Team Leader / Senior Residential Support Worker

• Children’s Residential Home

• Wellingborough, Northamptonshire

• £33,000 to £36,000 base salary per year plus £65 per sleep-in

• Permanent, full time

• 40 hours per week + 1/2 sleep ins per week

If you’re a Team Leader or an experienced Senior Residential Support Worker who believes the most meaningful part of this work is the relationship you build with each young person, this small therapeutic children’s home in Wellingborough could be the place where your leadership really comes into its own. Every adult in the team is trained in PACE, so from your very first shift you’ll be leading colleagues who already share your language, your instincts and your understanding that behaviour is often a child’s way of telling us something important.

Why this role is worth a proper look

• You’ll have a protected admin day every week, roughly 9am to 5pm, set aside for supervisions, care planning, key work reviews and records, so your time on shift can be spent where it matters most, alongside the young people and your team.

• Sleep-ins are paid at £65 a night, which is a strong rate for the sector, and on the usual pattern of two a week that adds around £6,700 a year, putting your potential earnings somewhere between roughly £39,700 and £42,700.

• Your working week is built around one admin day and two 24-hour shifts, which gives you more full days at home with the people who matter to you than a traditional Monday to Friday pattern ever could.

• The whole team works to PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy), the approach developed by Dr Dan Hughes, and the training is provided for everyone, so you’ll never be the only person in the house trying to work this way.

• This is a young and growing organisation with two homes across Northamptonshire, including a second home that has recently been registered, which gives you real scope to develop your leadership and support across both services as the organisation grows.

• The team is guided by a clear set of values, being caring, respectful, flexible, creative, honest and professional, and those values shape how colleagues treat each other as much as how they care for the children.

• Children’s voices sit at the centre of how the home runs, because the organisation firmly believes the best ideas for positive change come from listening to the young people who live there.

• You’ll be working closely with a supportive Registered Manager and an established team who know the young people well, so your leadership builds on strong relationships that are already in place.

• The home is well connected to schools, health services, leisure centres, cinemas, libraries and shopping, and it’s within easy reach of Rushden, Higham Ferrers, Kettering, Northampton and Bedford if you’re commuting in.

About the home and the young people

• The home cares for children aged 8 to 16 with emotional and behavioural needs alongside mild learning disabilities, in a small and homely setting where every child is known well and has adults around them who understand what helps.

• Personalised care, educational support and therapeutic input come together so each young person can grow emotionally, socially, physically and educationally at a pace that feels right for them.

• Young people are encouraged to enjoy community activities, keep close links with family and friends, and help shape their own support plans, so everyone around them is pulling in the same direction.

• The organisation’s purpose is built on the belief that the right therapeutic support at the right time helps children heal, feel content and grow into confident young adults, and you’ll see that sense of purpose throughout the house.

What your working week looks like

• One admin day each week, roughly 9am to 5pm, dedicated to your leadership, planning and supervision responsibilities.

• Two 24-hour shifts completing your working week, each one including a sleep-in paid at £65.

• A rota that’s planned well ahead, with your preferences taken into account and flexibility built in wherever the team allows.

• Your turn on the on-call rota, giving colleagues the reassurance that experienced guidance is always available when they need it.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading shifts and overseeing the day-to-day running of the home in line with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the nine Quality Standards.

• Coaching, supervising and supporting Residential Support Workers so they feel confident, valued and clear about their practice.

• Modelling PACE on every shift, helping the team look beneath behaviour and respond in ways that build trust and emotional safety for each child.

• Making sure key work sessions are meaningful for every young person and reflect the Quality Standards in a way that feels natural to them.

• Managing the home’s weekly budget and completing the Team Leader checklist each time you’re on shift.

• Working alongside social workers, schools, health professionals and families so every young person has the right support around them.

• Spotting training and development needs within the team and helping colleagues grow in confidence and skill.

• Championing a positive safeguarding and health and safety culture that everyone in the home feels part of.

• Offering support across both homes when needed, which broadens your experience and raises your profile within a growing organisation.

What you’ll bring

• A Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or Children and Young People’s Workforce, or a professional social work qualification, and if you’re currently working towards your Level 3 we’d still love to hear from you.

• At least one year’s experience working in children’s residential care, with a good feel for what helps young people feel safe and settled.

• At least one year’s experience in a senior or supervisory role within a care setting, whether that’s leading shifts, supervising staff or both.

• A sound understanding of safeguarding, the Children’s Homes Regulations and what Ofsted looks for in a well-led home.

• The confidence to lead a team through the varied and rewarding moments of shift-based residential work, leading by example and building trust with colleagues.

• Clear, child-centred recording skills that capture each young person’s voice and experience accurately.

• Any experience of PACE, trauma-informed or attachment-informed practice will be really welcome, although full PACE training is provided for everyone who joins.

• An enhanced DBS check and references will be completed as part of safer recruitment.

If this sounds like the leadership step you’ve been waiting for, one that keeps you close to the young people and the relationships that brought you into this work in the first place, send over your CV with a short note about your experience and we’ll be in touch for an honest, friendly conversation about the role and the home.