Youth Support Practitioner at Suffolk County in Ipswich, England, GB

Suffolk County Council | Shotley Children’s Home | £33,973 per annum (pro rata for part time) | Full Time or Part Time | Permanent | Closing Date: 8 November 2026

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Shotley Children's Home, Suffolk - Onsite
• Salary: £33,973 which includes a salary of £29,542 plus 15% unsociable hours allowance of £4,431.30 per annum (pro rata for part time). You will be required to undertake rostered sleep in duties. Any such duties are a contractual requirement, for which you will receive national minimum wage for the hours you are rostered to sleep, on top of your salary.
• £17.60 hourly rate (this includes the hourly rate of £15.31 plus the 15% unsociable hours allowance)
• Hours: 37, 22 or 18.5 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk County Council, we believe that when our people grow, our communities thrive. That's why we're looking for passionate Youth Support Practitioners to join our team.

We are committed to providing a nurturing environment for vulnerable children and young people.

You will join a small, dedicated team providing high-quality care and support within a one-bed children's home in Shotley. The home offers a nurturing, safe, and stable environment for one child or young person aged 11-17, with staffing arrangements typically comprising two staff members on duty to ensure consistent support and positive relationship building.

We provide support for the children and young people in our care to achieve the best possible outcomes in all aspects of their lives, including education, health, and social and fun activities, as well as supporting them to build positive and appropriate relationships.

We believe every child and young person deserves a safe and supportive environment where they can thrive.

If you are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable young people and can work fixed shifts, we want to hear from you. This rewarding role offers the chance to change futures in a home from home.

Your role and responsibilities

You will work as part of a dedicated team to provide day-to-day support for some of the most vulnerable children in the county. You will help children who may experience social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, including those who have experienced trauma and display high-level challenging behaviours. Your role will involve building strong, trusting relationships with young residents, monitoring their wellbeing, and encouraging their personal growth and independence.

You will:

• promote the development of children and young people within the environment
• safeguard all children from threats to their health and welfare
• maintain a safe and sensitive atmosphere that meets the needs of the children
• develop and maintain good relationships with parents, social workers, teachers, and other professionals
• maintain accurate and detailed records
• deliver effective communications within the Home and with outside agencies and the community
• assist in planning and implementing care plans for children in collaboration with other professionals
• administer children's medication in accordance with procedures
• attend and participate in team meetings and supervisions.

You will need:

• a willingness to undertake training as required to update knowledge and skills
• to either hold a full and current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means
• to be able to work fixed shifts.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person profile, below. If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker, shaped by the voices of young people: find out more.

The homes operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which means you will work flexibly across a 4-week rolling rota, including weekends and bank holidays, with shifts typically covering 7am–6pm and 5pm–11pm, followed by a sleep-in shift from 11pm–7.30am.

This ensures:

• consistent staffing: Ensures staff are always present during critical times, providing stability for the children
• meeting individual needs: The rota helps in planning and implementing effective care plans
• team collaboration: Structured rota allows for effective communication and teamwork
• flexibility within structure: While the rota is fixed, it strives to offer some flexibility to accommodate staff needs.

Benefits:

• Suffolk County Council will provide you with a fully funded Level 3 Diploma in residential Child Care, to be completed within 2 years of employment required by Ofsted. You will also have the option to complete the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for residential Child Care to further your career within Social Care.
• Monthly supervision sessions.
• Excellent benefits package.
• Sleep-in duties are an additional contractual requirement. For these duties, you will receive National Minimum Wage for the hours you are rostered to sleep, in addition to your salary.

The team

This is your chance to join a brand-new team and help shape a children’s home from the very beginning.

Our newly renovated home in Shotley is ready for the next chapter, and we’re looking for fantastic people to be part of it. From a team of Youth Support Practitioners and Senior Youth Support Practitioners through to the Deputy Manager, Home Manager and Handyperson every member of the team will play an important part in creating a home where children and young people can feel safe, supported and valued.

You’ll have the opportunity to grow together as a team, share ideas, learn from each other and create the kind of positive, supportive culture you’d be proud to be part of. It’s an exciting opportunity to make your mark in a new team while making a real difference to the lives of the children and young people you support.

The team will work together to provide consistent, individualised support and build positive, trusting relationships that help the child or young person feel safe, valued and supported.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

For an informal chat about this role, please contact Beth Fletcher, Residential Service Manager, by calling 07732603793.

You will be required to attend a Warner Interview for this position as part of the recruitment process.

How to apply

Step 1 - Please read the Job and Person Profile (Word)

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template.

1. Explain a situation where you had to ensure the safety and well-being of a child or young person. What actions did you take, and how did you ensure that the child's needs were met?
2. This role requires working fixed shifts, including weekends and bank holidays. Can you provide an example of how you have managed your time effectively while working in a role with similar shift requirements? How do you ensure that you maintain a healthy work-life balance while meeting the demands of fixed shifts?
3. Give an example of a situation where you had to communicate effectively with a young person who was experiencing emotional distress. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome?

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date: 11:30pm, 8 November 2026

Interview and Warner Interview date: 18 or 20 November 2026

Please note: If you are successful in securing a position, you will be required to provide a full 10-year employment and activity history as part of our pre-employment checks. This includes details of all employment, periods of education, and any gaps, along with referee contact details for each role where applicable. To help avoid delays in the recruitment and onboarding process, we recommend gathering this information in advance.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.  #LI-Onsite

About the Company

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).