Entry-level childrens support worker

Want a job where a good day is a kid smiling, not a manager ticking a box?

Where team spirit isn’t a poster on the wall, and it feels more like a community than a workplace?

And where you go home actually feeling you’ve done something useful with your life?

Good. Keep reading.

Location: Swadlincote
Salary: Starts - £32,150.00
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 07:00 – 22:00, 3 days on / 3 days off – 5 mixed 8‑hour shifts

Classroom Recruiters is hiring for a small children’s home that does things properly. No corporate waffle, no “we’re like a family” nonsense while everyone’s burning out. They want an entry‑level Children’s Support Worker who actually gives a damn.

This isn’t a “sit in the office and fill in forms” job. There’s a farm on site, proper vocational activities and loads of space for children with special needs to learn, mess up, try again and grow. You’ll be one of about six support workers who actually know the kids, their bad days, their good days, and the small wins that mean everything.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to work with kids, but I’ve never been given the chance or the training,” this is the bit where you stop talking about it and do something.

You’ll be trained up as a specialist support worker, with a clear path into key worker roles. They’d rather promote the person who’s been in the trenches than parachute in someone who’s only met the kids on a tour.

What they actually give you

• A full week’s induction so you’re not thrown on shift with a “you’ll be fine”.
• Two weeks shadowing senior staff so you learn what works in real life, not just on a slideshow.
• Ongoing training in behaviour management, SEND, autism, teaching and learning, and children’s mental health – the stuff that makes your job doable.
• Proper support and mentors who’ve done the job, not career “box tickers”.
• Funded Level 2 and 3 Health and Social Care qualifications, because experience is great, but so is having it on paper.

The home

They look after children with a range of special needs and are unapologetically child‑focused. Therapy rooms, sensory rooms, big outdoor areas and regular trips out so the kids can practise life in the real world – not just in a controlled bubble. Your job is to help make those days less scary and more successful.

The sort of person who does well here

They’re not obsessed with your job title. They’re interested in whether you turn up, stick around and care. People who do well often come from:

• Care and support work
• Nurseries and early years
• Youth work or tutoring
• Sports coaching
• Healthcare assistant or nursing roles
• Ambulance, paramedic or midwifery
• Play work or teaching assistant roles
• Mental health or psychology

If people regularly park you with the anxious kid, the upset parent or the tricky teenager because you “handle it well”, that’s the kind of experience that matters.

What to do now

If you’ve skimmed this thinking, “That’s me,” then do the grown‑up thing and apply. Click “Apply” and speak to Classroom Recruiters. We’ll tell you the good, the bad and the honest – and you can decide if you’re ready to get stuck in.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits:

• On-site parking

Licence/Certification:

• Driving Licence (required)

Work Location: In person