Youth Support Practitioner

Benefits

• Suffolk County Council will provide you with a fully funded Level 3 Diploma in residential Child Care, to be completed within 2 years of employment required by Ofsted. You will also have the option to complete the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for residential Child Care to further your career within Social Care.
• Monthly supervision sessions.
• Excellent benefits package.
• Sleep-in duties are an additional contractual requirement. For these duties, you will receive National Minimum Wage for the hours you are rostered to sleep, in addition to your salary.
• The team
• This is your chance to join a brand-new team and help shape a children’s home from the very beginning.
• Our newly renovated home in Shotley is ready for the next chapter, and we’re looking for fantastic people to be part of it. From a team of Youth Support Practitioners and Senior Youth Support Practitioners through to the Deputy Manager, Home Manager and Handyperson every member of the team will play an important part in creating a home where children and young people can feel safe, supported and valued.
• You’ll have the opportunity to grow together as a team, share ideas, learn from each other and create the kind of positive, supportive culture you’d be proud to be part of. It’s an exciting opportunity to make your mark in a new team while making a real difference to the lives of the children and young people you support.
• The team will work together to provide consistent, individualised support and build positive, trusting relationships that help the child or young person feel safe, valued and supported.
• Empowering Everyone
• We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
• For more information
• For an informal chat about this role, please contact Beth Fletcher, Residential Service Manager, by calling 07732603793.
• How to apply
• Step 1 - Please read the Job and Person Profile (Word).
• Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
• Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).
• Explain a situation where you had to ensure the safety and well-being of a child or young person. What actions did you take, and how did you ensure that the child's needs were met?
• This role requires working fixed shifts, including weekends and bank holidays. Can you provide an example of how you have managed your time effectively while working in a role with similar shift requirements? How do you ensure that you maintain a healthy work-life balance while meeting the demands of fixed shifts?
• Give an example of a situation where you had to communicate effectively with a young person who was experiencing emotional distress. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome?
• Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.
• We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.
• For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.
• Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.
• Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team by either emailing [email protected] or calling 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.
• Closing date: 11.30pm, 8 November 2026.
• Interview and Warner Interview date: 18 or 20 November 2026.
• Promoted as JOTW (Job of the Week) on Suffolk Jobs Direct.
• Please note: If you are successful in securing a position, you will be required to provide a full 10-year employment and activity history as part of our pre-employment checks. This includes details of all employment, periods of education, and any gaps, along with referee contact details for each role where applicable. To help avoid delays in the recruitment and onboarding process, we recommend gathering this information in advance.
• This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Onsite