Support Worker

Kent Autistic Trust; Chatham; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days holiday

Pension

DBS check paid

Sleep-in pay

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

Kent Autistic Trust seeks a Specialist Support Worker to empower people with autism through practical and emotional support, personal care, medication, and daily routines. You will help individuals access activities they enjoy while maintaining a safe, welcoming home.

You’ll work on a rota including early, late and sleep-ins; a full UK manual driving licence is essential to drive mobility vehicles. Salary starts at £26,540 per year with overtime potential.

Qualifications

• Full UK manual driving licence essential.
• Right to work in the UK (no visa sponsorship).
• Ability to support individuals who may experience emotional distress or anxiety.
• Clear, calm, adaptable communication for complex needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical and emotional support, personal care, medication and daily routines.
• Encourage and empower individuals to make choices and participate in activities.
• Assist with cooking, cleaning and maintaining a safe home environment.
• Respond compassionately to challenging behaviours using person-centred approaches.

Skills

Driving licence

Job description

You'll need a full UK manual driving licence to drive the people we support in their mobility vehicles

Hours: 35 per week (average across a 3-week rota)

Are you looking for a genuinely rewarding role where your work truly matters? Join Kent Autistic Trust, an organisation with services rated Good or Outstanding, and be part of a team that puts people, choice, and dignity first. Our Support Workers don't just support they empower.

We are looking for a Specialist Support Worker who truly believes that everyone has the right to be involved in all aspects of their own life. In this role, you will provide practical and emotional support tailored to each individual, support with personal care, medication, and daily routines, encourage and empower people to make choices and take an active role in their lives, support individuals to access activities they enjoy, and help maintain a safe, comfortable, and welcoming home through shared domestic tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Some individuals may communicate through behaviour, particularly during times of anxiety or sensory overload, and you will use calm, consistent, person-centred approaches to understand and respond compassionately to each persons needs.

You will work on a rota basis which includes early shifts from 7am4pm, late shifts from 4pm10pm, and long days from 7am10pm.

You could earn £26,540 per year based on 35 hours per week including one sleep-in, and many experienced Support Workers earn over £30,000 per year through overtime.

You will be joining an experienced and welcoming specialist staff team who value teamwork, mutual support, and strong connections. The team enjoy regular coffee catch-ups to reflect, unwind, and support one another, and are looking forward to welcoming a new colleague.

If you are kind, patient, calm under pressure, and passionate about inclusion, dignity, and choice, and you believe everyone deserves a life full of connection, purpose, and joy, we would love to hear from you.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary with overtime opportunities
• 28 days holiday plus the option to buy more
• Pension, sick pay, staff discounts, employee assistance programme
• Friendly, supportive team culture
• Refer a friend scheme
• Fully paid enhanced DBS

Key Requirements

• Manual UK driving licence essential confident driving mobility vehicles/people carriers
• Right to work in the UK (no visa sponsorship available)
• Ability to confidently and consistently support individuals who may experience emotional distress, heightened anxiety, or difficulty regulating their behaviour
• Clear, calm, and adaptable communication style to meet the needs of individuals with complex communication profiles

Working Pattern

• Early shifts: 7:00am 4:00pm
• Late shifts: 4:00pm 10:00pm
• Sleep-ins: Required as part of the Rota (paid at £60 per night)
• Weekend working is also required on a rotational basis

About the Trust:

Supporting over 80 people in Medway and across Kent, The Kent Autistic Trust provides a wide range of services designed to meet diverse needs of the people we support with autism, mental health issues, learning disabilities and related difficulties. We provide residential homes, supported living accommodation, day resource services, respite, and outreach services. Ensuring the voice of those we support is actively listened to, working for us often means that no two days are the same, but the care and support we give is of consistently high quality, with CQC rating all our services good, and many outstanding.

Benefits We Offer you as a Support Worker:

We offer many benefits, which include some salary sacrifice arrangements, although some benefits are dependent on a minimum earnings threshold:

• Paid DBS Check
• 28 days holiday, plus option to buy 5 extra days pa (Pro Rata for Part Time Positions)
• Company Sick Pay after 12 months service
• Some meals provided, depending on shifts
• Long Service and Contribution Recognition Awards
• Pension (after 3 months)
• Employee Assistance Programme, with counselling services
• Significant Retail and Leisure Discount Scheme that could save staff an average of £1,000 pa
• Discounted Gym Membership
• Financial Well-being Scheme (loans and savings)
• Additional Sleep In Shifts may be available
• Opportunities to pick up additional voluntary casual shifts at enhanced rates
• Superb paid training
• Regulated Care Qualification Sponsorship
• Recruitment Incentive for Staff Introductions

Our Values and Commitment:

KAT is committed to providing high quality supports designed around individual abilities, needs and choices.

KAT is committed to promoting independence and inclusion within communities.

KAT believes everyone is able to make their own individual contribution.

KAT seeks to work in partnership with all relevant parties but in particular with the individual themselves.

We seek Support Workers who really value every person, whether it's the people we support, their families, carers, or other staff by respecting their priorities, needs, abilities and limits.

We hope you are one of them!

We do not accept applications made via agencies for Support Workers.

Please find attached a copy of our Privacy Notice. Or a copy can be found on our website.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a suitable candidate is found or experiencing a high volume of applications.