Annual Salary
£19,000 to £30,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Medical or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Medical or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Residential support workers look after the physical and mental wellbeing of children or vulnerable adults in care.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
There will be
5.4% more Residential support worker jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You could work in the community or at an adult care home.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could take a course at college, for example:
Many courses include work placements, so this could be a good way for you to get experience.
You may need:
You could get into this job through an adult care worker intermediate apprenticeship or lead adult care worker advanced apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
Some social care employers will be more interested in your work and life experience than formal qualifications, and you can get these whilst working. You can start working as a support worker in:
You can get voluntary experience in a number of ways like:
To apply directly for jobs in residential support, you'll need paid or voluntary experience in the social work and care sector.
You'll need to:
You can find out more about becoming a residential support worker from Think Care Careers.
With experience, you could take on more responsibility as a senior support worker or manager.
You could also train as a social worker.
You'll need: