Residential Support Officer
The Role
Do you see yourself making a meaningful difference to the lives of adults with learning disabilities?
Can you use your skills and compassion to create a safe, caring, and stimulating home environment?
If yes, we have the perfect role for you!
Our Orient Street Short Breaks Respite Service is seeking passionate and committed Residential Support Workers to join our exceptional team and help improve outcomes for adults with learning disabilities.
About the Role:
We are looking for a number of people with experience of supporting adults with learning disabilities to join our team as Residential Support Workers. Orient Street Short Breaks Respite Service is for adults with learning disabilities. It provides a safe, caring and stimulating living environment for young people and adults with learning disabilities.
As a Residential Support Worker your focus would be on providing this safe and caring environment while also offering opportunities for resident’s to maximise their independence and engage in ordinary living and community life.
This includes the provision of personal care, domestic care, manging health and safety and implementing activities for residents. Cooking meals and supporting residents with eating and meal prep as required.
There is a necessity to be able to maintain records of activities and be able to update plans and risk assessments as needed. This will be on the electronic records of all residents and a basic level of IT skills are required as well as an ability to use Microsoft suite and electronic care records.
This unit is open 365 days a year and staff are expected to work as scheduled outside of leave agreements. All staff work a minimum of two weekends a month (with one weekend being a full weekend).
About You:
Successful candidates will need to have an understanding of the needs of carers and the importance or respite care, knowledge of other social care roles and other professions and statutory organisations such as CQC.
The post holder will be required to complete all level 2 and 3 training for this role if they do not already hold this qualification. There is also an annual requirement to update and maintain professional development of skills with renewal of qualifications as required.
This is an opportunity to provide a vital role in supporting carers to provide care to adults with learning disabilities while developing a career in care with access training and development opportunities.
Please note the post holder will be expected to work shifts as part of a 7 day rota. Shifts are typically 07:00 – 15:00 and 14:00 – 22:00.
This role also requires the occasional sleep-in shift (these will be discussed and agreed in advance but are a requirement of the role).
This role requires an enhanced DBS.
About the Team:
Orient Street Short Breaks Respite Service provides a safe, welcoming, and person-centred environment focused on empowerment and quality of life. The team is highly supportive, values-driven, and committed to continuous learning. This role offers a rewarding career pathway in care, with structured training and development opportunities.
For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification located at the bottom of the advert.
Contact Information:
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Karen Walker at Karen.Walker@southwark.gov.uk.
Additional Information:
- This unit is open 365 days a year
- The post holder will be expected to work shifts as part of a 7 day rota.
- Enhanced DBS required
Benefits and more information:
In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.
Recruitment timetable
Advert close date: 11:59pm on 16th November 2025
Shortlisting date/s: 18th November 2025
Interview and assessment date/s: 25th November 2025
The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
- Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
- Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
- If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
Attachments
Salary range
- £35,373 - £41,637 per year