Children's Support Worker

Teaching Personnel is proud to be recruiting on behalf of a confidential specialist residential setting in Horsham, supporting children and young people with autism and complex needs. This is an exceptional service with a strong local and regional reputation for the quality of its care, its dedicated staff team and the positive outcomes it achieves for the young people living there.

Following significant growth, the service has multiple vacancies and is actively seeking experienced, mature and committed support professionals to join the team as soon as possible.

Working in children's residential care is not for everyone. The young people may have complex needs, their behaviours can be challenging and the role requires a high level of emotional resilience, consistency and professional judgement. But for those who thrive on meaningful, specialist work and who genuinely value building trust with a young person who may have struggled to form relationships with others, this can be one of the most rewarding careers you can pursue.

Please note: a full UK driving licence and access to your own car is essential.

What you'll be doing

• Providing consistent, knowledgeable and compassionate support to children and young people with autism and complex needs within a specialist residential environment.

• Building strong, trusting and respectful relationships with young people, becoming a reliable and consistent presence in their daily lives.

• Supporting children with their day-to-day routines, personal development, emotional wellbeing and independence, always promoting dignity, choice and respect.

• Following individual care plans, risk assessments and support strategies, working closely with colleagues and other professionals to provide consistent, person-centred care.

• Using specialist communication approaches and tools, including Makaton, PECS and AAC devices, to support young people's expressive and receptive communication needs.

• Helping young people to manage sensory challenges, transitions and emotional regulation using structured, evidence-informed and person-centred approaches.

• Supporting young people to develop life skills and greater independence, including routines, self-care, social interaction and participation in activities.

• Responding calmly and professionally to incidents of distressed or challenging behaviour, using agreed de-escalation and positive support strategies.

• Working as part of a close-knit team to maintain a safe, stable and nurturing home environment for the children and young people in your care.

• Working collaboratively with families, social workers, therapists, healthcare professionals and other members of the wider support network.

• Maintaining accurate and timely records, including daily observations, care notes, incident reports and other relevant documentation.

• Upholding safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety and professional standards at all times.

Who we're looking for

• A professional with meaningful experience supporting children, young people or adults with autism and/or complex needs, ideally within a residential, care, therapeutic, health, education or specialist support setting.

• Someone who brings personal depth, emotional maturity and genuine resilience to their work — qualities that come from experience, reflection and a real understanding of what it means to support a complex young person through difficult moments.

• A compassionate and patient individual who understands the importance of consistency, boundaries and relationship-building in residential care.

• Solid awareness of autism-specific approaches, including low-arousal environments, structured support, TEACCH, Intensive Interaction or similar.

• The confidence to support young people with personal care and daily living tasks where required, always maintaining dignity and promoting independence.

• Someone who can remain calm under pressure and respond appropriately to behaviours that may challenge, following agreed care and risk management strategies.

• The ability to work both independently and as part of a close-knit residential team, adapting your approach to the needs of each young person and each situation.

• A full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle — non-negotiable due to the setting's location.

• Flexibility to work shifts, including evenings, weekends and sleep-ins where required by the residential rota.

• An Enhanced DBS on the Update Service, or willingness to obtain one.

What's in it for you

• £28,000 - £31,000 per annum, depending on experience and the role offered.

• Multiple permanent, full-time vacancies, providing genuine stability and the opportunity to build a long-term career in specialist residential care.

• Specialist autism and therapeutic training, alongside ongoing professional development and CPD.

• The opportunity to work within a highly specialist environment alongside experienced support workers and a wider multi-disciplinary team.

• A role where your experience, maturity, compassion and professional judgement are genuinely valued.

• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people who require consistent, specialist support.

• A dedicated Teaching Personnel consultant who understands specialist SEN and care recruitment and will support you from your first conversation through to your first day and beyond.

• Immediate starts available for the right candidates, with further permanent positions also on offer.

If you're an experienced support professional who wants to move into — or continue building a career in — specialist children's residential care, we'd love to hear from you.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQ’s on the Teaching Personnel website for details.
All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.
Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.
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