Support Worker

Phoenix Learning & Care Group; Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holidays 28 days

Pension plan

Learning & development

Discounts

Wellbeing support

Cycle2Work

DBS paid

Sleep-in allowance

Medicash after 12 months

Life assurance

Job summary

Phoenix Learning & Care Group is seeking a committed Support Worker in Plymouth to provide 24‑hour care for children, including sleep‑in shifts. The role focuses on consistency, care planning, and building trust with the children and their families.

You will support daily routines, accompany children on activities, and help them achieve independence, with ample training and a supportive team around you.

Qualifications

• Patience, compassion and resilience required to support children who may have experienced trauma.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to update care plans.
• Driving licence required for community activities and school runs.
• Flexible to sleep at the home during shifts to provide 24‑hour support.
• If you lack a residential childcare qualification, we will fund it within two years.

Responsibilities

• Support children to have the best quality of life through activities at home and on days out.
• Assist with daily routines, school transport, and promoting healthy meals.
• Help children thrive through shopping trips, games, and attentive listening.
• Keep care plans and records updated, with comprehensive training provided.

Skills

Patience

Compassion

Resilience

Communication

Driving licence

Flexibility

Education

Residential childcare qualification

Job description

About The Role

Job Title: Support Worker

Job Location: Plymouth

Salary: Between £27,248 - £28,288 (based 40 hours/week), plus potential sleep-in allowance

Contract Type: Permanent

Do you want to make a lasting impact in a child’s life?

Picture yourself as the person who brightens a child’s day after they’ve faced challenges. The one they turn to for support and encouragement, helping them grow in confidence, flourish in their abilities, and navigate life’s obstacles. This is more than a job—it’s your opportunity to nurture their potential, create moments of happiness, and leave a lasting, positive mark on a child’s future.

These children have so much potential, but they need someone like you to help them thrive. Your compassion, patience, and encouragement can be the difference that helps them build confidence, achieve independence, and find happiness.

You’ll become more than just a support worker. You’ll be a role model, a motivator, and a trusted support system. Whether you’re baking together, exploring Plymouth’s amazing attractions, or simply lending an ear on a challenging day, your presence will matter. Not every day will be perfect—there will be tough moments where your resilience and patience are truly needed. But being that constant source of support and stability for the children, especially during difficult times, is what makes all the difference.

Working in either a one or two-bedroom home based around Plymouth, you’ll have the chance to build deep and meaningful connections with the children you support and your team. The children need support 24 hours a day, meaning you’ll be able to work your full week in 2-3 days, which is only 10 shifts per month! You’ll have the time to enjoy your own life giving you a great work life balance.

A day in the life of a Support Worker will involve:

• Supporting children to have the best quality of life possible, whether through baking at home, fun days out, or holidays with the children.
• You’ll play an essential role in the children’s daily routines, including picking them up and taking them to school, and helping them maintain a healthy diet throughout the day to promote their overall well-being.
• Helping children thrive by assisting with activities like shopping trips, playing games, or simply lending a listening ear.
• Ensuring the children are safe and supported, keeping care plans and records updated as part of your role. Don’t worry—you’ll have comprehensive training to set you up for success!

To be a successful Support Worker, you’ll need:

• Patience, compassion, and resilience – The children you’ll support may have experienced trauma, which may have an impact on their behaviour, so empathy and understanding are essential.
• Great communication skills – Both verbal and written communication is important in this role as you’ll be speaking to a lot of different people at different times and need to be able to update the children’s plans.
• A driving licence – The children love being out in the community, so you’ll need to be able to drive. We’ll provide the vehicles!
• To be flexible – You’ll need to sleep at the home during your shifts, as our children require 24-hour support. This allows you to complete your full week in just 2–3 days.
• If you don’t already hold a qualification in residential childcare, don’t worry—we’ll fund this for you. It’s key that you have this within your first two years, and we’ll support you every step of the way.

In return for your time, you’ll get:

• Holidays – You’ll get 28 days annual leave. You’ll still need to work on bank holidays if the rota requires. You’ll also get an extra day off for your birthday after your first year with us.
• Pension scheme– Our pension scheme is based on you paying in 5%, and us adding 3%.
• Learning & Development Opportunities – We provide comprehensive learning opportunities for team members to develop themselves.
• Discounts – You’ll have access to brilliant discounts through the Blue Light Card and our own employee benefits platform.
• Wellbeing Support – Your wellbeing is always our priority. You’ll have access to mental health and wellbeing support. On top of this, our therapies team offers a monthly confidential check in clinic, and group reflective practice sessions.
• Cycle2Work -The cycle to work scheme enables you to buy a bicycle at a discounted rate.
• DBS – As this role required you to have an enhanced DBS carried out, we will cover this cost.
• Sleep-in Allowance-You have the potential to earn up to an additional £6,183 per year, based on completing 10 sleep-in shifts per month - but these are not guaranteed.
• After 12 months service - You’ll also be eligible for our Medicash scheme which covers a wide range of medical, health and wellbeing expenses (Including immediate access to a GP!). You’ll get life assurance paid at x2 your annual salary, and even more high street discounts.

In line with safer recruitment guidelines, we will run an online check on the successful candidate. This can and may include any public social media profiles.

At Phoenix Learning and Care, we pride ourselves on our diverse workforce, and ensuring we have an inclusive environment for all our team members. We remain committed to ensuring our teams can bring their true selves to work without risk or fear of discrimination.

INDC