Careers

What a Residential Support Worker does: a shift in our homes

From the 15-minute handover to waking nights, here’s what a shift in one of our children’s homes involves, how we train and support you, and how to join us. No care experience needed.

Rhys Herbert

Managing Director

  • 4 min read
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If you’ve never worked in a children’s home, it can be hard to picture what the job involves. In short, you help children and young people live an ordinary, safe and settled life, and you’re the calm, consistent adult they can rely on while you do it. Here’s what a shift with us looks like.

We have two roles open right now: a permanent Residential Support Worker and a flexible relief role. Neither needs previous care experience, and almost everything below applies to both.

It starts with a handover

Shifts are 12 hours: days run from 8am to 8pm, and waking nights from 8pm to 8am. Everyone arrives 15 minutes early for handover, so you start every shift knowing how each young person’s day has gone, what’s planned and anything to keep an eye on.

You’ll work in one of our three small homes, in Ystradgynlais, Coelbren and Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen. Small homes mean you get to know the young people well, and they get to know you. You can see our homes here.

Day shifts: ordinary life, done well

Much of the job is the everyday: getting up and out to school, appointments, meals, activities, homework, time with friends and family, and winding down in the evening. It sounds simple, but for young people whose lives have been unpredictable, routine is what makes a home feel safe.

  • Building trusting relationships using PACE: playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy.
  • Running daily life: routines, school, appointments and activities.
  • Following each young person’s care plan and keeping clear, accurate records.
  • Working alongside families, social workers, CAMHS and schools.

When things get hard

Some days are difficult. Many of the young people we care for have experienced trauma, and distress can show up as behaviour. Your job is to stay calm, help them through it and keep them safe, including from exploitation, self-harm and going missing.

You won’t be doing this untrained or on your own. We teach de-escalation first, and physical intervention is only ever a last resort, used after full training. Afterwards, the team talks through what happened and how to repair and move on.

“I want staff that are resilient — come back after an incident without looking at me differently.”

One of our young people, on what they want from new staff

Waking nights

On a waking night you stay awake and alert, because young people sometimes need an adult in the small hours: after a bad dream, when they can’t settle, or when worries come out at bedtime. You keep the home safe and calm overnight and hand over at 8am, so the day team starts fully briefed.

Training and support from day one

No experience? That’s fine.

You’ll have a full induction, the All Wales Induction Framework and a funded Level 3 Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) qualification, plus safeguarding (up to Level 3), de-escalation and BTEC Level 2 Physical Intervention from our own training company. We pay for your DBS and Social Care Wales registration too.

You’ll also have mentoring through your probation, regular supervision and reflective-practice sessions, and a management team you can actually talk to. Find out more about how we train and support our staff.

Who does well here

People who have worked in emergency services, health, education, youth work or the justice system often do well with us, but so do people who’ve never worked in any of them. What matters most is staying calm under pressure, keeping your word, and holding kind, consistent boundaries.

Our young people help shape our recruitment, too. They write one of the questions we ask at interview, because you’ll be working in their home.

The two roles we’re recruiting for

Residential Support Worker

Permanent, full time. £13.45–£15.50 an hour plus performance bonuses, on a 4 on / 4 off rota averaging 42 paid hours a week, with overtime at 125%.

Relief Residential Support Worker

Flexible. £13.45 an hour from your first shift, covering holidays, sickness and extra shifts. At least 4 shifts a month; beyond that, you choose.

Both roles need a full UK driving licence and transport to our homes for handover before 8am and 8pm shifts, and the right to work in the UK.

Ready to apply?

Start your application: it takes about 20 minutes. Or read the full job descriptions first.

Still have questions? Have a look at our FAQs, or get in touch and we’ll be happy to talk it through.

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