A Support Worker for Looked After Children provides practical, emotional, and social support to children and young people who are in care. The role is to help promote safety, stability, wellbeing, independence, and positive life outcomes while working in line with safeguarding procedures, care plans, and relevant legislation and guidance in England.

Key Responsibilities

• Emotional support: Build trusting, professional relationships with children and young people, offering reassurance, encouragement, and consistent support.
• Daily living support: Assist with routines, personal care, meals, hygiene, household tasks, and developing age-appropriate independence skills.
• Behaviour support: Use positive, trauma-informed approaches to help manage challenging behaviour and support emotional regulation.
• Safeguarding: Recognise and respond appropriately to concerns about a child’s welfare, following safeguarding policies and reporting procedures.
• Care planning: Work in partnership with social workers, carers, schools, and other professionals to support individual care plans and placement goals.
• Education support: Encourage attendance, engagement, and progress in education, training, or employment, and support homework or learning activities where needed.
• Health and wellbeing: Promote access to health appointments, healthy lifestyles, and emotional wellbeing support.
• Relationship building: Support children and young people to maintain positive relationships with family members, carers, peers, and professionals where appropriate.
• Advocacy and participation: Listen to the views of children and young people and help ensure their wishes and feelings are heard and respected.
• Record keeping: Maintain accurate, timely records of support provided, incidents, progress, and any concerns in line with organisational requirements.
• Multi-agency working: Communicate effectively with social care, education, health, and other agencies to ensure coordinated support.
• Promoting independence: Help prepare young people for adulthood by supporting life skills, confidence, decision-making, and transition planning.
• Professional conduct: Maintain clear boundaries, confidentiality, and a respectful, child-centred approach at all times.
• Flexibility: Work shifts, including evenings, weekends, sleep-ins, or emergency cover where required to meet the needs of the child or young person.

Essential Qualifications

• Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (England) or willingness to achieve within the required timescale.
• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to children and young people’s services.

Essential Training

• Safeguarding Children and Child Protection.
• Prevent Duty Awareness.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
• First Aid and Emergency Response.
• Health and Safety.
• Behaviour Management and De-escalation Techniques.
• Trauma-Informed Practice.
• Data Protection and Confidentiality (GDPR).
• Medication Awareness (where applicable).

Knowledge and Understanding

• Understanding of the Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004.
• Knowledge of statutory guidance relating to Looked After Children.
• Understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and reporting procedures.
• Awareness of attachment theory, child development, trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and their impact on behaviour.
• Understanding of the challenges faced by children in care, including emotional wellbeing, education, identity, and transition to adulthood.

Essential Skills

• Ability to build positive and trusting relationships with children and young people.
• Strong communication and active listening skills.
• Ability to manage challenging behaviour using positive and restorative approaches.
• Effective record keeping and report writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Good organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality.

Experience

• Experience of working with children and young people in a residential, community, educational, or social care setting.
• Experience supporting vulnerable children or those who have experienced trauma, neglect, abuse, or placement instability.
• Experience of working collaboratively with families, carers, social workers, schools, and other professionals.

Other Requirements

• Enhanced DBS check with Children’s Barred List check.
• Right to work in the UK.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (where required by the role).
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, sleep-ins, and on-call duties where necessary.
• Commitment to promoting the welfare, rights, and participation of children and young people.