Residential Support Worker – Children’s Residential Care
Salary: £27,906 per annum + £44.86 per sleep-in + £1,400 annual attendance bonus
About Homes2Inspire and Homes & Horizons
Homes2Inspire is part of Shaw Trust, one of the UK’s largest charities and a leading not-for-profit provider of public services. We opened our first home in Northamptonshire in 2007 and are now the UK’s largest charitably owned residential children’s home provider.
Today, we operate nearly 60 homes, two supported accommodation developments, and deliver high-needs foster care through Fostering2Inspire and Homes & Horizons.
We believe every child deserves the best possible start in life. Our homes are nurturing, warm, and welcoming, and our dedicated teams provide safe, well-planned care for children and young people who have often faced significant challenges. We invest heavily in training and support for our colleagues because when we create a great place for children to live, we also create a great place for adults to work.
In 2022, Somerset Council entered a strategic partnership with Homes2Inspire and Shaw Trust to create Homes & Horizons an innovative model of care designed for children and young people with complex needs. The partnership delivers:
- 11 residential homes (8 currently operational)
- High-needs foster care for approximately 20 children
- An associated therapeutic education service
This wraparound approach integrates care, education, and NHS support to prevent placement breakdowns and reduce the need for Tier 4 CAMHS inpatient provision.
Can you help a child feel safe enough to grow?
Some of the children we care for have experienced things no child should. They may feel unsure, guarded, or overwhelmed. But with the right support, they can begin to trust again, learn again, and dream again.
As a Residential Support Worker, you’ll be part of a team that creates a safe, stable, and nurturing home where children aged 8–18 can begin to heal and thrive.
Your role is about being there consistently, calmly, and with care. You’ll help children feel safe and supported in their day-to-day lives, and you’ll be part of the small, meaningful moments that build trust and belonging.
You’ll:
- Keep children safe – safeguarding their wellbeing and helping them feel protected and cared for.
- Be a role model – showing what healthy boundaries, routines, and relationships look like.
- Support daily life – helping with school, meals, activities, and bedtime routines.
- Encourage growth – celebrating progress, introducing new experiences, and helping children build life skills.
- Stay steady in tough moments – offering calm, compassionate support when emotions run high.
- Work as part of a team – collaborating with colleagues, social workers, and health professionals to ensure each child’s needs are met.
This role involves long days and sleep-ins on a rotational shift pattern, providing consistency and stability for the children in our care. The children we support have often faced significant trauma and may experience intense emotions. At times, this can lead to verbal or physical aggression, so emotional resilience is key. You’ll receive full training, including our Safe and Sound physical intervention package, which is used only as an absolute last resort to keep everyone safe.
You’ll also help with record-keeping, contribute to care plans, and ensure that every child’s voice is heard in decisions about their life.
What we’re looking for
You don’t need experience in residential care, we’ll provide full training. What matters most is your ability to be patient, consistent, and kind, even when things feel challenging.
We’re looking for someone who:
- Has a full UK driving licence (essential)
- Can commit to working shifts including sleep-ins
- Is willing to complete a Level 3 qualification in Residential Childcare
- Brings a calm, positive approach to difficult situations
- Believes in the potential of every child, even when they’re struggling to see it themselves
Experience in care settings is a bonus, but not essential.
Why join us?
At Homes2Inspire, you’ll be part of a team that values your wellbeing, supports your growth, and celebrates your impact. You’ll receive specialist training, ongoing support, and the chance to build a meaningful career in children’s residential care.
We offer:
- Quarterly Attendance Bonus – earn up to £1,400 per year
- Refer a Friend Scheme – £500 per successful referral, £1,000 for manager referrals
- Purchase Additional Leave – up to 5 extra days annually
- Subsidised Days Out – join children on funded activities, trips, and meals
- Vivup Employee Benefits – discounts on shopping, cinema, holidays + Blue Light Card access
- Cycle to Work Scheme – spread the cost of your bike over 12–18 months
- Wellbeing Support – Employee Assistance Programme and internal wellbeing team
- Unum Healthcare & Aviva Digicare – free Digital GP consultations, annual health checks, mental health assessments
- Learning & Development – fully funded Level 3 Residential Childcare qualification and ongoing training
Please Note
- All successful candidates will be subject to pre-employment safer recruitment checks in line with Ofsted regulatory requirements and Homes2Inspire Safer Recruitment Policy.
- We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
- Candidate applications will be reviewed regularly, and we reserve the right to interview candidates before the advertised closing date of this role.
- Interviews for this role will take place in-person during pre-planned assessment days. Please contact the careers team if you have any accessibility requests or need reasonable adjustments (contact details below).
- At Homes2Inspire, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic communities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, including people with lived experience and/or knowledge of disability or social exclusion.
- Homes2Inspire is dedicated to supporting care leavers by offering guaranteed job interviews if you meet the minimum requirements for the role. If you want to benefit from this scheme, please inform us as part of your application that you have lived in care experience.
- Male staff are under-represented within our residential children’s services. We would like to encourage more male applicants to apply for our opportunities.
- It is an important part of Homes2Inspire’s recruitment process to ensure that candidates are matched with the most appropriate service based on their skills, experience, and the needs of the young people in our care. On occasion, this may result in offers of employment being made at an alternative service than where the candidate has originally applied.
For any questions on the role, or to receive a full job description, please contact our Careers Team on careers@homes2inspire.co.uk or 01788 487057.