Therapeutic Care Practitioner

Job Description

Therapeutic Care Practitioner

My Story employs a multi-disciplinary team of professionals devoted to providing care and support to children between the ages of 11 and 17 years on their admission to our home within the category Emotional Behaviour Difficulties (EDB). Our team consists of Therapeutic Care Practitioners, Quality Assurance, Independent Visitors, and clinicians.

Main purpose of the Job

To provide advice, assistance, and support to young people, safeguarding their welfare at all times. To attend to their practical, physical, and emotional needs. To act as an appropriate role model and to work closely with them to enable them to address their difficulties and achieve their optimum potential. To work with contracted clinical team to promote, deliver and create a Therapeutic Environment.

Equality & Diversity

All children are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way. Residential Care Practitioner are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging any behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Provide care for children through:

· To provide the children with consistent, reliable and appropriate care, nurture, boundaries and attachment.

· To offer the children a positive, mature, trusted adult role model.

· To be aware that it is through the children’s direct experiences of relationships with caring consistent and thoughtful adults that they will be able to change, develop and grow. The task is therefore, as adults, to actively provide the children with this type of relationship.

· To undertake Key Worker responsibilities and provide children with key work sessions

· To work with the team in the home to effect essential and appropriate boundaries and structures for the children.

· To facilitate an environment that provides a feeling of safety, security, belonging and emotional containment and holding for all the children.

· To ensure that the children are appropriately safeguarded, and that the relevant and necessary reporting and recording policies and procedures are fully adhered to.

· To develop and use imaginative and creative thinking to enhance both the home and the children’s experiences.

· To engage in reflective and learning practice sessions to develop practice and to drive improvement.

· To be interested, responsive and understanding to the children’s behaviours and feelings and work on the basis that the behaviour is a way children communicate their feelings which more than likely will often stem from their previous traumatic experiences.

· To be inquisitive and reflective around behaviours and where this comes from and be sensitive and supportive to the children in helping them to manage these.

· As a last resort, to safely physically manage children whose behaviours put themself, others or the environment at risk of harm

· To be aware and able to acknowledge and reflect on own feelings and responses induced by the children and accept support and guidance in relation to this.

· To plan, organise and provide for the children recreational, cultural and sporting activities that is both appropriately child centred and matches the emotional/intellectual development of the children.

· To be aware of and respond to the children’s medical needs, including detail and optical and to ensure they are met appropriately.

General duties

· To be aware of the children’s nutritional needs and to actively participate in food purchasing and preparation and the organising of creative menus.

· To contribute to domestic tasks essential for the maintenance of a safe, healthy, warm and pleasant living physical environment and home for the children which facilitates our therapeutic approach.

· To actively participate in the staff training and development programme and to demonstrate a commitment to personal and professional development through training and learning.

· To attend and actively contribute to a range of operational and clinical meetings

· To ensure recording and evidencing required in the role is completed to a high standard in a timely manner and meets regulatory requirements as well as in accordance with our therapeutic model and evidences the good therapeutic practice taking place.

· To be actively involved in the development and implementation of children’s individual Therapeutic Care / Placement Plans, Behaviour Support Plans and Risk Assessments and to regularly participate in the review of these plans.

· To contribute to and prepare reports, where appropriate and take delegated responsibility for communications with external agencies/parents and present in a professional manner.

· Contribute to a high standard of internal staff communication, by face-to-face interactions with colleagues and through handovers, regularly checking and completing daily logs, message book and diary.

· To be responsible for preparing the children for school both physically and emotionally and in their safe transit to and from school and providing a handover to the education team.

· Work in accordance with the organisation’s policy and procedures, the Children’s Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards while being mindful of the inspection framework.

To act as a key worker through:

• Taking responsibility for a small number of children or child and ensuring that their needs are fully met
• Empowering children and facilitating their active involvement in the decision making about their lives and future
• Establishing relationships which children perceive to be positive, warm and rewarding
• Providing advice, assistance and support on a 1:1 basis to enable children to address past and present difficulties.
• Providing emotional support at times of difficulty or stress
• Being ambitious for children, helping them achieve their goals and optimize their potential
• Providing support for children in their education and extracurricular activities
• Keeping accurate records and providing written reports on children for planning meetings, reviews or any other meetings as directed by the line manager
• Acting as an advocate at meetings where the child is the subject of discussion
• Encouraging the child to develop links with the community, attend off-site activities and expand their personal social network

To work as part of a team through:

• Being aware of the aims and objectives of the home and working collaboratively with colleagues to achieve them
• Attending team/ staff meetings and making a positive contribution to them
• Actively contributing to the development of the team
• Receiving and storing information to improve communication
• Being willing to give and receive feedback on performance with colleagues and managers
• Being aware of childcare plans for all children and providing support for colleagues by maintaining consistency in the execution of those plans
• Providing informal practical and emotional support to colleagues experiencing difficulties
• Attending and contributing to regular supervision sessions in line with the Quality Standards
• Monitoring the conduct of colleagues and referring on any causes for concern (Whistleblowing)
• Being familiar with all policies and procedures and adhering to them

The details contained in this Job Description are not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different duties commensurate with the level of the post as required by My Story and the overall objectives of the organisation. The nature of the work and organisation means that tasks and responsibilities are sometimes unpredictable therefore staff are expected to work flexibly when the occasion arises.

This role will include shift work involving evenings, weekends and sleeps (including a sleep-in allowance)

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent

Pay: £23,809.50-£29,529.50 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company pension
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Referral programme

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Night shift
• Weekend availability

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: MYTCP