Temporary Residential Assistant

Working for Essex; Colchester; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 24,000; Part time

Job summary

Essex County Council in Colchester is seeking a Temporary Residential Assistant to join a fixed-base team on a rota that covers 24-hour shifts, including nights, days and weekends. The role involves supporting adults in a residential setting, with full training provided and induction paid.

You will work with adults to promote independence, dignity and choice, in a person-centred way. The position requires flexibility, reliability and a willingness to travel across Essex where needed.

Qualifications

• Educated to RQF Level 2 (GCSE) or equivalent by experience.
• Experience in social care or willingness to learn.
• Good communication and ability to engage with diverse groups.
• Willing to undertake required training in manual handling, first aid, food hygiene, risk, data protection and health & safety.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to individuals to reach optimum independence per care plan.
• Help access social and leisure activities which may include college classes and community activities.
• Monitor daily wellbeing and report concerns to senior managers.
• Support individuals to make choices while respecting dignity and privacy.
• Maintain respectful, patient interactions with adults, families, visitors and staff.

Skills

Care experience

Person-centred care

Good communication

Flexibility

Education

RQF Level 2 (GCSE) or equivalent

Job description

Temporary Residential Assistant

Temporary,Part Time

£13.77 PAYE/£17.25 Umbrella

Location:Colchester

Working Style:Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: 12th November 2026

Please note this is a temp position working as and when needed role (covering sickness and annual leave), to have safe staffing levels to offer a quality service. You will be required to work shifts throughout a 24-hour period (days and nights), including weekends and Bank Holidays. Shifts may look like the following: Early shifts 7-3pm, late shifts 3-10pm and nights 10-7 am

Longwood Place Residential is based in Tudor House, Colchester.

About Us

ECC Adult Social Care, through effective practice, is moving towards a transformational shift from a focus on long-term care support, to a model with four key principles :- prevention; early intervention; enablement and safeguarding. This will enable people, their families and carers to be able to access information and tools to live healthily and independently. Providing an opportunity to respond pro-actively to growing service demand in a sustainable way, within the financial constraints of the Council.

About You

You will work as part of a rota to meet the needs of the home and the post Holder. You must have experience in care or a passion to learn and be able to work in a person-centred manner, that is flexible and reliable. Some experience in this field would be desirable. Full training is provided, and induction is paid.

This role will be focused on being a committed, flexible and passionate member of a team working within a residential/short break service to ensure the provision of a high-quality service for adults. The role will work collaboratively with adults, their families and other professionals in a residential short break home environment.

Accountabilities

• Provides support to individuals to ensure they are able to reach their optimum independence and can exert control in their everyday lives, in accordance with the care plan.


• Supports individuals/groups to access social and leisure activities which may include college classes, resource centres, community access and other activities.


• Monitoring individual emotional and general wellbeing on a daily basis and ensure the protection of adults from abuse, reporting any concerns to senior managers.


• Support individuals to make choices in a way that always respects their dignity and privacy and promotes their choice in accordance with the care plan and any other key documents.


• Ensure respectful, patient and courteous approaches are undertaken with adults, their families, visitors and colleagues whether within the home or out in the community.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF Level 2 (GCSE) or equivalent by experience.


• Experience within a social care setting and working within a team environment.


• Good communication skills and an ability to develop a rapport and engage with diverse groups of individuals.


• Some experience working with adults with disability or the desire to working in this field.


• Awareness of a person entered approach and respect for dignity and privacy, promoting choice.


• Understanding of and the ability to develop knowledge of the needs of individuals and legislation in respect of Vulnerable Adults, Mental Capacity and other such relevant legislation policy and procedure as appropriate.


• Willing to undertake training in the following if not already completed: Manual Handling, First Aid Awareness, Food Hygiene, Risk and Conflict Management, Data Protection and Health and Safety

This role involves travelling around Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read moreabout us.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more aboutdevolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview allveteransandcare leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll working rules will apply to this assignment and where a worker elects to provide their services through an intermediary (such as a personal services company) then income tax and primary national insurance contributions will be deducted at source from any payments made to the intermediary.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email [e-mail]