Location
Letterkenny
Job Purpose
You will be part of a unique team who will work together to facilitate excellent practice and be part of rebuilding children’s lives. Our vision is for every young person who lives with us to experience a safe, happy, and nurturing present and a future that is filled with hope and optimism.
About The Role
* Cultivate genuine and caring connections with the young people, always interacting with the young people and their families with dignity and respect, promoting a culture of unconditional positive regard.
* Contribute to the promotion, creation, and maintenance of a welcoming, safe, caring, stable and therapeutic environment.
* Advocate for the rights and responsibilities of each young person while promoting physical, emotional, social, cultural, ethnic, and spiritual wellbeing.
* Ensure that young people are not subjected to any forms of abuse and report any concerns according to policy and procedures.
* Supervise outings from the home and undertake daily household activities such as cooking and cleaning, as part of positive modelling.
* Actively participate in working within the Model of Therapeutic Care.
* Be physically able to support with challenging behaviours when needed.
* Provide emotional support during difficult or stressful times and encourage young people's participation in care planning, placement planning, decision‑making, and service delivery.
* Integrate understanding of youth trauma and past experiences into practice through specialised training such as Developmental Trauma and Attachment from the Therapeutic Support Team.
* Collaborate with support networks, including social workers and educators, guardians and family members.
* Collaborate effectively within a team, engaging in regular communication through daily handovers, team meetings, and various reviews and planning sessions. Give and receive feedback on performance with colleagues and managers.
* Maintain consistency in execution of childcare plans.
* Complete and maintain accurate records and reports for each young person in line with statutory requirements and Ashdale Care policies and procedures.
* Take on key worker duties including the handling of daily petty cash, accurately documenting receipts, securely storing money and valuable items and serving as a primary point of contact for professionals/family/young person.
* Contribute to community engagement and agency partnerships to enrich residents' experiences and opportunities.
This role involves sleepover shifts.
What you will get in return
* Competitive pay scales starting at €33,230.00 based on experience. Sleep in nights are paid at the rate of €13.50 per hour.
* Annual pay review.
* Income protection.
* Enhanced maternity/paternity leave cover.
* Exceptional training opportunities both internal and external.
* Flexible working arrangements.
* Competitive annual leave entitlements with increases for long service.
* Sick pay.
* Accelerated Social Care Leader programme.
* Management training programme.
* Education assistance programme.
* Employee assistance programme.
* First access to career opportunities as we continue to grow our services throughout Ireland.
* Support shifts: 8‑10 hour shift e.g. 10am‑8pm or 12pm‑10am.
* 18‑hour sleep‑in shift (late early, 18hr): Start at 10am‑12am. Sleep in the home 12am‑7am. Finishing the shift 7am‑11am. Paid a separate hourly rate for the sleep‑in hours in addition to your contracted hours.
About The Company
Ashdale Care is the leading provider of enhanced and specialised therapeutic residential care for children and young people in Ireland. We care for young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs who cannot be adequately cared for in a mainstream setting. For over 20 years our focus has always been ‘putting the child first’. Our child‑centric ethos consists of compassionate and industry‑leading therapeutic care delivered by a skilled in‑house team which includes therapists, psychologists, teachers and creative art therapists for the most comprehensive support possible. We provide a range of essential services for children and young people such as sensory integration, therapy, outdoor activities, education and so much more.
Required Criteria
* Ability to work in regulated activity, care for and supervise young persons.
* Full clean driving licence.
* Level 7 qualification (degree) or above in one of the following: Social Care, Social Work, Health and Social Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy, Youth & Community Teaching, Nursing, Social Science, Addiction Counselling, Counselling/Psychotherapy, Family Support, Disability Studies, Applied Behavioural Analysis, Early Years Care.
* Flexible – willing and able to adapt to changing circumstances, shift patterns and expectations.
Desired Criteria
* Level 8 qualification in psychology.
Closing Date: Friday 31st October, 2025
Contract Type: Full‑time
Salary: Starting from €33,230.00 Yearly
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