We’re looking for a Residential Support Worker with at least six months’ experience in residential childcare to join a small children’s home in Chaddesden, on the east side of Derby DE21, earning £12.90 to £13.50 an hour (£26,832 to £28,080 a year) plus sleep-ins at £60 a night, which on a one on, two off rota brings your realistic annual earnings to around £34,000 to £35,200pa. Each shift runs from 8am to 11pm with a sleep-in afterwards, followed by two full days to spend however you like, and to be honest it’s the shift pattern that experienced residential childcare workers tend to hold onto once they’ve found it.

The home belongs to a family-run group with children’s homes across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, holding Outstanding and Good Ofsted ratings alongside a Virtual School Best Practice Award from 2024, recognition from the Independent Children’s Homes Association for exemplary residential child care and Disability Confident Employer status, which makes it potentially one of the most well-rounded places around Derby to grow a career in children’s residential care right now.

The role at a glance

• Job title: Residential Support Worker in children’s residential care

• Location: Chaddesden, Derby DE21, with the group’s other homes spread across Derby, Burton, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire

• Salary: £26,832 to £28,080 a year (£12.90 to £13.50 an hour) plus sleep-ins at £60 a night, giving you around £34,000 to £35,200 a year in total

• Shift pattern: one day on, two days off, working 8am to 11pm followed by a sleep-in

• Contract: permanent and full time

• The home: a small, homely children’s home caring for young people aged roughly 12 to 17 with emotional and behavioural needs

• Experience: a minimum of six months in residential childcare, with full support to complete your Level 3 Diploma if you’re still working towards it

What makes this group stand out

Lots of children’s homes describe themselves as a family, and this group’s Ofsted reports give that word real weight, because the stories inside them show a team whose care carries on well beyond the end of a shift.

• One young person grew so much in confidence, social skills and emotional wellbeing that they moved on from a solo home into a group home within the same organisation, with the move shaped around their wishes and visits to meet their new team beforehand

• Staff marked that move with a celebratory meal and a memory book, and they still visit and phone that young person today, keeping the relationship going long after the move

• Inspectors noted staff attending the important celebrations in children’s lives, which is maybe the clearest sign of a team who see the young people as far more than their care plans

• One registered manager kept championing a young person’s education with the local authority until the right school place was secured, and brings extra training workshops into team meetings to keep everyone’s practice sharp

• Keeping young people safe is built on relationships first, with strong bonds helping young people feel secure at home and every difficult moment followed by aftercare and a reflective review with the team

• A recent full inspection rated one of the group’s homes good across every judgement, continuing a consistent run of good full inspections since 2021, with staff describing a manager who nurtures the team just as much as the young people

Your day as a Residential Support Worker

Every shift in a children’s home brings something different, and as a Residential Support Worker in Chaddesden you’ll be at the heart of the young people’s everyday lives.

• Building trusting, consistent relationships with young people aged roughly 12 to 17, helping them feel safe, settled and genuinely cared for

• School runs, health appointments, statutory reviews and meetings, making sure each young person has a trusted adult in their corner when decisions about their life are being made

• Planning activities, days out and group holidays, from cinema trips and theme parks to seaside breaks and whatever new hobby a young person fancies trying next

• Cooking proper meals together, keeping the home warm and homely and doing the weekly shop in a way that quietly builds life skills along the way

• Setting fair, consistent boundaries and using natural consequences, de-escalation and positive relationships to help young people understand and manage big feelings

• Supporting family time, friendships, education and hobbies so each young person can build a life that feels full and connected

• Daily recording, incident reports, risk assessments and contributing to care plans so the whole team understands each young person’s story and progress

• Helping young people prepare for their next step, whether that’s a move to a new home, further education or growing towards independence

• Being a positive role model for newer colleagues as your experience and confidence grow

What you’ll bring

• At least six months’ experience working in a children’s home or residential childcare setting, ideally supporting young people with emotional and behavioural needs, autism or mental health needs

• A Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare is a real bonus, and if you’re still working towards it you’ll be fully supported to complete it as part of your development

• A full UK driving licence and the confidence to drive on motorways and after dark, since you’ll be taking young people to school, family time and days out

• A clean enhanced DBS, and being on the DBS Update Service helps things move even quicker

• Full right to work in the UK

• A good working knowledge of safeguarding, whistleblowing, supervision, the Children’s Homes Regulations and how Ofsted inspections work

• Patience, a good sense of humour and the emotional resilience to show up for young people with warmth shift after shift

• Flexibility to work the rota, including weekends, bank holidays and sleep-ins

Pay, progression and benefits

The work you’ll be doing with these young people is complex, skilled and genuinely life-changing, and the package here reflects that with clear pay progression written down from the very first day.

• £12.90 to £13.50 an hour (£26,832 to £28,080 a year) plus sleep-ins at £60 a night, worth roughly £7,200 a year on the standard rota

• Pay reviewed twice a year in March and October, with an increment once you complete probation

• Probation bonus, annual appraisal bonus and an Ofsted bonus when the home is recognised at inspection

• A funded Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare for anyone working towards it, then a funded Level 4 to support your progression, alongside paid face-to-face training and a full programme of online learning

• Fortnightly supervision and reflective appraisals focused on your development and wellbeing

• An extra 8 hours of annual leave for your birthday

• A paid Christmas party with the team

• An extra £2.50 an hour once you work over 160 hours in a month

• A refer-a-friend payment once your friend completes probation

• Company pension and an employee assistance programme

Your next step

If you’ve read this far and found yourself picturing that celebratory meal and memory book, I reckon this could be a brilliant fit for you, and whether you’ve spent six months or six years in residential childcare I’d love to hear about your experience and what you’re hoping for in your next home. Apply through Indeed and I’ll come back to you there to arrange a proper chat on the phone, so you can ask everything you want to know about the home, the team and the young people before taking the next step.