Senior Residential Support Worker

Thorpe Astley, Leicestershire

£14.50 to £15.70 per hour (£30,160 to £32,656 per annum)

Sleep-ins approximately £7,200 per annum

One on, Two off shift pattern

This is a Senior Residential Support Worker role based in Thorpe Astley, Leicestershire, working within a children's residential home supporting young people aged 12 to 17 with complex emotional, social and behavioural needs. The salary sits between £14.50 and £15.70 per hour, which works out at roughly £30,160 to £32,656 per annum depending on where you land, plus sleep-ins at £60 per night that bring your total earning potential up by approximately £7,200 a year.

What makes this one different

There are a lot of Senior Support Worker adverts on Indeed right now, and most of them read the same way. This one isn't going to pretend the job is easy, because if you've been doing this work for any length of time, you already know it isn't. What it is, though, is meaningful.

The organisation behind this role has held consecutive Good judgements from Ofsted across multiple full inspections, most recently in 2025, which in this sector takes sustained effort from leadership and staff alike. Professionals working alongside the home have described staff as genuinely knowing and understanding children's needs, and being instrumental in helping young people make what one external reviewer called incredible progress. That kind of feedback doesn't appear in Ofsted reports by accident.

What you'd be joining is a provider that keeps its homes small and deliberately so, because the people running this organisation understand that meaningful care doesn't happen at scale. There's an in-house psychologist involved in reviewing care plans and delivering bespoke staff training. Moves for young people are planned carefully and in partnership with them, staff visit children who've moved on, memory books get made, that level of thoughtfulness tends to reflect the culture throughout.

What the role involves

As a Senior Residential Support Worker, you'll be leading shifts, mentoring less experienced colleagues and holding real responsibility for the young people in your care. This isn't a role where you clock in, do the basics and go home. You'll be contributing to care plans and risk assessments, supporting young people through education and statutory appointments, and helping maintain the kind of therapeutic, nurturing environment that gives children the best possible chance.

Day to day, you can expect to be involved in:

• Leading shifts and managing the deployment of staff on duty, including appropriate handovers

• Providing direct care, emotional support and positive adult relationships to young people aged 12 to 17 with complex needs and emotional, social and behavioural difficulties

• Contributing to and implementing individual care plans, risk assessments, LAC documentation and statutory review reports

• Supporting, supervising and mentoring residential childcare staff, and identifying training needs within the team

• Liaising with social workers, therapists, educators and other multi-agency professionals to ensure a joined-up approach to each child's welfare

• Maintaining accurate case file records, daily logs, communications and incident reports

• Supporting young people to engage with education, therapeutic sessions, community activities and family relationships

• Assisting the Registered Manager or Deputy Manager and providing cover in their absence where required

• Promoting safeguarding at all times and working in line with the Children's Homes Regulations 2015 and the organisation's policies and procedures

What they're looking for

• NVQ Level 3 in Residential Childcare (or equivalent), ideally working towards Level 4 or 5

• Demonstrable experience working with young people aged approximately 12 to 17 who present with challenging behaviours, complex needs or emotional and behavioural difficulties

• Experience of shift leading and supervising care staff

• Working knowledge of LAC documentation, care planning and statutory review processes

• A solid understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and children's rights

• The ability to build appropriate, boundaried relationships with young people while modelling consistency, patience and professional judgement

• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to write clear reports and maintain accurate records

• A driving licence would be an advantage, though not necessarily a barrier

The package

The pay increases here happen twice yearly, in March and October, which means your next increment isn't sitting indefinitely on the horizon. If you complete your probation in August, you'll pick up your increment in October. That's a straightforward and transparent approach to pay progression, and it's worth knowing going in.

Beyond the base salary and sleep-in payments, the additional benefits include:

• Overtime rate of £2.50 extra per hour after 160 hours in a month

• Annual Appraisal Bonus, Probation Bonus and Ofsted Bonus

• Referral bonus paid after a referred colleague completes their first shift

• Paid face-to-face training

• An additional 8 hours of annual leave for your birthday

• Paid attendance at the Christmas party

• Company pension scheme

• Employment assistance scheme

A word on the location

Thorpe Astley sits just to the west of Leicester, a well-connected suburban area with straightforward access into the city and out to the wider East Midlands. It's the sort of location that tends to work well for people who want to live and work locally without a commute that adds an hour to every shift.

To apply or to ask a question

If this sounds like the kind of role you've been looking for, or maybe something close to it and you want to understand a bit more before you commit, get in touch. A conversation costs nothing and sometimes it's the quickest way to work out if it's the right fit, for both sides.

Send your CV across or drop a message and we'll take it from there.