Description
The starting salary for this role is £29,697 per annum for working 36 hours per week.
This role requires shift working on a rota basis so may not suit everyone. On average you would be required to work two sleep-ins per week and approximately one weekend in three as part of a 24-7 caring service. We provide enhanced rates of pay for any unsociable hours you work, including sleep-ins, weekend and bank holiday working.
We're excited to be supporting with recruiting to roles for a brand-new 2-bed children's residential community home in Cobham, as part of our expanding and ambitious residential service in Surrey. Our mission is to support children to remain connected to their communities—where it is safe and right for them—while providing a stable, nurturing environment that helps them thrive.
Rewards and Benefits
1. 26 days' holiday rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
2. Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
3. An extensive Employee Assistance Programme to support health and wellbeing
4. Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
5. Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
6. A generous local government salary related pension
7. Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
8. Two paid volunteering days per year
9. Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
10. Relocation bonus
11. Refer a friend payment of £750 as a thank you for finding the right residential worker
About the Role
Residential Support Workers are the heart of our homes, working directly with children to create a safe, supportive, and enriching space they can call home. You'll play a key role in promoting their physical, emotional, and social development through meaningful engagement and consistent, compassionate care.
This new home in Cobham will support children who experience social and emotional difficulties. We're looking for motivated, resilient, and empathetic individuals to join our team and help shape the culture and ethos from the ground up. The home is co-located alongside another, meaning you will be able to draw on support from the already established team there, and the wider service, to help you embed and feel confident in your role. No two days will be the same—so being adaptable, calm under pressure, and confident in responding to challenging behaviours is essential.
You'll encounter the kinds of challenges familiar to any family environment—negotiating screen time, encouraging routines, setting boundaries, and supporting children through complex emotions and relationships. But you'll also have the privilege of walking alongside them through some of their most formative years, helping them build resilience, independence, and a sense of belonging.
In this role, you'll wear many hats: caregiver, mentor, advocate, and role model. You'll work restoratively, building strong, trusting relationships and encouraging accountability through open, honest communication. We place a strong emphasis on helping children stay active, engaged, and focused on what they can achieve—something we hope you'll embrace and help us build upon in this new home.
While the role can be challenging, the rewards can be profound. Watching a child grow in confidence, develop new skills, and begin to believe in their future is an experience like no other.
This opportunity would suit someone with a calm, proactive, and solution-focused outlook, who can build meaningful relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Experience in residential care, mental health, youth work, probation, or family services is valuable, but we also welcome transferable experience from education, sports coaching, or other people-focused roles. What matters most is your motivation and ability to connect with children, understanding how you can encourage and engage them to make healthy, meaningful and positive choices.
Supporting You
We are dedicated to providing consistent care and building effective relationships, not just with our children and young people, but with each other and with our partner organisations and colleagues who support us with our work.
We will support and invest in you to achieve the mandatory, nationally recognised, Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (within two years of starting) if you do not already have this. We have a proven track record of supporting staff to pass their qualification and are proud of the achievements of all staff we invest in.
Gaining this qualification will unlock opportunities for you to progress to a Senior Residential Worker (starting at £32,512 per annum) and will help you grow the skills and confidence needed to be an effective Residential Worker. Working in children's residential services is a great opportunity and gateway to developing a career within care. We offer a clearly defined career pathway and progression opportunities with our expanding children's residential service as we continue our journey to open further homes this year and beyond. You will have access to a wealth of personal development and resources to ensure you feel confident to succeed and progress in your role, working as part of a wider network with support from professionals such as Psychologists and our Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) service to enrich your practice.
Shortlisting Criteria
To apply you will need to upload your CV and answer the following questions:
12. Looking at our advert please tell us what it is about the role that has motivated you to apply?
13. Please tell us about the relevant experience or transferable skills you have in relation to this role.
14. What three qualities do you have that would make you a good Support Worker and why will these be important
15. Please tell us how you would you handle a situation where challenging behaviour was present? Please offer a relevant example if you can
Our Requirements
Due to our legal obligations, we can only accept applications from people 22 years old and above.
This role requires a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or an equivalent qualification. If you do not currently hold this qualification (or equivalent) but are successful in the interview and meet the enrolment criteria (including English and Maths skills), you will be enrolled in a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, subject to funding.
In addition to the above, to meet the criteria of the Level 3 Diploma, you must have lived in the UK/EEA for the last 3 years and you must also have the right to remain and work in the United Kingdom for the duration of the study programme. Failure to achieve the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare or losing your right to remain and work in the United Kingdom may result in the termination of your employment.
We are unfortunately not able to offer sponsorship at this time.
Our residential workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and to use home cars located on site to support our young people to attend a wide range of places including appointments, activities or trips as agreed. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long-term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.
Working in our homes represents a unique opportunity to support our children and young people with their everyday lives. To do this safely you will be asked to tell us about any allergies you have that may need to be reasonably managed to ensure your safety and wellbeing with minimal impact to the children and young people we care for.
Contact Us
This advert closes at 23:59 on 3rd August 2025. Applications will be reviewed and considered on an ongoing basis.
What Next?
If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a short first round virtual interview to explore your answers to the above questions (lasting approx. 10-15 min), and if successful following this, invited to meet us at one of our homes for an interview.
An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.
We are committed to the safe recruitment of staff in our Residential homes across Surrey therefore if you are successful in being offered a role within our service, we will work with you to collect all required checks in line with government guidance. You can find out more about what information you will be asked to provide
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas.
Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.
Please see more information here:
Our Values
Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.
Our Commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:
16. The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
17. The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.
We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.
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