Job Introduction
Are you ready for a role where you can make a real impact every day?
We’re looking for an experienced professional to join our team. Furze House is a service that provides overnight short breaks to children with disabilities in Milton Keynes.
In this role, you’ll lead shifts, support your team, and help create a safe, nurturing environment where every child can thrive. You’ll play a vital part in shaping positive outcomes and providing consistent, high-quality care.
If you're motivated, resilient, and ready to take the next step in your career, we’d like to hear from you.
This is a site-based role.
Interviews for this role will be held on 29 July.
Milton Keynes City Council is a modern and friendly place to work. Find out more about working with us here: www.mkcounciljobs.org.uk
Main Responsibility
- Shift Leadership - Take full responsibility for managing the shift, ensuring the safety and welfare of children and young people. Provide leadership during both formal and informal inspection processes.
- Behaviour Management - Lead the response to challenging behaviour, ensuring the safety of all involved through effective risk assessment, debriefing, and collaboration with management. Develop and apply physical intervention techniques as necessary, in line with best practice and training.
- Record Keeping - Maintain accurate, clear, and timely written records to support effective handovers and inform managerial oversight. Ensure documentation complies with relevant legislation, standards, and local policies.
- Risk Management - Continuously assess and respond to risks throughout the shift, adapting practice to maintain a safe and stable environment. Regularly review and update risk assessments as needed.
- Care Planning - Lead the implementation of individual care plans, working collaboratively with multi-agency partners to ensure holistic and responsive support for each child.
- Mentor and Develop - Coach new or less experienced team member, modelling best practices in care planning, direct work, and multi-agency collaboration.
- Child Development - Actively support children and young people in developing a range of life skills through positive role modelling, mentoring, and coaching.
The Ideal Candidate
- Proven experience working with children and young people who have complex needs, demonstrating empathy, resilience, and a child-centred approach.
- Confident in stepping into the role of Shift Leader when required, with the ability to manage both team dynamics and the diverse needs of the children effectively.
- Experience in leading shifts, confidently managing team members and ensuring the smooth running of services while prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of children.
- Holds a Level 3 qualification in Children and Young People’s Workforce (or equivalent), with a strong understanding of safeguarding, care planning, and multi-agency collaboration.
Driving Licence and Vehicle Insurance with Business Insurance
For this role, the candidate is required to have a full UK driving licence, along with access to a vehicle.
Evidence of the driving licence and vehicle insurance with business insurance will be required from the candidate should they be offered this position. Without this documentation the candidate will not be appointable.
DBS Enhanced
Should you be offered the role, as part of the pre-employment checks an Enhanced DBS will be actioned for you (unless you are on the DBS Update Service).
Package Description
In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:
- Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
- Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
- Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
- Salary sacrifice car scheme – low-cost leasing of electric and low emission vehicles.
- Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.
Why join us? Along with more on our Benefits, discover why Working at the City Council could be the right move for you here Working at the Council | Milton Keynes
Our roles are either designated ‘site based’ or ‘home based’. ‘Site based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home whilst ‘home based’ roles are based at home four days a week. Of course, managers designate which category roles are in based on the needs of the service and the circumstances.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.
We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.
We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.
We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.
If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.