This role has a starting salary of
£30,647 per annum based on a 36-hour week plus
enhanced rates of pay for weekends, bank holidays and sleep in duties.
We are excited to be hiring a
Children's Residential Workers to join our fantastic team, based in Guildford!
Rewards And Benefits
- 26 days’ holiday (prorated for part time staff), 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
- An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Up to 5 days of carer’s leave per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
- 2 paid volunteering days per year
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
- Relocation bonus
- Refer a friend payment of £750 as a thank you for finding the right residential worker
Our Residential Workers turn our Residential Houses into Residential Homes!
Residential Support Workers are the backbone of our children's homes, working directly with our children to provide them with a safe, nurturing, and supportive home environment. They proactively engage our children in activities that promote positive physical, emotional, and social development, helping them recognise the benefits and sense of purpose these can provide.
Our home in Guildford supports children who experience social and emotional difficulties, and we are now looking for motivated and engaged individuals to join the team to work directly with our children. No two days in our home are the same, so be prepared to expect the unexpected!
About The Role
We want our homes to be nurturing, fun and inspirational places where our young people feel safe to be themselves and can rely on us to guide, care, and support them to grow and thrive whatever their challenges.
Building effective relationships, co-ordinating activities and holidays, creating meaningful care plans, working together with partner organisations, writing reports and ensuring records are kept clear and up to date are some of the ways our Residential Workers support our children.
Like all supportive, caring, and compassionate home environments; no two days are the same, they throw up complex and challenging situations and are on 24/7 - 365 days of the year. So, let’s be honest, if you are looking for a 9-5 job which is straight forward and predictable, you might want to sit this one out.
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.
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.
Shortlisting Criteria
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.
To apply you will need to upload your CV and answer the following 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 you 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. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long-term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.
Working in our homes represents a unique opportunity to support our children and young people with their everyday lives. To do this safely you will be asked to tell us about any allergies you have that may need to be reasonably managed to ensure your safety and wellbeing with minimal impact to the children and young people we care for.
What Next?
This advert closes at 23:59 on Sunday 7th September 2025.
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. We will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis so feel free to submit an application as soon as you wish, and we will come back to you as quickly as possible.
Contact Us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. If you have any questions about these roles please contact Sarah Muzzall via email at
[email protected]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. You can find out more about what information you will be asked to provide HERE.
Local Government Reorganisation
Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas.
Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.
Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council.
Our Behaviours
The Surrey Way behaviours are a guide that supports our council to work together effectively and deliver our best for our customers and communities, and for each other. Discover more about our behaviours.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.
Our Commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:
- The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
- The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.
We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.
