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St Christopher’s Academy

Home / Jobs and careers / St Christopher’s Academy

Working at St Christopher’s is more than just a job. It’s a rewarding career where you can develop your skills and knowledge while making a difference to young people’s lives.

St Christopher’s Academy ensures you are continually developing in your children’s social care career. Whether you are happy in your current role, want to move across to a different service or are ready for a management position, we support you to map out your career trajectory and help you achieve your professional ambitions.

Staff feedback indicates that the quality of training is held in high regard.
Customer Service Excellence report

Pathways

The Academy is made up of multiple pathways so you can tailor your career development to your goals.

You don’t have to follow a straight line and tick off each of the pathway options. Instead, once you have completed the entry pathway, you can choose which route you would like to take through the Academy.

What Pathways are available?

Entry Pathway

When you join St Christopher’s you will be on our entry pathway so we can set you up in your career. Starting your career in children’s social care means there is a lot to learn, so we want to make sure you are properly supported in your first year. This includes introductory training, having a buddy or mentor and regular check-ins to see how you are settling in.

Practitioner

On completion of the entry pathway you achieve your status as a Practitioner. Staying on this pathway may suit you if you are happy in your current job or want to develop your practice for a while longer before you begin on another pathway.

Practitioner Plus - Talent

On this pathway you will have gained expertise in your role and be a Practitioner Plus, with knowledge and understanding of best practice that you can pass onto your colleagues. Joining the Talent pathway will open up opportunities for you to lead training sessions and special interest groups (‘talent pools’) with colleagues.

Practitioner Plus - Mentoring

On this pathway you will have gained expertise in your role and be a Practitioner Plus, with knowledge and understanding of best practice that you can pass onto your colleagues. Becoming a mentor on our Mentoring pathway is a great opportunity to support the next generation of children’s social care professionals and gain an understanding of how to support staff through their induction and entry year, or mentor someone around a particular area of skills development.

Flexi Passport

St Christopher’s provides a range of services for children and young people, from children’s homes and semi-independent homes through to fostering and community outreach services. On the Flexi Passport you can gain experience in a field outside of the service type you work in, preparing you to step across into another role.

Leadership Passport

Would you like to progress to the top of the career ladder in children’s social care? Our Leadership Passport can be tailored to your career goals so that you can gain the experience and knowledge you need to become a Team Leader, Manager or even Director.

Staff feel well supported by their managers, and new staff, particularly, value their comprehensive training and induction programme. Appraisals are routinely undertaken, and are appropriately focused on staff development and are challenging. Training is effectively delivered, particularly in house, and reflects the social pedagogy approach of the organisation.
Ofsted inspection report

How has the Academy helped St Christopher's staff to develop?

Rad

Semi-Independent Home Manager

Rad started with St Christopher’s as a support worker in a semi-independent service. He then progressed to team leader and is now manager of the home. Rad benefited from having a mentor, who supported him in his first six months in the management role so that he could succeed in his new position.

Irene

Outreach Worker

Over the last few years, Irene has worked in our semi-independent services, progressed to management level in a children's home and now currently works in a community-based outreach services. The flexi passport can facilitate working across services if you want to build experience in a range of work settings like Irene.

Alisha

Semi-Independent Home Manager

Alisha began her St Christopher’s career as a team leader in a semi-independent home in London. She was placed on a leadership passport and has now progressed to managing the home. The leadership passport can provide you with opportunities and experience to get you ready to apply for management positions.

"There is so much you can offer to young people"

St Christopher’s offers multiple routes you can take to progress your career. Here, Eugenia shares her experience of stepping up into a team leader role at a semi-independent home during the coronavirus pandemic. What ...

Read Eugenia's story