Support Worker - Gateshead

Royal Mencap Society; Gateshead; On-site; GBP 12,398,000 - 17,192,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

24 days of paid holiday

Discounts at high-street retailers

Health cash plans

Interest-free loans

Job summary

Royal Mencap Society is seeking a compassionate 20-hour Support Worker to join two Gateshead services in Saltwell and Bensham. You will share shifts across two sites, supporting four tenants in each location with varied activities and daily living tasks.

The role requires flexibility for day, evening, and weekend shifts, along with a respectful, empathetic attitude toward individuals with learning disabilities. DBS checks and references apply.

Qualifications

• Must show genuine passion for supporting others (people with learning disabilities).
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills are essential.
• Flexible to work diverse shifts, including evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Empathetic, patient and person-centred approach to care.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, person-centred support to tenants in two Gateshead services.
• Work across two sites (Saltwell and Bensham) with a rota-based schedule.
• Support engagement in activities and daily living tasks as part of a caring team.

Skills

Compassionate care

Excellent communication

Relationship building

Shift flexibility

Job description

Calling all compassionate and dedicated individuals! Mencap is seeking a passionate 20hr Support Worker to join our two incredible teams in Bensham and Saltwell areas of Gateshead.

Your 20hrs a week will be worked between two Mencap Supported Living services. One service is near to the lovely Saltwell Park where there are four tenants, two women and two men aged between 22years and 40years. The other service is located near to the Bensham Grove Community Centre, where there are four gentlemen tenants aged between 30years and 80years.

Tenants across both services have diverse support needs and unique personalities, and they love getting involved in a wide range of activities - from hitting the gym at the local leisure centre, dancing the night away at the Mencap disco, exploring creative classes at Bensham Grove, to enjoying great company and music at the weekly music cafe.

As this role involves working across two services, it isn’t essential but would be highly beneficial for candidates to have good knowledge of the local area, along with a flexible approach to working. Shifts vary and include both daytime hours and sleep‑ins as part of a rota.

Both teams are supported by the same service manager, who is known for being approachable, encouraging, and genuinely committed to staff wellbeing. The teams themselves have a positive and collaborative atmosphere—colleagues support one another, share ideas, and work together to deliver high‑quality, person‑centred support to the tenants.

What we're looking for

• A genuine passion for supporting others.


• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build meaningful relationships.


• Flexibility to work various shifts, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.


• A positive and empathetic attitude towards individuals with learning disabilities.

Contract options

All our services are 24hr care. We prepare the rotas at least 4 weeks in advance so you can still plan your personal and social life!

There is also a sleep‑in available where you will receive an enhanced flat rate payment of £ 64.20

All roles are subject to an enhanced DBS check and suitable references.

Job ID: 35482

We are an equitable, diverse and inclusive organisation and we particularly welcome and encourage disabled applicants and those from the Black and Asian communities to apply for the role as they are under‑represented within the workforce.

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated. Our benefits package offers 24 days of paid holiday (excluding bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high‑street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest‑free loans, and many more exciting offerings. For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document and below link with all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.

At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.

Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.

Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes

Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long‑term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.