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Residential Assistant Psychologist

Reporting to: Deputy Manager, Registered Manager and Clinical Psychology Lead

Location: Rochdale and Huddersfield

Purpose of the Post/About the Role?

As a Children's Residential support worker you will effectively be a child’s corporate parent which will include keeping them safe, providing unconditional support and care, promoting education, health and inclusion. You, along with the team around each child, will be responsible for ensuring the children in the home are achieving their optimal potential, for the daily upkeep of a home, recording the children’s journeys during the time they live with us and working with the wider system around each child.

As a Children’s Residential Support Worker at Meadows care, you will provide high-quality, trauma-informed care to children and young people within a residential care home. You will work within established therapeutic frameworks—such as PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) and attachment-based approaches—to support children who have experienced trauma, loss, or disrupted relationships. Your role is to create a safe, nurturing environment that promotes healing, emotional regulation, and positive development. You will engage in training and wider learning to ensure you are able to complete the above.

What we’re looking for?

Our children require resilient, passionate, empathetic and supportive individuals in order for them to be able to thrive and to walk through challenging times with them.

Individuals who will promote the Equality and Inclusion of the children and all employees by showing dignity, respect and belonging.

Specific Duties, Responsibilities & Job Requirements.

• Deliver daily care using a trauma-informed and therapeutic approach, incorporating models such as PACE and attachment, regulation and competency. Support children in recognising, expressing, and regulating their emotions.
• Maintain the highest quality of care and support that meets the physical, intellectual, emotional, social and cultural needs of children within Meadows Care.
• Build consistent and trusting relationships with Children that support secure attachments and emotional safety. Act as a positive role model, demonstrating healthy relationships and boundaries whilst always offering them unconditional and positive regards.
• Implement and contribute to children’s plans and therapeutic interventions.
• Promote resilience, self-esteem, and positive identity development
• Use de-escalation strategies grounded in therapeutic practice rather than punitive approaches.
• Support engagement in education, life skills, and structured activities
• Work collaboratively with the wider system around each child.
• Maintain detailed and reflective records about children’s daily journeys whilst always holding the children in mind.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children in line with statutory guidelines so children feel safe and free from harm; report any safeguarding concerns to relevant professionals.
• Work in line with legislation including Childrens act 1989, Childrens home regulations including Quality standards, SCCIF and other relevant legislation.
• Be responsible for cooking meals for up to 6 people throughout the day that are varied, nutritious and delicious along with maintaining a clean home including daily chores, laundry, Grocery shopping and general cleaning.
• Support children to lead a healthy lifestyle including facilitating medical appointments, administrating prescribed and non-prescribed medication in line with children’s plans and as per Meadow’s care policies and procedures.
• Provide support for children on their education journey.
• Being ambitious for all children to reach their full potential celebrating all milestones big or small, whilst recognising individuals’ achievements are all different.
• Transport children safely either in the company cars or on public transport to school, activities, family time, appointments or other daily plans.
• To promote the voice of the child within the home and advocate for children, empowering children and facilitating their active involvement in the decision making about their lives and futures.
• To maintain continuous personal development by attending and participating in monthly team meetings and therapeutic consultations, training, and regular supervision; Implementing all into practice.
• As stipulated in the children’s homes regulations committing to completing the Level 3 Diploma in Residential care within 2 years of your employment at Meadows Care.
• Promote and uphold the excellent reputation of Meadows care within your homes, with the wider system, children and community by maintaining professionalism and effective working relationships.
• Shared Responsibility for the health, safety, welfare and wellbeing of self, colleagues and in accordance with the requirements of the organisational health and safety procedures and policies.
• Shared Responsibility for the accurate maintenance of financial records appropriate to the duties of the post.
• A residential support worker MUST be able to lone work independently and this includes for prolonged periods of time safety that does not compromise yourself or the children’s health and safety.
• Residential staff must have good communication skills, including an awareness of non-verbal skills such as being aware of body language, proximity, eye contact and tone to convey safety and openness. To be aware of your own body language, the impact of this on vulnerable young people and the ability to adapt this according to the specific needs of the young people you work with or following feedback.
• To fulfil other duties as required and directed by senior staff/ Management.

Skills and Competencies essential functions

· Honest, Good integrity, organised, Effective communicator, Relational, Professional, Hard-working, Domesticated, works well under pressure.

· Our children have experienced Significant trauma and loss therefore need reliable and resilient individuals.

· Flexible and adaptable to change.

· Be able to navigate an online recording system both reading and recording

· Be able to respond to children’s door alarms that are in place to safeguard children throughout the night.

· Physically able to participate in children’s daily plans and activities alongside physically able to perform physical intervention if required and walking to search for children if they were to go missing.

· The post is subject to receiving an appropriate enhanced disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring service and 6 month probationary Period.

• Ability to work under pressure, manage competing demands, and handle stressful situations.
• Ability to concentrate on specific tasks for extended periods and make sound decisions under tight deadlines.
• Ability to adapt to unpredictable work patterns or changing environments.
• Consistent attendance and punctuality

Team and culture

· Work effectively alongside a team of residential support workers, in collaboration with a Registered manager and Lead therapist for the home reporting to the wider system in line with the ethos of Meadows Care and your homes Statement of purpose, meadows care policies and procedure to fulfil the aims and objectives of the home in the best interest of the children.

· Attending daily handovers, monthly team meetings and consultations including making a positive contribution to them.

· Communicate efficiently with specialised departments within meadows care to ensure optimal functioning of work including therapy, finance, HR, maintenance and education.

· Monitoring the conduct of colleagues and referring on any cause for concern by following the whistle blowing procedure.

· To maintain confidentiality and observe data protection guidelines.

Working hours

· To work a rota pattern that includes weekends, evenings, sleep over and Bank holidays. To understand that the rota is subject to change.

· Due to shift patterns and overnight stays, missed sleep and sleep disruption could happen.

· To work as Required in any children’s home or service within the organisation and in many locations that may be outside of the Rochdale area.

· Ability to adapt to unpredictable work patterns or changing environments.

Main Duties and Responsibilities – Residential Assistant Psychologist

· In the first stage of the RAP program - to attend and participate in the monthly RAP development group which focuses on building therapeutic skills (including assessment, formulation and interventions).

· To complete the monthly tasks set in the RAP development group.

· To lead on the implementation of Real Love Rocks & Therapeutic Life Story Work within our homes throughout the stages.

· To participate in monthly supervision with Lead Therapist and Registered Manager of the home and to ensure accurate records using our supervision form. This is to allow discussion of actions set, current workload, support needs and any other business.

· To attend and participate in the monthly Psychology CPD group which provides ongoing CPD opportunities.

· To contribute and present in the Psychology CPD group after completion of the first-stage with support and supervision.

· To plan and manage the use of protected home hours with support from supervisors.

· To regularly review and update RAP matrix which has been developed whilst holding in mind the BPS guidelines for an Assistant Psychologist post. The aim is to utilise the tool to plan development goals and capture evidence of competency development. This also includes a CPD log to record and reflect on individuals professional learning and development activities.

· There is the opportunity to progress onto the second-stage where the focus is on building leadership skills.

· There is the opportunity to progress onto the third-stage where the focus is on building research and evaluation skills.

· After completion of first-stage, RAPs will be expected to attend scheduled office hours and are entrusted to work independently and complete all relevant supervision actions.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Criteria:

• Degree in psychology at 2:1 or above
• Eligibility of graduate membership of the BPS
• A warm, compassionate and empathic approach to interpersonal relationships
• Ability to reflect with a natural curiosity and openness to learning/developing
• Experience of varied research methodologies and database management
• Able to demonstrate good organisational skills
• IT skills and knowledge

Desirable Criteria:

• Motivation to pursue further applied psychology training (e.g. clinical, counselling, forensic psychology or other therapeutic modalities)

Pay: £12.71 per hour

Benefits:

• Company events
• Employee discount
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Referral programme

Licence/Certification:

• Driving Licence (required)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person