Choosing a career in residential child care is a decision that carries significant impact and profound responsibility. It is also a career that can reward you in immeasurable ways. At Ashdale Care, a leading provider of specialised therapeutic residential child care in Ireland, our main goal is to provide comprehensive support and care to children who have experienced trauma. Working in this field provides the unique opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of vulnerable children and young people. It also gives you the chance to have a truly fulfilling and dynamic career.
The Role of Residential Care Professionals
Residential child care professionals are integral to creating a supportive and nurturing environment for children. They work as part of a multidisciplinary team at Ashdale Care that includes psychologists, therapists, teachers and social care workers to address the diverse needs of each child. These roles require compassion, patience, resilience, understanding and a deep commitment to the wellbeing of children.
We are entrusting you with the care of a vulnerable child with complex needs. This is a great responsibility, and a wonderful opportunity to show that child the care and compassion they deserve. This role allows you to embody the very best of your training and education, and to show each child the values and integrity that can positively transform their lives.
Benefits of a Career in Residential Care
Making a positive impact
One of the most compelling reasons to choose a career in residential child care is the chance to make a meaningful difference. We provide essential support and guidance, we help children heal from trauma and build brighter futures. We feel that being able to positively transform a child’s life is the greatest reward that comes from our work. Megan McGeough, one of our Home Managers, describes this as “seeing them come in from having so little, to then achieving all their different milestones”. Helen Borden, our Training Manager, says
“the most rewarding part of the work is hoping that someday a child will have a core memory that you’ve created for them and that they’re bringing into adulthood with them, and maybe they’re able to share a similar experience that you’ve created for them in their own grownup life”.
Ciara Clarke, one of our Deputy Home Managers, describes the powerful joy of having young people who come to Ashdale Care
“not knowing how to brush their teeth or don’t know how to wash, and it’s doing those little things alongside those young people, and seeing them succeed in daily task that I suppose would be classed as normal for everybody else, that we just take for granted. Knowing that they are safe at night in a warm bed with a roof over their head and full bellies”.
Personal and professional growth
Working in residential child care offers a vast amount of opportunities for personal and professional development. You will be coming into a career that supports your learning and values the work you put into yourself so that you can give your very best to the children and young people at Ashdale Care. We will support you in gaining invaluable skills in areas like trauma-informed care, therapeutic interventions, child development, management training and more. We support both internal and external training opportunities with Education Assistance. This allows you to apply for financial support with Further Education Programmes.
We also have fantastic internal development programmes such as our Progression Pathway and Residential Team Leader Programme. We want to encourage you to stay and grow with us, and we will do all that we can to make sure you feel supported as you progress. Ciara Clarke began her career at Ashdale Care as a Residential Social Care Worker, then as a Team Leader and is now one of our invaluable Deputy Home Managers. She says that
“without the people around me, and the support I’ve received, I wouldn’t be where I am today”.
Collaborative Work Environment
At Ashdale Care, we rely on the importance of teamwork and collaboration. It is only by working together with a multidisciplinary team and approach that we can truly give the very best care to our young people. This means that each member of the team works closely with colleagues from various disciplines, such as our teachers, therapists, psychologists and social workers. Each part of the Ashdale Community of Care supports the other, relying on each other, to create the most comprehensive and individually tailored care possible for every child.
At Ashdale, you will have the opportunity to work closely with a team of people, who will value your voice and opinion, to create a care plan that will make a real difference in the life of a child. We encourage contribution and collaboration, because we know that every person can bring a different perspective to every conversation. This is how we provide the very best care.
Diverse Career Opportunities
We have so much respect and care for our team, and we truly want you to feel supported when making decisions about your future. A career in residential child care can lead to various professional paths. Whether your interests lie in direct care, therapeutic support, education or management, there are many opportunities for advancement and specialisation, and clear paths for progression. We are lucky to have members of our leadership team who began at Ashdale Care as social care workers. As Eileen Gregory, our HR Director says:
“Here at Ashdale, we really value hard work and dedication, and we nurture these behaviours and values to support progression within the organisation”.
Ashdale’s Commitment to Well-Being
We recognise that working in this field can be emotional and sometimes tough. It is not a career for the faint-hearted, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges that inevitably come with giving care and protection to vulnerable children who have experienced trauma. We offer a nurturing work environment that places an emphasis on the well-being and growth of our team. We have created a support system that includes:
Continual Training and Development
From our three week onboarding process, we provide regular training workshops and make sure that we are keeping our team up-to-date with latest practices and approaches in residential care.
Supportive Mentorship
Our experienced supervisors and mentors offer constant support and guidance that is firmly grounded in kindness. This helps new team members to navigate the challenges of their roles, and helps them to develop their skills. We do not believe there is any such thing as a ‘silly question’ at Ashdale Care. What we do believe in is empowering every person in our Ashdale Community, so that they will always feel comfortable enough to ask for help when they need it.
Work-Life Balance
We could not meet the growing need for the care we provide without our incredible team. In return for their dedication, we offer flexible schedules so that we can help to keep your life on track while you do some of the most important work there is. Alongside this, we offer competitive salaries, enhanced maternity/ paternity pay, income protection, a sick pay scheme, and much more. Whatever life may throw at you, we are here to help.
A Last Word
A career in residential child care at Ashdale is much more than a job. We see it as a vocation dedicated to rebuilding the lives of children and young people. The work is challenging, but incredibly rewarding. We offer the chance to positively transform the lives of children who need it most. Ashdale Care is the perfect place for those who are passionate about making a difference.
