About the role
Living-alongside care in a children’s home — routines, boundaries and relationships that hold when a young person tests them.
These are the criteria providers across the UK typically set for this role, so you can judge your own fit before you apply anywhere. Individual services vary — any role we put you forward for will have its own criteria, pay and rota, and we confirm those with the provider first.
What the role usually involves
- Provide consistent daily care: school runs, meals, bedtimes, activities and the ordinary parts of family life
- Build trusted relationships with young people who often have good reason not to trust adults quickly
- Work to care plans, behaviour support plans and risk assessments, including physical intervention where trained and necessary
- Record incidents, missing-from-home episodes and daily logs to the standard Ofsted expects
- Work with social workers, schools, CAMHS and the police as part of the team around the child
Typical criteria
- Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, or willingness to start it within six months and complete it within two years
- Resilience and emotional steadiness — this is trauma-informed work and it takes something out of you
- Availability for shifts including sleep-ins, weekends and school holidays
- Clear, factual recording; your notes may be read in a review, a court report or an inspection
- A full UK driving licence — most homes expect you to drive young people to school, contact and appointments
Often asked for as well
Not usually dealbreakers, but they widen the range of services that will consider you.
- Experience in children’s residential care, fostering, youth work or SEN settings
- Trauma-informed practice training, or a restraint system such as Team Teach or MAPA
- Keywork experience and confidence writing for reviews
Hours and pay
Full-time on a rolling rota of long days and sleep-ins, covering weekends and school holidays.
Sleep-ins at £50–£75 each can add several thousand a year, so compare offers on the total rather than the base salary. Solo and complex homes usually sit above the range.
Checks and eligibility
- An enhanced DBS check on the relevant barred list, or a current one on the update service we can check
- The right to work in the UK — we are not a licensed sponsor, so we cannot offer visa sponsorship or take over an existing certificate
- A full employment history with references covering it, including one from your most recent care employer
- Proof of identity and address, plus evidence of any qualification or professional registration the role depends on