Most care jobs feel like you're constantly fighting an uphill battle: understaffed, under-resourced, and burnout waiting to happen. But what if you walked into a role where the team actually has your back, where young people's progress is measured and celebrated, and where your experience genuinely counts for something? This Senior position in our Salford homes is exactly that
You'll be working in a small group living environment where you're not just managing chaos, you're creating it. Creating calm. Creating spaces where young people with challenging behaviour start to trust you, open up, and actually change. As a Senior, you'll be the steady presence that sets the tone, the one staff look to when things get tricky, and the keyworker who sees a young person's journey from crisis to real progress
This isn't a role where paperwork buries the real work. You'll be doing casework and care planning that matters, writing reports that actually shape how we support each young person, attending reviews where your voice carries weight, and knowing exactly how your daily relationships are moving the needle. The home's philosophy runs through everything: emotional security, personal growth, and young people living well together
You'll have a real team around you. Staff meetings where you're heard. Induction responsibilities where you shape the next generation of carers. In-service training that develops you further. And the practical stuff: a competitive sleep-in rate on top of your salary, because we know the real graft that happens when you're on nights
What you will be doing
- Establish relationships built on trust and mutual respect with young people; set the behaviour standards and guide them towards socially acceptable choices, every single day
- Work as keyworker for allocated young people: write their care plans, complete casework records, lead their progress and contribute to multi-disciplinary reviews that shape their future
- Plan and run the home's recreational and social programme so young people have constructive, engaging activities that extend their worlds
- Supervise young people safely and actively, including transporting them to school, activities and appointments
- Work sleeping-in shifts as required, keeping young people safe and settled through the night
- Support and mentor newer staff, contributing to their induction and helping them find their feet
Why you will love working here
- Salary of £27,500-£28,500 depending on your experience and qualifications, plus a competitive sleep-in rate
- A team that invests in you: proper induction, in-service training, and space to develop your career (promotion to Deputy at £32,000-£34,600 is real)
- Work in multiple homes across the area with genuine choice in where and how you work, rather than being locked into one setting
- The chance to be a keyworker who shapes young people's lives through real casework and care planning, not just crisis management
- A role where safeguarding and young people's welfare isn't just a box to tick, it's how we do everything
Is this you?
- You're aged 21 or over and live in or near the Manchester, Salford or surrounding areas so you can be reliably in post
- You have real experience working with young people who present challenging behaviour, and you don't take it personally
- You're someone who can write clearly, attend meetings, take responsibility for casework, and understand that the paperwork actually protects the young people
- You're reliable, hardworking and genuinely motivated by making a difference to a young person's life
- You're happy to work a rota that includes sleep-ins and can drive or willing to learn to support school runs and activities
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.