Residential Support Workers – Temporary 12 Month development opportunity Salary: £26,403 - £28,598 plus enhancements which include time and a third for unsociable hours and overtime. The Role Are you passionate about making a difference to the lives of children and young people? We are offering an exciting 12-month development opportunity within our Children’s Homes Service. This role is designed to help you gain valuable experience, build skills, and develop knowledge by working directly in our children’s homes. You will provide care and support, engage in activities, and build positive relationships to meet the day-to-day needs of our children and young people. You will also learn how to work as part of a multi-agency team to safeguard and support children and young people effectively. Our Values Our service is built on the ‘Durham’ values – Dignity, Unity, Responsibility, Heart, Aspiration, and Mindset which are at the heart of everything we do for both our young people and our teams. What you will need We are seeking child-centred practitioners who can be positive role models and demonstrate resilience. You must be committed to: Completing the Sector-Based Academy Programme within required timescales. Achieving Level 2 Maths and English qualifications (if not already held). Working towards a Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare upon progression. In accordance with Durham County Council’s requirements, candidates must be a minimum of 22 years of age or above to apply. Applicants must hold a current driving licence and have access to a car (employees with a disability must have access to a means of mobility support). The successful applicant for this post will be required to apply for a Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. Our Commitment to Safeguarding Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Children’s Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children. Our offer to you A comprehensive induction and significant training opportunities. Completion of a Sector-Based Academy Programme as part of your development. A clear career pathway, with the aim of supporting you to feel ready to apply to the next level of position as a Residential Worker. The role will involve working a range of shifts including weekdays, evenings, weekends and sleep in duties as approved. The nature of shift patterns enables a level of flexibility for employees. We operate a 365 days per year, 24 hours a day service. As part of this, our shift-based roles work on a rota basis and attract enhanced payments. You will benefit from a comprehensive programme of training to support you to develop in your role. As well as access to a wide ranging rewards and benefits offer, take a closer look via Rewards and Benefits If you would like any additional information on the posts or have any queries, please contact us to arrange a discuss via Jordan.Clayton@durham.gov.uk or Louise.Chippendale@durham.gov.uk It is anticipated that interviews will be held week commencing 18th May 2026. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran. In accordance with Durham County Council’s requirements, candidates must be a minimum of 22 years of age or above to apply. The successful applicant for this post will be required to apply for a Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process. HOW TO APPLY Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentCYPS@durham.gov.uk All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates. CONNECT WITH US Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Visit our website VPRS/161