Does anyone have experience working in a children’s residential home? Come this way please!

[Hullish]

Name changed as this is quite outing.

Basically my background is support work, looked after children and young adults leaving care in a supported accommodation service. I loved it, it is absolutely my passion.

Because my marriage broke down, the shifts weren’t sustainable and I went into very boring but well paid office work. No evenings, weekends, bank holidays, Christmas etc etc.

I have been offered a job setting up a new residential service, and I would LOVE to do it but I’ve never done residential care before so sleep ins and long shifts are new to me and I’m trying to work out if they would fit around my own children now I’m on my own.

My shifts would be 40 hours a week with sleep ins on top (approx 4 a month) and I’m struggling to understand, or picture, what that would look like. If anyone has done this work can you please give me an idea of how your shifts work? Do you do two long days together? Are your shifts split?

Any help would be appreciated, I really want to take this job but I’m not sure if it’s compatible with family life as a single mum. My own kids are 6 and 10.

Hopeful bump?

I worked in a children's home but way way back in the early 90s. As far as sleep ins went we used to do them between 2 shifts. So start at 2 pm, work until 10 or 12, have 'sleep in' until 6 or 7 or 8 (this depended on how many young people, their ages and general behaviour patterns) and then do another day shift until 12 or 2.

All homes work differently though in my experience - and I wouldn't take 4 a month as gospel as for many reasons, what actually happens is often very different to what is promised.

Unless you have very good and flexible childcare arrangements I think it would be difficult if not impossible. Frequently I would be supposed to be going off duty, then someone would call in sick at the last minuet (or just no turn up). Some day shifts too were doubles or very nearly. 8am until 10pm was not unusual - although this may be more regulated now.

I think, as well as talking to the bosses I would be wanting a chat with the staff before I accepted the post.

Thank you, I really appreciate your input!

I worked in a residential home for 7 -11yr olds. Shifts originally started at 10.45am to 11pm (if they went to bed) then a sleep and back on shift at 7am til 11am. The needs of the kids changed and some days you'd have to start at 7.30am right through to 11pm, sleep and back up for 7am start. The other shift was to start at 10.45 and finish at 10pm if the kids were settled. I usually did 5/6 sleeps a month, I think. Was a few years ago.
In my experience it wasn't just a job it became my whole life. I regularly left late due to incidents or staffing issues, I didnt always get to bed on time due to the amount of paperwork. After 3 years I was totally burnt out, it was physically and emotionally draining and I wasn't spending time with my children (both under 10 when I left)
I loved the job, the kids, most of the staff but it was pretty relentless and having to deal with senior management, who'd never done the job, making decisions became a real issue.

Worked in a council run mainstream home for 11-17 year olds for five years.
We worked 7.30-2/3 and 2/3-10 and then the night shift came on at 9.30 for handover.

However, private homes tend to do 24 hour shifts. For example; Starting at 9am working until 10pm (in theory have a sleep in which rarely happens in my experience with mainstream lac there's usually disturbances throughout the night) and then hand over again the next day at 9am.
The sleep in wouldn't count towards hours so you'd usually work on a rota that covered a 4 week period.

Thank you so much for responding.

I would be relying on my ex husband a lot, we have almost 50/50 custody and he has the children three nights a week already but I’m nervous about having no other back up. My old job became my life too, I was always working late or doing extra shifts and I don’t want to neglect my own children by doing the same again.

It’s hard, it would be my dream job but it sounds like it’s just not possible in my current situation.