Residential care jobs

Residential Care jobs: frequently asked questions

Welcome to our residential care jobs page, featuring all the latest roles throughout the UK, as well as frequently asked questions below.

What does a residential care job entail?

Care jobs are all about helping vulnerable people to manage their daily lives, and to live as independently as they possibly can.

A residential care job normally means you’ll be working within a residential care home – the vast majority of which are privately operated.

The people you support could either be adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health conditions or older people.

At entry level, residential care jobs might be listed as care assistants, care workers or carers.

But as a broad term this could also cover care management positions as well as more specialised roles such as support workers and care home nurses.

What daily duties will you have in a residential care job?

In a residential care job your daily responsibilities will vary according to your seniority.

But very broadly, your tasks could include:

• Supporting residents with washing, dressing and eating

• Understanding their individual needs and tailoring care

• Monitoring their health

• Checking prescribed medications are appropriately taken

• Planning and conducting activities

Residential care is a 24/7 service so your shift pattern could vary.

But this can offer a level of flexibility that is a real benefit of the job.

What skills and qualifications do you need to work in residential care?

You don’t technically need any qualifications to begin your residential care career.

Some providers ask for GCSEs in English and/or Maths, but it isn’t always necessary.

Some residential care workers have a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care when they begin, but it’s easy to gain these qualifications once you’ve started.

There are certain skills that are essential, however.

You need to be caring, patient and resilient, and fully prepared for how challenging it can be.

Care workers need to be compassionate to succeed.

Residential care management positions can be achieved through a variety of routes – but all will require lots of experience and specialised qualifications.

You’ll also need to prove your leadership credentials.

It’s also worth noting that many people who decide to work in residential care later become social workers or move into other specialist care areas.

This too will require further dedicated study.

How much do residential care jobs pay?

Residential care homes are privately owned, so the pay can vary.

According to industry statistics, the national average hourly rate for residential care workers is around £8.30 per hour, and average annual salaries are somewhere between £15,000 and £17,000.

Meanwhile, the average salary for a residential care home manager is somewhere around £30,000 to £32,000 a year.

Pay in residential care jobs, especially at a lower level, is a highly controversial subject – and it’s currently being forensically assessed by the government.

There is a desperate need to attract more people to the sector, so it’s hoped the government will find ways of improving salaries in order to give recruitment a much-needed boost.

Find your next residential care job today

View our latest residential care jobs above, or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, create an account, register your CV, and we’ll send you the latest roles as soon as they come up.