Life Skills Worker - Supported Accommodation

Across the Borough of Solihull / based at Chelmunds Place

Job Reference: SOL/TP/181/2373

Number of Positions: 2

Contract Type: Permanent

Band C2 £27,694 to £30,518 pro rata per annum. Pay award pending. Incremental progression is subject to performance. This post includes 2 atypical increments for the requirement to work bank holidays and on a rota basis.

Working Hours: 18.5

Closing Date: 09/08/2026

Job Type: Social Care – Children

Sector: Local Councils

Business Unit:

We are embarking on a new adventure within Solihull and introducing a Floating Support Service to support children and young people we care for. We're looking for a compassionate, resilient and motivated Life Skills Worker to join our Supported Accommodation Service. This is a rewarding opportunity to work across a range of settings, supporting young people aged 16–25 as they develop the skills they need to live independently.

As a Life Skills Worker, no two days are the same. You’ll provide flexible support across supported accommodation, supported lodgings and young people’s own tenancies, ensuring every young person receives consistent, high-quality care when they need it most.

About the Role

We’ll provide a comprehensive induction and training, including a funded Level 4 qualification, where needed. As a Life Skills Worker, you’ll play a vital role in helping young people build the confidence, resilience and practical skills they need to live independently. You’ll develop positive, trusting relationships and act as a consistent role model, supporting young people with everyday life skills such as budgeting, cooking, maintaining their home, managing tenancies and accessing education, employment or training.

Working closely with social care, health and education professionals and families, you’ll help create positive outcomes while ensuring young people remain safe through effective safeguarding practice. The role is varied and flexible, providing support across multiple services to maintain continuity of care, completing accurate records, support plans and risk assessments, and celebrating every achievement as our young people progress towards independence. This highly rewarding role offers the opportunity to make a real difference. By providing a safe, stable, supportive and stimulating environment for our children, young people and their families, you will help to create a strong foundation for a brighter future. You won’t think twice about going above and beyond to enable our children and young people to achieve their full potential on their journey to adulthood.

Our Offer to You

• A funded Level 4 qualification where required
• Competitive pay
• High quality training and coaching via our Children's Social Care Academy to support your continuous professional development
• A clear career pathway
• Access to our Local government pension
• 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days after 5 years of service, and the opportunity to buy up to 10 days of additional leave per year
• Our Employee Assistance Programme – a 24 hour independent, free and confidential advice and support service
• Family and carer friendly policies
• Staff discounts, subsidised travel passes and Cycle 2 Work Scheme

About You

You will hold a NVQ Level 3 Health & Social Care (or equivalent) OR you will have GCSE Maths and English grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) and will be willing to work towards and successfully complete a Level 4 Diploma in Residential Childcare within 2 (full time) years of your appointment, as funded by us. You will also have:

• Experience (paid or voluntary) working in a health, social care or educational setting, having also previously dealt with challenging behaviours.
• A strong commitment to making a difference to our vulnerable children and young people to achieve their full potential.
• An understanding of Safeguarding, and an appreciation of its importance.
• Great self-awareness, excellent communication skills, and the ability to build strong relationships with our children and young people.
• A passion for learning, self-reflection, and growth within this role; striving to deliver a high-quality service.

About Us

Our senior leaders bring extensive knowledge and experience in Children’s Regulated Services and are committed to creating a safe, nurturing environment that enables our children and young people to reach their aspirations, goals and outcomes. We use the PACE model to ensure our support is therapeutic, person-centred, and tailored to each child’s needs. We focus on providing exceptional care while fostering an inclusive, positive environment where children can grow emotionally, personally, and educationally.

Interviews to be held on Monday 17 August 2026.

Please note that we are currently unable to offer visa sponsorship. If you require sponsorship to work in the UK, we regret that we won’t be able to progress your application. Please note, we are not accepting CVs for this opportunity. This post also carries essential car user status, therefore you must be able to drive, have a driving licence and have access to a car, however for disabled applicants, reasonable adjustments will be made where required.

Assessment for these opportunities will consist of a two stage process; Stage one: A pre-screening phone call Stage two: Candidates who are successful at stage one will be invited to interview. This post is subject to compliance checks in line with Schedule 2 requirements for working in a children’s home, including satisfactory references and a pre-employment medical check. This post will also be subject to require a DBS check.

For candidates who will be required to complete an apprenticeship (Level 4 Diploma in Residential Childcare, as outlined in the person specification), in order to comply with apprenticeship government funding rules and entry requirements, candidates must meet all the following criteria:

• Possess a GCSE Grade C/4 or above in English and Maths (or equivalent)
• Have been resident in the UK for at least 3 years;
• Have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the apprenticeship (2 years for full time employees, this will be longer for part time employees);
• Be contracted to work at least 16 hours per week.

This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.

Solihull Council is proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. Solihull Council has a responsibility for, and is committed to, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.