Residential children’s home

[PrettyPleaseXo]

Hello!
I’ve been offered a new job working within a residential children’s home and have a few questions if anyone else does.
My shifts will be 7am-7pm, how long is your lunch break? Do you get breaks?
I am a single parent to two children and I wanted to make sure I would be allowed my phone on my person as it is important I can be contacted in an emergency.
thank you!

No one here can know the specifics of this, it is something you ask the employer.

When I was a residential worker many years ago, we didn't have fixed breaks. You could have days you'd be grabbing bits of short time here and there to other days you'd have several hours without the children so you'd fit a break in then.
Phones. I'd say it is likely you won't be allowed to keep your personal one on you at all times. It is a distraction plus also a hazard ie could get accidentally broken if physical intervention is needed or one of the children takes it.

Very unlikely to be allowed to keep your personal phone on you. You are working with vulnerable young people and it would be considered a safeguarding risk. Presumably the home has a landline phone number that can be contacted?

My partner works in one. Shes allowed her phone (boss phones all the time, personal use should be limited but is allowed, pictures of children are allowed to be taken for reports/files etc but must be immediately deleted).

She doesn't get breaks really. She just finds some time to eat meals/go to toilet/sit in the office in quiet moments. Breaks cant really be scheduled due to the children having various things to do or go to. Children can often go into crisis too which takes as long as it needs to.

This makes me feel a lot better thank you!

We used to eat with the children. The break was when they were in school, though we still did mending, tidying, changing bed linen. Long before the days of mobiles though.

I worked in residential a fair few years ago. There were no breaks as such. We ate our meals together with the young people and actually these times were really important in terms of building and maintaining relationships.

We were allowed to have our phones and rules around them were as described above.

If you are completely new to this area of work here are a few bits of info which may be useful:

Your hours are 7-7. Be aware that you may not always finish on time. If a young person is having a difficult time you may need to stay and see things through. I mention this as you've mentioned you have children.

The were number of people who came to work in the place I worked who didnt see the shift out. One was a Scout leader who thought it would be an easy way to earn a living with all of his "skills". We were working with a particularly troubled group of young people at that time. Scout leader man was horrified at some of the language he heard and behaviours witnessed during a difficult time for 1 young person. He literally dropped his keys to the manager and walked out, never to return half way through his 1st shift.

Its likely to be one of the most difficult (emotionally and psychologically) and rewarding jobs you've ever done.

The young folk will inspire you, you'll feel sad and angry at what they've had to live through, but you will also have loads of fun! Its all about the relationships you build.

In my experience, the biggest issues were caused not by the young people, but by the other adults and the system. You need to be able to advocate fiercely for the young people in your care and be able to speak up when things aren't right.

I hope you love your new job! Good luck.

Thank you so so much I am so excited yet somewhat terrified! I’m coming from a job of being a family support worker for the past nearly 3 years and my work with young people is my favourite part of the job hence the move

I don't understand how those hours will work if you are single parent.

I have breakfast and after school club and a nanny will be coming in the morning to take my daughter to breakfast club. After school club and her brother will be picking her up and taking her to my mums house. Weekends mum is having the kids :)