Residential Care Officers - Edge of Care

Children rarely remember the professionals around the table. They remember the people who showed up. The people who listened when things felt difficult. The people who celebrated their successes. The people who stayed alongside them when life became challenging.

At Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, we're developing an innovative Edge of Care residential service built on a belief that residential care can be a powerful intervention in its own right. A place where children experience safety, families find space to breathe, and relationships have the opportunity to heal.

This isn't a service designed around long-term placements. It's a service designed around children and their networks.

We're creating a relational and restorative environment where children remain connected to the people who matter most to them, while families receive the support they need to move through crisis and create sustainable change.

We're looking for Residential Care Officers who want to do more than provide care. We're looking for people who want to build relationships, create meaningful experiences and help children and families restore hope.

As a Residential Care Officer, you will be at the heart of children's daily lives.

You'll help create an environment where children feel safe, valued and understood. Through everyday interactions, shared experiences and consistent support, you'll help children build confidence, resilience and hope for the future.

No two days will be the same.

One day might involve helping a child prepare for school, supporting a family visit or encouraging a young person to try something new. Another could mean celebrating an achievement, helping someone overcome a challenge or simply being there when they need somebody in their corner.

This role operates on a rota basis including evenings, weekends, sleep-ins and waking nights where required.

In addition to the salary, this post attracts a Level 1 Unsociability Allowance, currently £4,314.82 per annum (pro rata for part-time hours).

Sleep-in duties form a key part of the role and are paid at an additional rate of £53.66 per sleep-in.

We're looking for people who believe relationships change lives. You don't need to have all the answers. But you do need to be someone who is curious, compassionate and committed to supporting children through difficult experiences.

Most importantly, you'll see the child beyond the behaviour and believe in their potential, even when they may struggle to see it themselves.

To learn more about the role

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification within the Supporting Documents section.

Because opportunities like this don't come around very often.

You'll join a team building a new service from the ground up, helping to shape a model of care that is focused on children, families and relationships.

Most importantly, you'll work alongside people who care deeply about children and are committed to doing residential care differently.

Think this could be the right opportunity for you?

This role is for people who believe children deserve more than care. It's for people who believe every child deserves relationships they can trust, opportunities to succeed and adults who refuse to give up on them.

If you want a career where your relationships, your values and your commitment genuinely make a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Registered Manager - Edge of Care

jack.lindsay@stockton.gov.uk

Please note that we’re unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role, so candidates will need to have an existing right to work in the UK.

Accuracy and Use of AI Tools: You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.

Application Updates and Communication: All updates regarding your application, including interview invitations, will be sent from ‘DONOTREPLY@NORTHEASTJOBS.ORG.UK’ to the email linked to your North East Jobs account, and will also appear in the ‘My Messages’ section of your account.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemptions): This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended). Applicants are therefore required to disclose all criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings, including those which would normally be considered spent, subject to the filtering rules applicable under current legislation.

Right to Work: All applicants must provide valid proof of their right to work in the UK in accordance with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s statutory employment checks. Employment cannot commence or continue unless this has been verified.

Council Principles: The Council’s recruitment principles require fairness, transparency, and a commitment to attracting and developing local talent.

Limitations: Where an individual cannot demonstrate a valid right to work in the UK, the Council will be unable to progress or continue the appointment. This includes cases where an existing employee’s visa is due to expire and sponsorship is not granted.

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