Most residential care jobs feel like you're treading water - same tired routines, minimal room to grow, no real vision. This is different. You'd be joining a brand new children's home right at the start, where you'll shape how it develops, work with a small, highly trained team, and actually see the direct impact of your work on young people's lives. This is your chance to be part of something that's growing
Picture this: you're working in a 2-bed therapeutic home in Chorlton with just a tight-knit team around you. The young people here are aged 8 to 17, with attachment and trauma difficulties - complex needs, yes, but also real potential. The home runs on minimal restrictions and genuine therapeutic principles, which means your job isn't about control; it's about building trust, modelling calm, and helping these kids believe in themselves again
You'll be part of the ground floor of something intentional. This isn't a sprawling corporate chain - it's an education-focused provider with a 5-to-7-year growth plan that actually believes all children in care deserve the same opportunities as everyone else. That philosophy runs through everything, and it means your voice matters. When you spot something that works, it shapes how the home operates
The team here is trained properly and available 24/7. You're not flying solo or drowning in understaffing. You report directly to the home's manager, there's proper support, and you get real access to training courses that actually develop your skills. This is a place where you can grow - whether that's moving towards a Level 3 qualification, learning therapeutic practice, or developing leadership
Day to day, you're doing direct work with young people - helping them with practical, emotional and physical needs, working in partnership with parents and other professionals, keeping the home safe and pleasant, and constantly promoting independence. You cook, you clean, you listen, you model what a grounded adult looks like. It's demanding work, but it's real work that matters
What you will be doing
- Provide practical, emotional and physical support to young people aged 8-17, using a therapeutic approach and always safeguarding their welfare
- Act as an appropriate role model, working closely with young people to help them address their difficulties and reach their potential
- Manage domestic tasks - cleaning, cooking, keeping the home safe and pleasant - and support young people to develop independence in these areas
- Work in partnership with parents, carers and other professionals (social workers, schools, mental health teams) to achieve the best outcomes for each young person
- Attend to the assessed day-to-day needs of the young people in the home, using initiative and good judgement within a therapeutic framework
Why you will love working here
- £22,000 to £25,000 a year, depending on experience - and enhanced pay for any overtime you pick up
- A rolling rota of 2 days on, 4 days off, plus sleep-ins, giving you real flexibility and proper time to rest
- 224 hours of annual leave per year, pension scheme, and sick pay
- We pay for your enhanced DBS check and all future renewals - no cost to you
- Access to relevant, up-to-date training courses to develop your skills and qualifications
- Blue Light Card discounts across high street retailers, days out, gifts, holidays and even car purchases
- £250 referral bonus when you bring in another team member who completes probation successfully
Is this you?
- You've got a current manual driving licence - essential, because transport is part of the role
- You've got the resilience, enthusiasm and motivation to work with young people who have complex and challenging behaviour - and you genuinely believe in their potential
- You've got a calm, approachable manner, you're adaptable and non-judgemental, and you can communicate clearly both face to face and in writing
- Ideally you've got experience in a residential childcare setting, or similar environment working with vulnerable young people
- You've got solid knowledge of child protection and safeguarding, and ideally you know your way around the home Regulations and the Social Care Common Inspection Framework
- You can work both independently and as part of a team, you're organised, and you've got strong personal integrity and values
Applications close on 12 October 2026. Great roles like this are filled quickly, so the sooner you apply the better.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All roles are subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.