Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Hours: 40 hours per week (shift work including weekends and bank holidays and occasional sleep-ins);work between 8 am and 10:30 pm
Salary: £26,437 rising to £27,929 after completing mandatory training and probation
Additional Benefits:
- £50 per sleep-in
- Time-and-a-half pay for overtime (over 40 hours per week) and bank holidays
- Two weekends off per month
- 4 weeks full paid induction and further training provided
- Excellent therapeutic support and career progression
Location: Balham, SW12or Ealing, W13
If you’re looking for a fulfilling and rewarding career in Children’s Social Care where no two days are the same, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. All you need is a genuine passion for making a difference — we’ll provide full training and ongoing support to help you thrive, even if you don’t have prior care experience.
Watch our short video to gain an insight into our working life here at St Christopher’s.
About the Role
As a Trainee Practitioner- Children Residential Worker, you’ll support children and young people aged 12–17 who are building resilience after experiencing adversity. You’ll help them develop key life skills, build trust, and create a safe, supportive environment where they can thrive. You’ll also have the chance to take part in fun activities and positive experiences with them.
All we ask for is a genuine passion for making a difference. No previous care experience is needed — we provide full training and support, including professional qualifications through St Christopher’s Academy Entry Pathway.
St Christopher’s Academy
At St Christopher’s, we offer more than a care job— we offer a real career pathway. You’ll have the chance to build your skills, grow your knowledge, and make a lasting difference to young people’s lives.
When you join us, you’ll receive a tailored development plan designed around your goals. Whether you want to move into a different service, progress into a leadership role, or just explore further your current role, we’ll support you every step of the way. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please click here
Our development programme, St Christopher’s Academy, is built to help you reach your full potential — and the results speak for themselves:
84% of our Team Leaders, Deputies, and Managers are promoted internally.
Training
Starting a career in Children’s Social Care comes with a lot to learn, which is why we provide a 4-week fully paid induction and training programme to make sure you feel supported and confident in your new role.
Working Hours
Our children and young people need support around the clock so our homes run 24/7 and we operate on fixed rotas with a variety of shift patterns.
As a Trainee Practitioner, you’llwork day shifts between 8am and 10pm, with 8, 10 or 12-hour shifts available. You’ll usually work an average of 40 hours per week, including weekends and bank holidays.
For example, if you work four 10-hour shifts, you’ll then have three days off. Overtime is available and paid at time and a half, including bank holidays.
At our Ealing home, you’ll be required to complete an average of 2 sleep-ins per week, paid at £50 each.
Location
We have Children’s Homes based in Balham and Ealing.During your interview process, you’ll have the opportunity to let us know your preferred location, and we’ll do our best to match you with a home that suits your preference and availability.
What you need to bring to this role
What you should expect from us
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Industry leading training programme including access to level 3 qualifications, children’s right and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.
About Us
Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future.
St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man. We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.
We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong. We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities.
Recruitment Process
At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care.
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Application: Complete our online form and include a mandatory supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. Please note that applications without Personal Statement will not be accepted. CV will not be accepted.
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Interview: Shortlisted candidates attend a face-to-face interview at our Putney office.
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Second Stage: Successful candidates will visit the home they applied to.
Please apply as soon as possible, as we review applications on a rolling basis.
