Bank Support Workers - Children’s Home in Croydon

We are currently recruiting Bank Support Workers to join our permanent staff team at our new Children’s Home in Croydon, South London. We are seeking committed and compassionate individuals who can build positive relationships with young people and are passionate about improving their life chances, even in the most challenging circumstances.

You will join a team of St Christopher’s workers providing day‑to‑day care and support for young people aged 12–18. The role includes administrative duties and accurate record‑keeping, which are essential to ensuring high‑quality care and compliance. As the service operates on a 24‑hour rota, the role will include weekends, bank holidays, early and late shifts, sleep‑ins, and waking nights. You will need strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a diverse, multi‑disciplinary team.

To apply you will have:

• At least two year’s experience supporting young people to achieve their full potential.
• The ability to motivate, encourage, and inspire young people towards positive outcomes.
• Patience and resilience when managing challenging behaviour.
• The ability to act as a positive and consistent role model.
• Good literacy, numeracy, and IT skills.
• Flexibility to work a rota including nights, weekends, and bank holidays.
• A Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent is essential.

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future. St Christopher’s is a leading charity supporting children and young people, with a proud history of delivering high-quality fostering, children’s homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK and the Isle of Man. We are passionately committed to placing young people at the heart of everything we do and to providing positive life experiences for those who are unable to remain in their parental or foster homes.

We are an equal opportunities employer and are dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued, respected, and able to belong. We welcome applications from under‑represented groups and encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds, including—but not limited to—different cultures, nationalities, socio‑economic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions and beliefs, sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, and those with caring responsibilities.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s, we are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people in our care. As part of the recruitment process, applicants are required to complete an online application form to ensure that we gather essential information in line with legislation, best practice, and safer recruitment requirements. Applicants will ideally be registered with the DBS Update Service; however, where this is not the case, St Christopher’s will arrange for an enhanced DBS (police) check prior to commencement of employment.

Your online application must include a supporting statement clearly addressing the criteria outlined in the Person Specification. It is a criminal offence to apply for work with children or young people if you are barred from working in Regulated Activity or if your name appears on the Children’s Barred List. All shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be required to complete and return a Self‑Declaration and Disclosure form before an interview can be arranged. Please note that this post has a minimum age requirement of 21 years for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and semi‑independent homes, in accordance with the Equality Act and its occupational requirement provisions.