Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Hours: 40 hours per week (shift work including weekends and bank holidays and occasional sleep-ins)

Salary: £25,584 (rising to £27,248 after completing mandatory training and probation)

Location: Children’s Homes in London (Balham or Ealing)

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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’ll work 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:

• Ability to build genuine, trusting relationships with children and young people.
• Resilience to manage challenging behaviour and complex situations.
• Strong teamworking skills and willingness to support colleagues.
• Empathy, while always maintaining professional boundaries.
• Flexibility to work shifts, including weekends and bank holidays, and occasional sleep-ins

What you should expect from us:

• Competitive salary: £25,584 (rising to £27,248 after completing mandatory training and probation).
• 4 weeks full induction and training program (paid).
• Competitive pay and reward structure offering salary progression based on performance.
• Tailored career development plan through our “St Christopher’s Academy”.
• A friendly working environment, a fun, open and honest culture.
• 25 days holiday rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays, pro-rata.
• Industry leading training programme including access to level 3 qualifications, children’s right and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.
• Contributory pension scheme, enhanced maternity and company sick scheme.
• UK Life Assurance (Death in service) to the value of 3 times your annual salary.
• BUPA employee assistance programme, offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Bluelight card; discount shopping scheme at hundreds of retailers across the UK.
• Discretionary funded training programs.
• Employee awards based on performance and length of service.
• Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care.

1. Application: Complete our online form and include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. 

Job Description and Person Specification

1. Online Situational Test: After submitting your application, you will be asked to complete an online situational test. The results of this test will help inform the shortlisting process. 
2. Interview: Shortlisted candidates attend a face-to-face interview at our Putney office.
3. 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.

For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact recruitment@stchris.org.uk 

Please note:

• This post has a minimum age restriction of 21 year for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and supported accommodation Homes in line with the Equality Act ‘occupational requirement’.
• It is illegal to apply for any role that involves working with children and young people under the age of 18, if you know you are barred from working with children.
• All shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form which will need to be returned prior to an interview being booked.