A career where personality comes first, and you get qualified while you work.
It takes people from all walks of life to provide children and young people with the nurture and support they need. People with patience, resilience and a caring nature. People who can draw on their own strengths and interests to create positive experiences and overcome challenges, and provide the stability children in care have often never had before.
In many cases, you won’t need to gain any qualifications before you can apply for a role in a children’s home, instead you are able to gain the necessary ‘hands-on’ qualifications while you work. Once you start, you’ll be supported to enhance your knowledge and skills and progress your role and career.
Develop truly life-changing knowledge and skills.
Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare
Your employer will support you to train while you work to develop the knowledge and skills needed for working with children and young people in a children’s home.
All residential childcare practitioners are required by Ofsted to complete these qualification within a year of starting out in a residential childcare role. The course takes 6-12 months to complete and can also be completed while volunteering.
There are no formal entry requirements for the course, you just need to be over 18 and currently working or volunteering in a residential childcare setting.
Develop the knowledge and skills needed to support children in a residential setting
Develop an understanding of child development
Learn how to support children and young people in developing their wellbeing, resilience, positive relationships and attachments, communication, positive behaviour and positive outcomes
Learn how to support children and young people recovering from trauma, neglect or abuse, overcoming challenging behaviours, or facing risks such as sexual exploitation
Develop an understanding of the care system, as well as core professional skills related to policies and practice, safeguarding and protection, risk management, communication and assessment, handling information and planning.
Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare
Progress your career by developing the knowledge and skills necessary to manage other practitioners, take on new responsibilities or even work towards managing a children’s home.
This qualification provides the knowledge and skills necessary to lead others and manage every aspect of care provided in a children’s home. You’ll need to be working in a role where you have the opportunity to carry out extra responsibilities as part of your learning, perhaps by supporting a Registered Manager or Deputy/Assistant Manager.
Completing the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare opens up many opportunities for career progression, whether continuing to work with children but in a more senior care role with management responsibilities, or working towards a higher management position.
Build on your knowledge of child development and support for vulnerable and disadvantaged children
Develop the ability to lead on every aspect of care and support for children and young people, such as supporting children who have experienced harm or abuse, supporting wellbeing and resilience, managing risk, and promoting children’s rights
Develop the ability to lead networks and multi-agency teams involved in the care of children and young people
Develop management capabilities and the ability to lead on communication and information management in residential childcare
