Anyone here work in a children's residential home?

[ringitin]

I'm looking for a career change, and would like a job where I feel like I actually make a real contribution day to day.

If you work within a children's home, can you tell me what is involved in your average day? If there is such a thing!

What kind of person are you/do you need to be? What do you think you contribute to the lives of the children you work with?

How do manage to not become too emotionally attached to the kids and their circumstances?

What is the hardest part of your job, and the best part?

I'm not in any way professionally qualified for the role, but I'm prepared to retrain for the right job.

I have been through my own childhood difficulties (orphaned) but I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing when working in such an environment. I'm not care experienced.

I would really appreciate any input from anyone who has experience of this type of work.

Thanks

I have spend past 18 years in this sector. Its rhe most challenging but rewarding thing ever. The kids are amazing, and resilient.

Sadly the backgrounds is very difficult to deal with and sometimes this can impact on behaviours towards self or others.

Shifts are usually long (24-48hours with sleep ins) can be very demanding keeping them occupied all day every day.

The kids these days are more challenging and require a lot more input and sadly this may result in lots of restraints.

Typical day can be just like any other home but other days can be chaotic. Try doing sessional, or one shift a week and see what you think.

I don't think any company/service is not desperate for staff as lots of people burn out, quickly.

Very happy 'Resi-Worker' here.

'Average' Day? Parentstuff and 'life admin' on steroids.
Coaxing comatose teens to vacate their pits on school days - incessently improvising incentives. Transporting & accompanying to school, hobbies, sports, family visits, court, medical apps. Improvising education for strike days, yearlong lockdowns, for excluded or on parttime timetables. Providing other constructive activity for those resistant to formal education - cooking, craft, exercise etc. Communications with schools, families, social workers, health professionals etc. Attending formal meetings with or relating to the children.

Supporting healthy helpful habits and routines eg around mealtimes, bedtimes, screen times, developing age appropriate self care skills, laundry, room tidying etc. Breaking up ruckus, brokering peace, Offering companionship, Helping with coping strategies, listening, being there. Hugs.

Hardest?
Grim shift patterns
Matterhorns of paperwork & ever-changing protocols
Being ineffectual when someone is in self destruct mode.
Holding the sick bucket when they really want mum there.

Best?
Seeing glorious resilience triumph over adversity - every day.
Belly Laughing - repeatedly, every single day even those days you tremble with fear, rage, weep and scream.
Tiny slices of 'normal'

What kind of person?
All kinds of skillsets and personalities offer different contributions.
Qualities?
Resilience - forever in the firing line from kids, families, colleagues, management ....
Non-judgemental, Empathic and Listen more than you Spout, all come to mind. Having been orphaned you may well have precious insight into what it feels like to not be anyone's no1 priority?

You asked about emotional involvement? This is tricky to explain without sounding heartless ... but you inevitably develop a thick skin. Everyone manages this differently. I rationalise it as for as long as I am on shift I can perform at 100% because when the next shift take over I can switch off.

Yep that does sound heartless.

Hope this helps and best of luck

Thank you both so much for your detailed replies.

Can I continue to pick your brains please?m

How many residents are in your units?

Are you parents yourselves, and how does this help you, or otherwise, in the job?

I'm involved through work with a small setting here - 3 young people 14+ all have multiple failed foster homes behind them. They are streetwise and resilient kids on the surface but underneath so vulnerable with multiple health problems (mostly mental) and need a hug. We got involved helping one of their success stories - after a levels he lodged with someone here to help him prepare for university, we also collected all he needed to send him on his way, the things your parents normally provide. He is doing well nearly a year in and other youngster is about to sit a levels, unusual for kids in this position - but good role models help

Thanks @gogohmm so good to hear of young people being supported so that they can have the same opportunities that every child should have.

I have to admit, I can be a very anxious parent. I would like to think that while I would care about the kids I worked with, I would be able to separate myself enough from the emotional side of things, but it's hard to know.

I worked in a children's home for primary aged kids, just under 20 years ago. I'm sure a lot has changed since then, but some things might still be similar.
I remember the fear when we were understaffed and all hell would break loose due to one of the kids having an emotional meltdown that would often result in physical attacks; the sadness of witnessing pre-teens wetting their beds and us not being able to help them overcome the emotional causes for this. It utterly broke my heart every time we had a child excitedly waiting for the parent to come for a supervised visit, finally, and then not turn up. This was soul crushing and possibly the hardest bit. The disappointment and heart ache.
But I also remember bonding with children and going from dreading being in charge of them (due to their chalkenging behaviours) to really enjoying them, laughing with them and realising that they are starting to appreciate you being around and to find comfort in your interaction with them. Mealtimes were often very cheerful and I found that with a lot of the staff we felt a bit like a work-family unit, which was nice.

Ask away.

Depends on the home type will depend on size. I started 20 years in a home with 22 kids and 6 staff per shift, and worked in home with 1 kid 3 staff and various on between. It will depend on the child and company. Their is lots of private companies about and all offer something different just look into reviews both from inspectorate and also employees.

I am not a parent but I don't think either way impacts on this. You can separate very quickly, but I do know some parents who find it hard as they "wouldn't let their own kid away with it".

The model I started with was containment and punishment, but now its about love and reflection.

I also spent a few years heading a training department in child care and the staff always reported being very short staffed, worn staffed (wrong people in the job) or where at burnout. It is a very challenging time to be going into care right now as the whole sector is massively short staffed and struggling.

Gunkle1 · Yesterday 01:16

I have spend past 18 years in this sector. Its rhe most challenging but rewarding thing ever. The kids are amazing, and resilient.

Do they still have large residentials? I thought that they'd gone to smaller sized ones in residential houses. I spent just over 2 years in a residential unit, from 14 to 16 (1984 - 9186) and still stay in contact with one of the staff, she tried to get me into child advocacy a few years ago, but I didn't feel up to it.

Anyone looking to climb up the leader to becoming a registered care manager and an offer of better career progression with chances of shares in the business? This is a great opportunity for experienced registered manager to join a new company and bring alot of values to children's lifes