registered person, must be achieved by the Regulation 32 deadline: normally two years from first starting a care role in a children's home, not two years from joining Viner House. Previous service counts. Any permitted deferral must meet Regulation 32(6) and be recorded by the registered person.

Safer recruitment and employment

Appointment is conditional on satisfactory safer-recruitment checks: identity and right to work; an enhanced DBS check for the children's workforce with a Children's Barred List check; two written references, including the most recent employer where applicable; full employment history with written explanations for gaps; verified qualifications; and, so far as reasonably practicable, verified reasons for leaving previous work with children or vulnerable adults. Post-offer fitness assessment considers reasonable adjustments. Protected convictions and cautions do not need to be disclosed. This is regulated activity: a person barred from working with children must not apply. Permanent appointments are subject to satisfactory probation.

Work Location: In person