Support Worker in Brightlingsea

Location: Colchester

Salary: £29,500 + £60 per sleep-in

Full-time | Permanent | 40 hours

First things first. The non-negotiables. Before you read any further, you must:

• Be aged 22 or over
• Hold a full UK driving licence
• Not require visa sponsorship now or in the future
• Be able to work a residential rota including evenings, weekends and sleep-ins
• Be willing and able to complete a Level 3 qualification in Residential Childcare

This isn’t your average job. And we’re not looking for the average CV. Some days you’ll get paid to play board games, cook dinner, go shopping, take a long walk or watch a film. You might help a young person walk back into a classroom for the first time in months. And that might feel like a huge win. Because it is.

Other days will be harder. A young person might be angry, distressed or determined to push you away. You may be sworn at. You may hear language designed specifically to hurt you. There may be challenging behaviour. Your job in that moment isn’t to win an argument. It’s to stay calm. Stay close. Stay kind. And show them that this adult isn’t going anywhere.

Why does that matter? The children and young people living in these homes haven’t necessarily had the childhood most of us would want for them. Some have experienced abuse, neglect, exploitation, trauma and repeated placement breakdowns. Some may have autism, ADHD or learning disabilities. They don’t need somebody who arrives thinking they can "fix" them. They need adults who are consistent. Who create boundaries. Who can see the person behind the behaviour. And who come back tomorrow.

Never worked in children’s residential care? Good candidates don’t necessarily come from obvious places. You might currently work in dementia care, healthcare, the NHS, education, SEND, youth work, security or the prison service. You could be ex-police, ex-emergency services or ex-military. Or perhaps your career history doesn’t scream "Support Worker" at all, but life has taught you how to deal with difficult situations, build trust and keep your head when everybody else is losing theirs. Previous children’s residential experience is desirable, but it isn’t essential. The official role profile specifically allows for people willing to develop into the profession and work towards the relevant qualification.

So what ARE we looking for? Someone resilient without being hard. Empathetic without being a pushover. Someone who can set boundaries, communicate clearly and understand that difficult behaviour is often telling you something. You’ll need decent written communication too. There are daily records and reports to complete, and you’ll work towards your Level 3 Residential Childcare qualification with support from the organisation. And above all, your reason for wanting to do this needs to be genuine.

What’s in it for you? There’s the salary, plus an additional £60 for each sleep-in. Depending on the home, around 2–4 sleep-ins a month is typical, potentially adding £120–£240 per month. There’s training, development and a recognised qualification. The rota can also give you decent chunks of time away from work. A common pattern is two shifts on followed by four days off, although individual homes vary. But probably the biggest selling point isn’t any of those things. You get the chance to become an adult that a young person remembers for the right reasons. Some of the managers here still receive birthday cards from young people who lived in their homes years ago.

That’s the job. Think you could do it? Don’t worry if your CV doesn’t look like a traditional care CV. If you’ve read the difficult bits above and you’re still thinking "I’d be good at this", that’s exactly why I’d like to hear from you. Apply and let’s have a conversation.