Residential Support Worker - Children'S Homes

Devon County Council; West Down; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Devon County Council in Okehampton, Devon is recruiting a full-time post in our childrens homes. You will support children and young people with complex needs, helping them achieve personal goals, develop life skills, and participate in activities.

This rewarding role requires resilience, dedication and the ability to work shifts across the 24-hour cycle. The post offers 37 hours per week, a salary of £27,709 to £29,542 per year plus enhancements up to £4,000, and a permanent contract.

Qualifications

• Experience of working with young people with complex needs.
• Familiar with person centred planning.
• Numeracy and literacy skills to GCSE level.
• First Aid Certificate.
• Short courses relevant to the role (e.g., First Aid, Food Hygiene, trauma led practice).

Responsibilities

• Support children and young people in achieving personal wishes and goals.
• Assist with daily tasks and life skills.
• Strive for aspirational outcomes for the children.
• Create a fun and positive atmosphere.
• Organise and participate in activities.
• Be proactive and innovative in engaging with children.

Skills

Experience with young people with pxi?

Person centred planning knowledge

Education

GCSE numeracy and literacy

Job description

Job summary

Full time 37 hours per week

Do you have the right values to make a difference to a childs long-term future and positive outcomes? If you are dynamic, resilient, and dedicated, our children would really benefit from your support.

We are currently recruiting to our homes across Devon.

Working within our Childrens Homes is one of the most rewarding career choices you will make.

If you have the drive and dedication, then you will enjoy an exciting and rewarding career with us.

Our Childrens Homes are registered with Ofsted and provide support for children and young people with complex needs, ensuring their individual care plans and needs are met.

The ethos of the service is to provide children with a home-from-home experience, enhance and promote their experiences and independence. You will also help to prepare them for the next stages of their life.

Main duties of the job

• Supporting children and young people achieve their personal wishes and goals.
• Assisting with daily tasks and life skills.
• Striving for aspirational outcomes for the children.
• Creating a fun and positive atmosphere.
• Organising and taking part in activities.
• Being proactive and innovative in seeking new methods to engage.

Personal qualities

• Ability to engage and build positive relationships with children and young people.
• Remaining calm in challenging situations.
• Able to implement boundaries.
• Able to adapt and respond quickly.

This is an enjoyable and rewarding position for someone who is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children and their families.

Please note

• You must have the ability to drive, with access to your own vehicle. A valid UK driving licence* is required and business insurance is essential to the role. (*an automatic driving license may not be accepted due to some homes having manual vehicles which staff would be expected to drive). If you hold an automatic license, please contact the recruiting manager to discuss before submitting your application.
• We cannot offer Visa sponsorship for this post or consider applications from individuals with less than two years left on existing visas as we require consistency to meet the needs of the service.
• Candidates may find it helpful to download the HMRC app, which can provide an accessible summary of your employment history with dates to support your application.

About us

Pay and enhancements

• 37 hours per week, plus enhancements (up to £4,000 per year).
• Start rate is £14.36 per hour, rising to £15.31 per hour.
• Overnight rate is £18.53 per hour, rising to £19.76 per hour.
• Saturday rate is £20.85 per hour, rising to £22.23 per hour.
• Sunday and bank holiday rate is £27.80 per hour, rising to £29.64 per hour

We work on a 3 shift per 24 hours basis (AM/PM/Nights or Sleep Ins) and our homes are open up to 365 days a year.

07.00am to 14.45,14.30 to 22.00, Sleeps from 22.00 to 7.00am

We are currently in consultation regarding the rotas, so the rota patterns are subject to change.

If you are successful at interview and decide to join our service, it is important to remember that we are more than just a job.

In our roles we have the privilege of supporting children with complex needs, and with this comes huge celebration but also at times a considerable challenge.

To become a successful member of our service we ask that people are resilient, reflective and understand that sometimes the responsibilities in the role can be challenging.

Very often our busiest times are during school holidays therefore we ask that staff do not take more than 2 weeks annual leave during this time, we also have strict number on how many staff can have time off at any one time.

It is important to understand that you will need to work shift patterns, this will include late nights, early mornings and staying overnight to support the needs of individual children.

Job responsibilities

For all relevant information please refer to the job description and person specification documents attached.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with young people with complex needs.
• Familiar with person centred planning.

Desirable

• Knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures.

Qualifications

Essential

• Numeracy and literacy skills to GCSE level.

Desirable

• First Aid Certificate.
• Short courses that are relevant to the role i.e. First Aid, Food Hygiene, trauma led practice.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name: Devon County Council

Address: Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1BE, United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://www.devon.gov.uk/

Employer contact details:

For questions about the job, contact: Charlotte Burgess, [e-mail]

Details

Date posted: 07 October 2026

Pay scheme: Other

Salary: £27,709 to £29,542 a year plus enhancements up to £4,000 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: F0011-26-10691

Job locations: Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1BE, United Kingdom

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