Children\'s Residential Worker in Cobham, Surrey

The starting salary for this role is £30,647 per annum for working 36 hours per week. This role requires shift working on a rota basis so may not suit everyone. On average you would be required to work two sleep-ins per week and approximately one weekend in three as part of a 24-7 caring service. We provide enhanced rates of pay for any unsociable hours you work, including sleep-ins, weekend and bank holiday working.

We’re excited to be supporting with recruiting to roles for a brand-new 2-bed children’s residential community home in Cobham, as part of our expanding and ambitious residential service in Surrey. Our mission is to support children to remain connected to their communities-where it is safe and right for them-while providing a stable, nurturing environment that helps them thrive.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years’ service and 31 days after 5 years’ service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents
• Relocation bonus
• Refer a friend payment of £750 as a thank you for finding the right residential worker

About the Role

Residential Support Workers are the heart of our homes, working directly with children to create a safe, supportive, and enriching space they can call home. You’ll play a key role in promoting their physical, emotional, and social development through meaningful engagement and consistent, compassionate care. This new home in Cobham will support children who experience social and emotional difficulties. We’re looking for motivated, resilient, and empathetic individuals to join our team and help shape the culture and ethos from the ground up.

No two days will be the same-so being adaptable, calm under pressure, and confident in responding to challenging behaviours is essential. You’ll encounter the kinds of challenges familiar to any family environment-negotiating screen time, encouraging routines, setting boundaries, and supporting children through complex emotions and relationships. But you’ll also have the privilege of walking alongside them through some of their most formative years, helping them build resilience, independence, and a sense of belonging.

In this role, you’ll wear many hats: caregiver, mentor, advocate, and role model. You’ll work restoratively, building strong, trusting relationships and encouraging accountability through open, honest communication. We place a strong emphasis on helping children stay active, engaged, and focused on what they can achieve-something we hope you’ll embrace and help us build upon in this new home.

While the role can be challenging, the rewards can be profound. Watching a child grow in confidence, develop new skills, and begin to believe in their future is an experience like no other. This opportunity would suit someone with a calm, proactive, and solution-focused outlook, who can build meaningful relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Experience in residential care, mental health, youth work, probation, or family services is valuable, but we also welcome transferable experience from education, sports coaching, or other people-focused roles. What matters most is your motivation and ability to connect with children, understanding how you can encourage and engage them to make healthy, meaningful and positive choices.

Supporting You

We are dedicated to providing consistent care and building effective relationships, not just with our children and young people, but with each other and with our partner organisations and colleagues who support us with our work. We will support and invest in you to achieve the mandatory, nationally recognised, Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (within two years of starting) if you do not already have this. We have a proven track record of supporting staff to pass their qualification and are proud of the achievements of all staff we invest in.

Gaining this qualification will unlock opportunities for you to progress to a Senior Residential Worker (starting at £33,552 per annum) and will help you grow the skills and confidence needed to be an effective Residential Worker. Working in children’s residential services is a great opportunity and gateway to developing a career within care. We offer a clearly defined career pathway and progression opportunities with our expanding children’s residential service as we continue our journey to open further homes this year and beyond.

You will have access to a wealth of personal development and resources to ensure you feel confident to succeed and progress in your role, working as part of a wider network with support from professionals such as Psychologists and our Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) service to enrich your practice.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours: To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

• Looking at our advert please tell us what it is about the role that has motivated you to apply?
• Please tell us about the relevant experience or transferable skills you have in relation to this role.
• What three qualities do you have that would make you a good Support Worker and why will these be important?
• Please tell us how you would handle a situation where challenging behaviour was present? Please offer a relevant example if you can.

Our Requirements

Due to our legal obligations, we can only accept applications from people 22 years old and above. This role requires a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or an equivalent qualification. If you do not currently hold this qualification (or equivalent) but are successful in the interview and meet the enrolment criteria (including English and Maths skills), you will be enrolled in a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, subject to funding.

In addition to the above, to meet the criteria of the Level 3 Diploma, you must have lived in the UK/EEA for the last 3 years and you must also have the right to remain and work in the United Kingdom for the duration of the study programme. Failure to achieve the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare or losing your right to remain and work in the United Kingdom may result in the termination of your employment. We are unfortunately not able to offer sponsorship at this time.

Our residential workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and to use home cars located on site to support our young people to attend a wide range of places including appointments, activities or trips as agreed.

What Next?

Applications will be reviewed and considered on an ongoing basis. If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a short first round virtual interview to explore your answers to the above questions (lasting approx. 10-15 min), and if successful following this, invited to meet us at one of our homes for an interview. An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role. We are committed to the safe recruitment of staff in our Residential homes across Surrey therefore if you are successful in being offered a role within our service, we will work with you to collect all required checks in line with government guidance.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.