Children's Residential Housekeeper

Surrey County Council; Knaphill; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Knaphill seeks a Residential Housekeeper to maintain cleanliness and a safe environment for children. The role involves ensuring hygiene standards, reporting repairs, and managing supplies. Ideal candidates are flexible, organised, and possess strong interpersonal skills. This position offers 26-31 days of annual leave and an opportunity to make a significant impact on children's lives. Applications close on 2nd February 2026.

Benefits

26 days' holiday

Generous local government pension

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning and development resources

Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Ability to work methodically and flexibly in a children’s home environment.
• Awareness of Health and Safety issues and COSHH.
• Experience in developing appropriate relationships with young people.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene.
• Report necessary repairs and follow health and safety guidelines.
• Quality check groceries and cleaning products.

Skills

Flexible

Organised

Interpersonal skills

Health and Safety awareness

Teamwork

Job description

• Location: Knaphill, Woking, Surrey

Description

This role has a starting salary of £23,322 per annum based on an 36 hour working week.

This is a permanent position and working hours can be discussed at your interview.

We are excited to be hiring a new Residential Housekeeper to join our fantastic children's home team located in Knaphill, Woking.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Team

Surrey Residential Homes look after children up to 18 years of age. All our homes are inspected regularly by OFSTED and have been judged as either 'Good' or 'Outstanding'. We are very proud of the quality of our residential services for some of Surrey's most vulnerable children. As a result, we have invested in our homes and staff and plan to continue this to achieve a service that is ambitious, innovative and responsive to the needs of young people in our care. As a Housekeeper you will be an essential member of the team.

About the Role

We are looking for a Housekeeper who shares our dedication and who will take pride in our home; helping to create a clean and homely environment for our children. The homes look after up to 4 young people aged between 11-18 years old.

This is a very rewarding role where your work will make a real difference to the lives of the children we support.

As a Housekeeper you'll be at the heart of ensuring the home is clean and safe by:

• Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene (where necessary using powered equipment e.g., vacuum cleaners, carpet shampoo machines etc)
• Ensuring all necessary repairs are reported and that health and safety guidelines are always followed
• Quality checking any groceries or cleaning products delivered to the home and making sure these are stored and rotated appropriately

Shortlisting Criteria

As a team, we work closely together to ensure we are providing the best possible care for some of Surrey's most vulnerable young people; and at times this can be challenging - so you'll need to be adaptable and resilient working in this environment.

If this sounds like you, we look forward to receiving your application!

To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:

• You are flexible, organised and able to work methodically
• You have an awareness of Health and Safety issues and COSHH
• You have great interpersonal skills and can develop appropriate relationships with young people
• You can work well as part of a team but also confident working individually
• You are committed to undertaking relevant training and development

Application Questions:

• Please can you tell us about what has motivated you to apply for this position?
• Please can you tell us about any skills and experience you have that would be relevant for this position

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Sarah Muzzall by e‑mail at [e-mail]

This advert closes at 23:59 on 2nd February 2026 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day,we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.