Children's support worker - children & young people

Keys Group; Crawley; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career progression

Competitive salary

Enhanced pay scales

Family support

Full induction program

Annual leave 28 days

DBS check included

Job summary

Keys Group operates a small, specialist 2-bed Children’s home in Crawley and is seeking a dedicated Support Worker to help young people reach their full potential and achieve positive outcomes. The role includes emotional and practical support, building trusting relationships, and promoting daily activities in a safe home environment.

The organisation provides extensive training, clear career progression paths, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• We look for people who are naturally caring, flexible and resilient.
• Great communication skills, positive and energetic.

Responsibilities

• Act as a professional parent, to give encouragement and praise.
• Provide emotional and physical support to allow the children to reach their full potential in sometimes challenging situations.
• Build friendships and trusting relationships.
• Help them to find pleasure in everyday tasks.
• Empower them to make decisions about themselves.
• Ensure a safe home environment; cleaning, laundry, cooking is part of the job.

Skills

Caring

Flexibility

Resilience

Communication

Experience in care

Job description

Children's Support Worker - Children & Young People

Keys Group View all jobs

• Location: Crawley, West Sussex
• Salary: From £14.45 per hour PLUS additional £3k - £6k per annum for sleep ins.
• Hours: Full-time, 39 hours per week working a rolling shift pattern which includes long days and additional sleep ins.
• Contract: Permanent
• Posted: 15 January, 2026
• Job Reference: Keysgroup/TP/144328/6926
• Category: Care and Support
• Business Unit: Children's Residential

Rated GOOD in our January 2025 Ofsted inspection.

We are looking for support workers to join our small and specialist 2-bed Children's home and be part of an amazing team, supporting young people to reach their full potential and have positive outcomes, giving them hope for the future.

At this home, we support vulnerable young people, often as a solo placement, who display behaviours of concern which can include mental health, self-injurious behaviour, risk-taking, and emotional challenges.

Alongside our therapeutic approach, we also work with an Art Therapist, a clinical psychologist, and with Keys' specialist and clinical teams including Positive Behaviour Support.

Working in our home can be intense but extremely rewarding; we have great fun promoting the interests of our young people who enjoy horse riding and equestrian activities as their favourite pastime.

You would be working with a dedicated, experienced team and a Home Manager that has been here for 20 years.

Qualifications, Training, and Career Progression

Keys Group provides excellent ongoing training to support and develop you in your role, with recognised qualifications and potential for career progression within an ever-growing national company. We are in the Sunday Times Top 10 Organisations for Apprenticeship providers.

Still not convinced?

Keys Group offers a benefits package including:

• Career Progression: We invest in your growth with clear paths to advance, including opportunities to become a Registered Manager.
• Competitive Salary: We offer the Real Living Wage as a minimum.
• Enhanced Pay Scales: Recognise both qualifications and experience with higher pay rates.
• Family Support: Enhanced company maternity and paternity pay.
• Rewarding Job - Full of variety and enjoyment. No two days are ever the same.
• Supportive Management - regular supervisions and appraisals to ensure you are enjoying life at Keys Group.
• Regular Team Meetings - Include and contribute your ideas towards the progression of the service and have your voice heard as part of our regional management team.
• Funded Qualifications - We fully fund and support you to obtain a range of QCFs, opening up further career opportunities and extra pay.
• Paid Training - Get paid to enrol in our sector-leading training and level up your career.
• Full Induction Program: Comprehensive introductory training to set you up for success.
• Amazing Discount Schemes - Access amazing deals with the Hapi App & Blue Light Card.
• NEST Pension Scheme: Secure your future with our pension plan.
• Wellbeing Support, Advice and Guidance - Access advice and guidance through our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Staff Referral Scheme - Refer a friend to join Keys Group and split a £500 referral bonus between you.
• Circle App - internal communications on the next level, be part of something special.
• Annual Leave: 28 days of annual leave, including Bank Holidays entitlement.
• Free Enhanced DBS Check

What does the job involve?

• Act as a professional parent, to give encouragement and praise.
• Provide emotional and physical support to allow the children to reach their full potential in sometimes challenging situations.
• Build friendships and trusting relationships.
• Help them to find pleasure in everyday tasks.
• Empower them to make decisions about themselves.
• Ensure a safe home environment; cleaning, laundry, cooking is part of the job.

What do you need?

• We want people who are naturally caring, flexible, and resilient.
• Passionate about supporting children to lead happy lives.
• Great communication skills, positive and energetic.
• Experience in care or transferable skills such as youth work, education, sports, or working with vulnerable people is beneficial.
• Ability to remain calm during sometimes challenging situations.
• Full UK Driving licence is beneficial.
• You need to be able to work flexibly in caring for the children. This will include working shifts and sleep-ins.

Keys Group does not currently offer sponsorship.

Safeguarding Commitment: Keys Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone in our care. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Equal Opportunities: Keys Group is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all sections of the community.

Keys Group is very proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, which means we have made a commitment to welcoming service personnel, veterans, and military families into the group. We are delighted to have veteran-friendly policies, offer a Veterans Peer Support Network within our teams, and are able to offer Military Awareness and support to our colleagues.

As part of our commitment, we will offer a guaranteed interview to current and former service personnel providing that they meet the criteria of the role that they are applying for. If you feel that you meet the criteria for this, please ensure that you have your military experience detailed on your CV for our resourcing team to get in touch.