Residential Support Worker - Development Programme

Connected Local Government; North East; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in the North East is seeking Residential Support Workers for a 12-month temporary role. This position involves providing care and support to children and young people in their homes. Successful candidates will work as part of a multi-agency team and engage in activities to meet daily needs. Applicants should have Level 2 Maths and English qualifications and be at least 22 years old as part of the requirements. Enhanced payments for unsociable hours are included.

Benefits

Comprehensive training opportunities

Clear career pathway

Enhanced payments for unsociable hours

Qualifications

• Candidates must be a minimum of 22 years of age.
• Completion of the Sector-Based Academy Programme is required.
• Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Provide care and support to children and young people.
• Engage in activities to meet daily needs.
• Work as part of a multi-agency team to safeguard children.

Skills

Care and support for children

Building positive relationships

Multi-agency teamwork

Education

Level 2 Maths and English qualifications

Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare

Job description

Residential Support Workers – Temporary 12 Month development opportunity

Salary: £26,403 - £28,598 plus enhancements which include time and a third for unsociable hours and overtime.

The Role

Are you passionate about making a difference to the lives of children and young people? We are offering an exciting 12-month development opportunity within our Children’s Homes Service. This role is designed to help you gain valuable experience, build skills, and develop knowledge by working directly in our children’s homes. You will provide care and support, engage in activities, and build positive relationships to meet the day-to-day needs of our children and young people. You will also learn how to work as part of a multi-agency team to safeguard and support children and young people effectively.

Our Values

Our service is built on the ‘Durham’ values – Dignity, Unity, Responsibility, Heart, Aspiration, and Mindset which are at the heart of everything we do for both our young people and our teams.

What you will need

• Completing the Sector-Based Academy Programme within required timescales.
• Achieving Level 2 Maths and English qualifications (if not already held).
• Working towards a Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare upon progression.
• In accordance with Durham County Council’s requirements, candidates must be a minimum of 22 years of age or above to apply. The successful applicant for this post will be required to apply for a Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

Our Offer to you

A comprehensive induction and significant training opportunities. Completion of a Sector-Based Academy Programme as part of your development. A clear career pathway, with the aim of supporting you to feel ready to apply to the next level of position as a Residential Worker. The role will involve working a range of shifts including weekdays, evenings, weekends and sleep in duties as approved. The nature of shift patterns enables a level of flexibility for employees. We operate a 365 days per year, 24 hours a day service. As part of this, our shift-based roles work on a rota basis and attract enhanced payments.

You will benefit from a comprehensive programme of training to support you to develop in your role. As well as access to a wide ranging rewards and benefits offer, take a closer look via Rewards and Benefits.

If you would like any additional information on the posts or have any queries, please contact us to arrange a discuss via [e-mail] or [e-mail]. It is anticipated that interviews will be held week commencing 19 January 2026. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

In accordance with Durham County Council’s requirements, candidates must be a minimum of 22 years of age or above to apply. The successful applicant for this post will be required to apply for a Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

HOW TO APPLY

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit ourwebsite.

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email [e-mail]. All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from [e-mail]. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

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