Children'S Residential Support Worker - Fivehead

Shaw Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Ofsted Bonus Scheme

Annual Attendance Bonus

Enhanced Family Friendly Leave

Fully funded Level 3 Diploma in RCH

Career progression opportunities

28 days annual leave

Free meals on shift

Healthcare reimbursements

Job summary

Homes2Inspire's Henlade home near Taunton seeks a Children's Residential Support Worker to support children with trauma, providing day-to-day care, emotional support, and help with independence and education.

You'll join a dedicated team, work shifts including sleep-ins, and pursue a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare; the role offers a salary of £29,767–£31,579 per year, with sleep-in payments and broad benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children, young people, or adults with complex needs or behaviours that challenge.
• Strong emotional resilience and calmness under pressure.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Full UK driving licence is required.
• Willingness to work shifts, weekends, and sleep-ins.
• Willingness to complete Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare if not already qualified.

Responsibilities

• Build positive, trusting relationships with children and young people.
• Provide day-to-day care, guidance, and emotional support.
• Help children develop independence, confidence, and life skills.
• Support access to education, hobbies, activities, and community opportunities.
• Safeguard and promote welfare of children at all times.
• Respond calmly and therapeutically to challenging situations.
• Work with colleagues, social workers, educators, and clinicians.

Skills

Experience with children

Emotional resilience

Communication skills

Full UK driving licence

Shifts availability

Education

Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare

Job description

Children's Residential Support Worker

Location: Henlade, Somerset
Contract: Full Time, Permanent
Salary: £29,767 - £31,579 per annum (£14.31 - £15.18 per hour)
Sleep-In Payment: £50.00 per sleep-in

Looking for a Career That Changes Lives?

At Homes2Inspire, we believe every child deserves a place where they feel safe, loved, supported, and able to thrive.

Our 3-bed children's home in Henlade, Somerset, provides a safe, nurturing, and therapeutic environment for children and young people who have experienced significant trauma, loss, and disruption in their lives. Working as part of a dedicated team, you'll help children build trust, develop resilience, and create positive experiences that can change the course of their future.

Located just outside Taunton, Henlade offers the perfect balance of rural surroundings and access to local amenities, education, leisure opportunities, and community activities. These opportunities play an important role in helping children build confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging.

This is more than a care role. It's about being the consistent, caring adult who helps a child feel safe enough to grow, heal, and achieve their potential.

What You'll Do

As a Children's Residential Support Worker, you'll play an important role in helping children recover from past experiences and build positive futures.

You will:

• Build positive, trusting relationships with children and young people.
• Provide day-to-day care, guidance, and emotional support.
• Help children develop independence, confidence, and essential life skills.
• Support children to access education, hobbies, activities, and community opportunities.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children at all times.
• Respond calmly and therapeutically to challenging situations.
• Work closely with colleagues, social workers, education professionals, and clinicians.
• Contribute to care planning, record keeping, and celebrating children's achievements.

No two days are ever the same, but every day gives you the opportunity to make a genuine difference.

About Our Henlade Home

Our children's home in Henlade provides a safe, nurturing, and therapeutic environment where children and young people can feel valued, supported, and empowered to achieve their potential.

Located just outside Taunton, the home is easily accessible from Taunton, Wellington, Bridgwater, Ilminster, Burnham-on-Sea, Chard, and surrounding Somerset areas.

The home benefits from excellent access to local education, leisure facilities, green spaces, and community opportunities, helping children develop confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging within a supportive environment.

What We're Looking For

Our homes support children with complex emotional and behavioural needs. We're looking for resilient, compassionate individuals who can provide stability, nurture, and understanding, even during challenging moments.

You’ll need:

• Experience working with children, young people, or adults with complex needs, emotional and behavioural difficulties, or behaviours that challenge.
• Strong emotional resilience and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Confidence in managing difficult situations using therapeutic and child-centred approaches.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A genuine passion for helping children achieve positive outcomes.
• A full UK driving licence.
• The ability to work shifts, weekends, and sleep-ins.
• A willingness to complete a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare if not already qualified.

Most importantly, we’re looking for people who can see beyond behaviour and recognise the experiences, emotions, and unmet needs behind it.

What We Offer

• Salary of £29,767 - £31,579 per annum (£14.31 - £15.18 per hour).
• £50.00 per sleep-in.
• Ofsted Bonus Scheme for homes achieving Good or Outstanding inspection outcomes.
• Annual Attendance Bonus.
• Enhanced Family Friendly Leave.
• Award and Recognition Vouchers celebrating outstanding achievements and contributions.
• Comprehensive induction and specialist training.
• Fully funded Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare.
• Clinical support through our Homes & Horizons therapeutic model.
• Career progression opportunities within a growing national organisation.
• 28 days annual leave, increasing with service.
• Free meals whilst on shift.
• Unum Healthcare, providing healthcare reimbursements, remote GP access, wellbeing resources, and mental health support.
• Aviva Digicare, including Digital GP consultations, annual health checks, and mental health assessments.
• Employee discounts on shopping, cinema, travel, and holidays.
• Blue Light Card eligibility.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Access to confidential counselling and wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Christmas recognition vouchers and long-service awards.
• Ongoing learning, development, and support from experienced leaders.

Important Information

All successful candidates will be subject to pre-employment safer recruitment checks in line with Ofsted regulatory requirements and the Homes2Inspire Safer Recruitment Policy.

We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Applications will be reviewed regularly, and we reserve the right to interview and appoint before the advertised closing date.

Due to partnership working with Somerset Council, personal information provided during the recruitment process may be shared with partner organisations.

Interviews for this role will take place in person during planned assessment days. Please contact our Careers Team if you require any reasonable adjustments.

It is an important part of Homes2Inspire's recruitment process to ensure candidates are matched to the most appropriate service based on their skills, experience, and the needs of the children in our care. On occasion, this may result in an offer being made for an alternative service to the one originally applied for.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

At Homes2Inspire, we're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.

We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and welcome applications from all sections of society, including those with lived experience of disability, social exclusion, or care experience.

Homes2Inspire is proud to support care leavers through our Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you have lived experience of care and meet the minimum criteria for the role, please tell us as part of your application.

Male colleagues are currently underrepresented within our residential children's services and, while appointments are made solely on merit, we welcome applications from men who share our passion for helping children achieve positive outcomes.