Child Care Practitioner

Avocet House, Heckingham, Norfolk, NR14 6QP

14 days remaining to apply

• Closing date

  28 August 2025 at 1am

• Date listed

  13 August 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £27,254 - £28,142 pa

Child Care Practitioner job summary

Tel: 01508 549320

Email: lucy.taylor@specialisteducation.co.uk

Website: www.specialisteducation.co.uk

• Salary - £27,254 - £28,142 pa
• Permanent
• Full Time
• 37 hours per week
• All Year Round

If you would like a rewarding career making a difference to the lives of children, with the opportunity for quick career progression, we would love to welcome you to our team.

Starting salary £27,254 to £28,142 (depending on experience) plus sleeping in payments (which will usually increase your annual salary by around £1,500). 

We are looking for a Child Care Practitioner to support our children and join the team at our inspiring dual registered children's home and educational setting on a full-time permanent basis. Avocet House accommodates up to 8 children, all with social, emotional and mental health complexities.

Typical duties include:

• Ensuring children are fully prepared for daily life
• Working closely with the onsite education team to support children's learning
• Maintaining a homely feel in the house
• Planning activities for evenings, weekends and holidays
• Supporting young people with attending outside clubs and activities
• Building positive relationships with young people
• Role modelling in life skills and social interactions
• Ensuring we work towards the personal development plan for each child

You don’t need to have any previous experience to apply for a Child Care Practitioner position with us, just the desire to improve the lives of our children and to be part of a team that aspires to give them a better chance of having a happy and fulfilling future. You will work to provide a family environment, nurturing and educating children in life skills and their personal, emotional and social development.

You will need to be qualified in English Language or Literacy to a Level 1 standard and hold a full UK driving licence. Staff working in a children's residential setting will be supported in completing a Level 3 Diploma in residential childcare, ensuring it has been completed within two years of employment.

As our home provides care and nurture for children 24 hours a day, the position involves working shifts (with occasional paid sleep ins and overtime). The shift pattern is over four-weeks and is based on a 37 hour week. Due to the nature of the role you will be required to have your own transport but parking is always available on site. We have two homes within 3.5 miles of each other, providing great opportunities for shared professional development.

It is always worth a conversation with us if you are unsure whether this work is for you, or to get more information to help you make your decision. If you are interested, please contact us on 01508 549320 or visit - www.specialisteducation.co.uk for more information.

How to apply

For this vacancy, if you click on the ‘Apply for Job’ button, you will be redirected to our website for further information and to apply using our online application form.

Closing date:  28 August 2025

Interview date:  4 September 2025

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointments are dependent on a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure.

Section 7(1)(a) of the SVGA 2006 states it is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

We are an equal opportunity employer with diversity and inclusion at the centre of everything we do.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and you will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced DBS check with barred list. If you have information to declare it may be protected under the Exceptions Orders and you may not be required to declare it. You will be asked to make a criminal conviction declaration if you are shortlisted for the post. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Avocet House

• School type: Special school, ages 8 to 18
• School size: 8 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 8 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Avocet House website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/avocet-house

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