Advanced Children’s Play & Health Care Worker

Location – Greater Manchester

Salary: £29,484 per annum (£15.12per hour) 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week 

Contract: Permanent, Full-time 

Shifts: Monday to Sunday on a rolling rota, within our core operating hours of 6:00am–10:00pm

About Lagan’s Foundation

Lagan’s Foundation is a specialist children’s charity providing home health care, respite and support to families of children and young people aged 0–19 with complex health needs.

We work alongside families in their own homes and communities, providing individualised care that reflects each child’s health needs, communication, routines and preferences.

Our support also provides parents and carers with valuable respite and the reassurance that their child is receiving safe, compassionate and skilled care.

No two children, families or shifts are the same.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Advanced Children’s Play & Health Care Worker – Carer Level 3 to join our specialist care team.

This is not an entry-level care role.

You will already have experience supporting children or young people with complex or high-dependency health needs and, importantly for this position, you must have previous tracheostomy care experience.

Working in children’s own homes and communities, you will provide safe, compassionate and individualised care while supporting families with much-needed respite.

Depending on the child you are supporting, care may include respiratory support, airway management, feeding, seizure management, medication, personal care, positioning, communication support and other specialist interventions.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Provide safe, high-quality care to children and young people with complex and high-dependency health needs
• Deliver clinical interventions within your assessed competencies
• Provide tracheostomy care and support
• Recognise changes in a child’s condition and escalate concerns appropriately
• Administer medication safely in accordance with care plans and training
• Support personal care, feeding, positioning, mobility, communication and respiratory needs
• Work confidently within individual care plans, risk assessments and clinical protocols
• Build professional and trusting relationships with children and their families
• Maintain accurate care and clinical records
• Support and mentor other carers in good clinical practice
• Work closely with Team Leaders, our Clinical Lead and other health and care professionals
• Maintain mandatory training, professional development and clinical competencies

What We’re Looking For

Essential:

• Level 3 Health & Social Care qualification or higher
• Previous hands-on tracheostomy care experience
• Experience in complex/high-dependency care
• Experience supporting children or young people with significant health needs
• Experience providing personal care and medication support
• Confidence working independently within a family home
• Ability to remain calm and respond appropriately to changes in a child’s condition
• Excellent communication skills
• Full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle with business-use insurance
• Enhanced DBS covering the Child and Adult Workforce

Advanced Clinical Competencies

Tracheostomy care experience is essential.

Experience and competency in one or more of the following would also be advantageous:

• NP suction / airway clearance
• Rescue medication for epilepsy/seizure management
• TPN management
• CPAP / BiPAP support
• Advanced airway management

All successful candidates will complete Lagan’s Foundation’s required internal competency assessments and Level 3 clinical sign-off before carrying out relevant procedures independently.

What Makes Care at Lagan’s Different?

Technical competence is essential, but it isn’t everything.

When you enter a family’s home as a Lagan’s carer, you are being trusted with someone incredibly important to them. We look for carers who understand that excellent complex care is also about dignity, consistency, patience, communication and trust.

Some children we support may communicate verbally and be active within their community. Others may communicate non-verbally, have limited mobility or require significant clinical support throughout their care.

Good care looks different for every child.

We want you to understand the individual you are supporting, work safely within their care plan and provide families with reliable and compassionate support.

Our Values

Passion – Taking pride in providing excellent care and making a meaningful difference to families.

Resilience – Remaining calm, dependable and adaptable when caring for children with complex needs.

Integrity & Communication – Being honest, professional and clear, following care plans and speaking up when something isn’t right.

Empathy – Understanding that every child and family’s circumstances are different and providing support without judgement.

Why Join Lagan’s Foundation?

• £26,325 annual salary (£13.50 per hour)
• 28 days holiday (FTE)
• Pension scheme
• Health Cash Plan through Hospital Saturday Fund
• Perkbox
• Unlimited counselling
• Flexible benefits and salary sacrifice options
• Specialist clinical training and competency development
• Regular supervision and support
• Ongoing professional development
• Opportunities for career progression

Be You, With Us

At Lagan’s Foundation, we embrace diversity, value individuality and recognise the different experiences and perspectives people bring to our organisation.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and employment.

Interested?

If you are an experienced complex-care professional with tracheostomy experience and want to use your skills to provide safe, individualised and compassionate care to children and families, we would love to hear from you.

Apply with your CV through Indeed, email applications@lagans.org.uk, or call 01204 800304 for an informal chat.