London Borough of Brent
Residential Child Care Officer
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Salary range: £34,998 - £37,134 p.a. inc. London weighting
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week
Location: Ade Adepitan Short Break Centre and other locations from time to time
Join Us - Be a Voice for Vulnerable Children and Young People and Make a Lasting Difference
Brent is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, with communities, ideas and experiences from across the world helping to shape who we are. Working here means joining a council that is focused on fairness, open to new thinking and committed to improving life for local people.
Our values shape how we work and what people can expect from us. We collaborate proactively, lead inclusively, embrace change, are bold and curious, and celebrate and share our success. For people who care about public service and want their work to matter, Brent offers the chance to make a meaningful difference.
About the role
Ade Adepitan Short Break Centre offers something truly unique. No two days are ever the same, and no two children or young people have the same care needs. Working within a short break service provides the opportunity to support a diverse group of children and young people with a wide range of disabilities, including Autism, ADHD, complex care needs, and profound disabilities.
As a member of our dedicated team, you will play an important role in supporting children and young people to develop their independence skills and prepare for adulthood. The role involves providing high-quality, person-centred care and ensuring that each child is supported in a way that reflects their individual wishes, feelings, and aspirations.
Duties will include supporting children with personal care, which may involve bathing, showering, dressing, toileting, changing continence pads, moving and handling, and assisting with transfers from bed to chair, chair to bed, or wheelchair using manual and ceiling hoists. You will also plan and lead meaningful activities, participate in regular community outings supported by our on-site minibus, and undertake key-working responsibilities to help ensure children's voices remain at the centre of their care and support.
You will work closely with parents, schools, CAMHS, social workers, health professionals, and other agencies to provide consistent, holistic support that meets each child's individual needs and promotes positive outcomes.
This role provides valuable hands-on experience supporting children and young people with a broad range of complex needs, including autism, profound disabilities, and specialist medical routines such as gastrostomy care. Full training will be provided. The variety and complexity of support offered make this a highly rewarding role and provide opportunities for professional development rarely found within more traditional residential settings.
Whether you are looking to build a long-term career in children's services, disability support, safeguarding, health and social care, or education, this role provides an excellent foundation for future progression.
What to Expect in the Role
Shift Pattern and Working Hours
We operate a long-week/short-week rota designed to provide consistency for children and young people while supporting a healthy work-life balance for staff.
Shift Patterns:
- Morning Shift: 07:00 - 14:30
- Afternoon Shift: 14:00 - 21:30
- Short Week: 4 working days
- Long Week: 6 working days, including weekends
- Shift Leaders work until 22:00 to provide a handover to the night team
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During school hours, staff undertake key-working responsibilities including:
- Completing paperwork and care records
- Planning activities and support sessions
- Attending meetings
- Conducting school visits and home visits
- Reviewing and updating risk assessments
- Liaising with families and professionals
Training and Development
We are committed to supporting our staff to develop and grow professionally.
You will have access to a comprehensive programme of face-to-face and online training designed to build confidence, knowledge, and specialist skills. Staff are actively encouraged to continuously develop their practice and pursue learning opportunities.
You will receive in-depth training in the Positive Approach, with a strong focus on supporting autistic children and young people, including those who may display behaviours of concern. Training is also provided in specialist areas, including moving and handling, medication administration, safeguarding, gastrostomy care, and communication support.
Our Team Culture
We are proud to have a small, supportive, and friendly team where colleagues work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
While the role can be physically and emotionally demanding, it is incredibly rewarding. Staff are supported through regular team meetings, supervision sessions, reflective practice discussions, and ongoing opportunities to learn from one another and share experiences.
We value teamwork, respect, inclusion, and a positive working environment where every member of staff feels supported and appreciated.
Supporting Children and Young People
Everything we do is centred around the voices, needs, and aspirations of the children and young people we support.
Our work includes:
- Supporting children and young people to build independence skills and prepare for adulthood
- Delivering enjoyable and meaningful activities tailored to individual interests
- Regular community outings and experiences supported by our dedicated minibus service
- Key-working sessions that capture and promote children's wishes, feelings, and choices
- Building positive relationships with children, families, schools, CAMHS, social workers, and health professionals
- Providing consistent, holistic, and person-centred support that promotes wellbeing, inclusion, and positive outcomes
About you
We are looking for someone who:
- Brings warmth, compassion, patience, and emotional intelligence to their work
- Understands and values the individual needs of children and young people with disabilities
- Is passionate about helping children achieve their full potential and develop independence skills
- Can confidently plan and lead engaging activities that promote enjoyment, learning, and development
- Is willing to take on responsibility, including undertaking shift-leading duties when required
- Can produce clear, accurate, and professional care documentation and maintain detailed records
- Is confident using technology and electronic recording systems
- Works effectively in partnership with parents, schools, health professionals, social workers, and other agencies
- Has a strong commitment to safeguarding, dignity, equality, and person-centred care
- Can work flexibly on a rota pattern, including evenings, weekends, bank holidays, and sleep-in shifts where required
- Is resilient, adaptable, and committed to providing outstanding care and support
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Why join us?
We know people do their best work when they feel valued, supported and able to grow. At Brent, you will benefit from:
- 27 days' annual leave, rising with length of service, plus bank holidays
- Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
- Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
- Supportive family-friendly policies, including carers’ leave, paternity leave and compassionate leave for eligible employees
- Health and wellbeing support, including eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
- Financial wellbeing support, including education sessions, childcare deposit loans and season ticket loans
- Travel support, including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme and onsite facilities
- Learning and development opportunities to support your career
- Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure and entertainment
To learn more about our staff benefits, visit Our offer to you.
How to apply
Closing date: Sunday 13 September 2026 (23:59)- We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. If you are interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Interested in applying? Click "Apply Now" to begin your application.
You will need to submit a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria in the job description. This is a key part of the selection process, and applications without a supporting statement may not be considered. You may also upload a CV to support your application, but it cannot replace the supporting statement.
Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects the people we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and encourage applicants to complete the diversity survey section of the application.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness. We expect all employees to demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory practices in their work. This commitment forms part of our recruitment process, and candidates may be assessed on their understanding of and ability to contribute to an inclusive working environment.
The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas, who will use it to help prevent fraud and other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details on how your information will be used by Brent and Cifas, and your data protection rights can be found here [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. This includes people with hidden disabilities, long-term health conditions, diagnoses and mental health conditions. We also guarantee an interview to care-experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria. Information shared for this purpose will be treated fairly and used only to confirm eligibility under these schemes.
If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact recruitment@brent.gov.uk [recruitment@brent.gov.uk].
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