Working for the Group

Options Group provides the ideal environment, for both experienced staff and those wishing to enter the field of services for young people, to develop a fulfilling and professionally satisfying career.

 

We offer opportunities within the following main areas:

Care and Psychological Support Staff

Staff within this area help to provide the highest quality of care, specialist therapy and support as part of the professional team, to the young people accommodated in our range of residential units. The duties undertaken will be varied, challenging (physically and sometimes ultimately emotionally) but rewarding. A key part of the role is to ensure that the link between care and education is effectively maintained. Life will never be dull. You will be stretched by the requirements of the work and by us as a company, however, we never take for granted the commitment and effort of our staff. Your role is at the focus of our work on making a real difference to the lives of the young people in our care and will never be forgotten. Staff who are new to this area of work will be offered a full induction and foundation training in line with nationally approved standards and will progress to NVQ Level 3 within 2 years. Further training will be provided for those progressing to more senior posts.

Education

Within this area, we employ teachers, instructors and education support staff. Teachers will be able to develop their careers within a professional, well resourced environment where truly individual attention can be provided. We follow an education programme based on high expectations where education packages are tailored to the needs and potential of the young people. We offer full access to the National Curriculum, the opportunity to take GCSE’s and Key Skills courses and progress to NVQ along the vocational route.

Instructors will help to make our vocational programme a reality through activities and experiential learning. We aim to provide a range of educational options to our young people and so instructors may come from a variety of backgrounds but with the shared goal of working with our young people to resolve specific problems and make learning a valued experience that will widen their opportunities for the future. Those with relevant qualifications who have the necessary expertise in their skill area will be supported to complete the appropriate training.

Education Support Staff will work under the direction of teachers and instructors to enable our young people to feel supported in their learning and maximise the overall effectiveness of their education. Appropriate training will be provided to those applicants with the right mix of personal qualities.

With all our staff, education staff form part of our overall integrated professional team. No one area can exist without another and we firmly believe that through close working relationships across our areas of employment, each area is significantly enriched and enhanced by the others and affords the young people the quality of overall service that they require and deserve.

Administration

The term ‘administration’ to describe the roles within this area may appear to be a misnomer, once people see the range of duties and responsibilities available. Members of the administration team at each Centre provide a confidential reception, secretarial, administrative and financial service, with the scope for individuals often limited only by the desire to take on new responsibilities. Duties will frequently cover more general operational support than ‘routine’ office work. An administrative framework exists but each Centre is afforded as much autonomy as possible whilst still ensuring consistency through the Group. Individuals will certainly need to be proficient in a range of tasks and have knowledge of certain software packages but as with all posts, the attitude and approach to work is key.

Estates and Facilities

This area covers roles from Estates Managers and Housekeepers through to catering and cleaning staff. The maintenance and development of our Centres is an essential part of the approach to the care and support of young people. On a basic level, we want our staff and young people to be proud of where they work or live but at a more thoughtful level, we recognise the importance of quality amenities for the young people and buildings and grounds that show we care for and value them. The appearance of our Centres will undoubtedly endorse the value that we place on our buildings and it is testimony to the hard work, and commitment of our staff within this area. Everyone plays their part in supporting the young people and this is equally true of the staff working within Estates and Facilities.

The summary shown for each area is indicative but due to the specialised nature of our services, job descriptions and person specifications are tailored accordingly and are sent at the point an application is made to a specified post.

 

Our overall approach to employment can be summarised as follows:

Supportive

We provide access to structured training and both formal and informal support to enable the individual to meet the challenging requirements of their roles and develop their careers.

We endeavour to create an ethos that supports, values and recognises personal and team contributions. We won’t always get it right but we are open to suggestions and listen to all of our staff as part of a continuous programme of improvement.

Progressive

In an ever changing sector, we recognise that our ability to make tomorrow’s vision, today’s reality is a key part of our success. Such a progressive approach is based on our dynamic structure and quality of our staff. We require people with patience, understanding, enthusiasm, commitment, energy and team working ability and, as if that’s not enough, we’re looking for those who genuinely relish a challenge! By that, we mean people who both want to contribute to and learn from innovation, and who can also ‘hack it’ with young people’s challenging behaviour (that’s one of the reasons they’re referred to us).

Collaborative

We work in partnership with our staff. By this we mean that we seek to establish a relationship with staff whereby both parties recognise their joint responsibilities in working together for the benefit of those in our care. The Company will seek to provide the necessary resources, in whatever form, to enable members of staff to achieve their role objectives effectively, efficiently and enjoyably. The responsibility then for the member of staff is to effectively utilise these resources and to support and resource their colleagues in turn.