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Residential support workers look after the physical and mental wellbeing of children or vulnerable adults in care.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
There will be
5.4% more Residential support worker jobs in 2027.
In your local area
In this role you could:
You could work in the community or at an adult care home.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could take a course at college, for example:
Many courses include work placements, so this could be a good way for you to get experience.
You may need:
You could get into this job through an adult care worker intermediate apprenticeship or lead adult care worker advanced apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
Some social care employers will be more interested in your work and life experience than formal qualifications, and you can get these whilst working. You can start working as a support worker in:
You can get voluntary experience in a number of ways like:
To apply directly for jobs in residential support, you'll need paid or voluntary experience in the social work and care sector.
You'll need to:
You can find out more about becoming a residential support worker from Think Care Careers.
With experience, you could take on more responsibility as a senior support worker or manager.
You could also train as a social worker.