Overview
* Salary: £33,552 - £35,763 per annum plus enhanced rates of pay for weekends, bank holidays and sleep-ins
* Category: Care - Children and Young People
* Contract type: Permanent
* Working hours: 36 hours per week
* Posted on: 18 August 2025
* Location: Guildford, Woking, Epsom & Walton on Thames
Rewards and Benefits
* 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
* Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
* An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
* Up to 5 days of carer\'s leave per year
* Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
* A generous local government salary related pension
* Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
* 2 paid volunteering days per year
* Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
* Relocation bonus of up to £8,000
* Refer a friend payment of £750 as a thank you for finding the right residential worker
Opportunities
We have opportunities to join our homes located across Surrey in Guildford, Woking and Walton on Thames.
Role Purpose
Our Senior Residential Workers turn our Residential Houses into Homes. We want our homes to be exceptional for the children we are entrusted to care for. It\'s what we strive to provide and what our children deserve. We want our homes to be nurturing, fun and inspirational places where our young people feel safe to be themselves and can rely on us to guide, care, and support them to grow and thrive whatever their challenges.
Building effective relationships, coordinating activities and holidays, creating meaningful care plans, working together with partner organisations, writing reports and ensuring records are kept clear and up to date are some of the ways our Senior Residential Workers support our children.
No two days are the same and roles require dealing with complex and challenging situations. The environment is 24/7 - 365 days a year; this is not a standard 9-5 job.
There may be swearing, shouting, and the occasional tear, but there will also be happiness, laughter and smiles. There will be reward for hard work, determination and resilience, knowing that you make a difference.
We offer ongoing learning and development through a culture of high support to grow your career within our Residential service at Surrey.
How to apply
To apply you will need to upload your CV and answer the following questions:
* Looking at our advert please tell us what it is about the role that has motivated you to apply?
* Please tell us about the relevant experience or transferable skills you have in relation to this role?
* What three qualities do you have that would make you a good Support Worker and why will these be important?
* Please tell us how you would handle a situation where challenging behaviour was present? Please offer a relevant example if you can.
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.
Requirements
Due to our legal obligations, we can only accept applications from people 22 years old and above.
Surrey has both urban and rural areas and our residential workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and access to a vehicle, to support our young people to attend 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.
To be considered for our Senior Residential Worker role you will need to hold a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (Residential Worker) or equivalent and have some experience of direct work with children or vulnerable groups.
If you don\'t currently hold a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare then please consider applying as a Residential Support Worker first and we can support you with the rest!
Contact
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. If you have any questions about these roles please contact Sarah Muzzall via email at residentialrecruitment@surreycc.gov.uk
What next?
Applications will be reviewed and considered on an ongoing basis. 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. We will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis so feel free to submit an application as soon as you wish, and we will come back to you as quickly as possible.
An enhanced DBS \"Disclosure and Barring Service\" check for regulated activity will be required for this role.
We are committed to the safe recruitment of staff in our Residential homes across Surrey; if you are successful you will be asked to provide required checks in line with government guidance.
You can find out more about what information you will be asked to provide HERE
Behaviours and Commitment
Our Surrey Way behaviours guide how we work together to deliver the best for our customers, communities and colleagues. Our Disability Confident commitment includes a guaranteed interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria and have chosen to disclose their disability. We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.
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