Action for Children
Residential Support Worker
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Residential Support Worker
Salary: £27,000 per annum (£13.99 per hour)
Location: Bilston, Midlothian
Contract/Hours:
Permanent / We are offering a mix of hours with Full Time, Part Time and casual shifts available. You’ll be working flexibly across the week, with shifts that include mornings, evenings and weekends, following a steady 6-week rolling rota that helps you plan ahead and keep a good work/life balance
Benefits:
- Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
- Professional qualification funded by us and opportunities for progression
- Advanced training pathway covering behaviour support, autism awareness, and trauma-informed approaches
- Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
- Up to 5% employer pension contribution and life assurance cover
- Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
Action for Children
isn’t just about fostering and employment — we’re a leading provider of specialist residential care for young people with complex needs, including intellectual disabilities.
Our teams work in highly tailored environments where every young person receives individualised support that meets their social, emotional, behavioural, and cognitive needs.
A bit about the role
We’re looking for a compassionate, resilient Residential Support Worker who can bring calm, confidence and warmth into a highly specialist environment. This role is both physically and emotionally demanding, and it requires someone who can stay grounded, patient and attuned even in moments of significant challenge. Experience helps, but it isn’t essential — what matters most is your attitude, reliability and your ability to build genuine, trusting relationships.
You’ll be supporting young people with complex needs, helping them through intense behaviours, guiding them through structured routines and sensory regulation, and creating a predictable, stable environment where they can feel safe and understood.
About the Service
Castlelaw Cottage is a long-term home for two brilliant young people with severe learning disabilities, autism and complex care needs. This isn’t a typical children’s home — it’s a specialist setting where the work is hands-on, meaningful and deeply child-centred. Everything we do is about helping the young people feel safe, understood and genuinely cared for.
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The house is a bright, cosy bungalow with a big garden they love exploring. Both young people need full support with daily life — personal care, routines, emotional regulation, sensory activities and getting out and about. Their behaviours can be intense and physically challenging at times, so you’ll need to stay calm, consistent and confident.
They’re both very sensory-driven and do best when life feels structured and predictable. Communication is a huge part of their wellbeing, and they use visual supports, signs and other tools to express themselves. Your role is to help them feel heard, reduce anxiety and build trust through specialist communication approaches.
Even though they share similar needs, they’re two very different young people with their own personalities, quirks and ways of connecting. Getting to know them — really know them — is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
What you do could make a difference
Some key responsibilities are:
- Providing person-centred support that’s consistent, calm and tailored to each young person
- Supporting daily life in every area — routines, personal care, activities and everything in between
- Using structured routines and positive behaviour approaches to help the young people feel safe and settled
- Promoting communication through agreed tools, visuals and systems
- Encouraging outdoor time and supporting access to activities in the community
- Working closely with the team to provide stability, consistency and a predictable environment.
Let’s talk about you
- Having experience in similar settings like residential care, special needs, autism support or positive behaviour support can be helpful — but it’s not essential
- Communicating clearly and sensitively using different approaches to stay connected with children, young people and their families
- Staying calm and solution-focused when challenges come up, whether you’re working on your own or alongside the team
- Bringing emotional resilience and staying steady, compassionate and grounded even when the role becomes demanding
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
If you’re passionate about making a meaningful impact in the lives of young people with diverse and complex profiles, we offer a range of services where your skills truly matter — and where every day brings purpose, growth, and real change.
Will you join us?
Contact: Laura McCarthy at recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 13487
Diversity, equality and inclusion
We work hard to create an inclusive environment. One where individuality is celebrated and where everyone feels valued and supported. Because when we come together, with skills like yours, we’re capable of amazing things.
We actively encourage applications from people with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and people with a disability, as these groups are under-represented within Action for Children.
Want to get to know Action for Children better?
Job description
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AfC Commitment Statement
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Make a Difference - A Career in Residential Services
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Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
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