Action for Children
Action for Children

Charity registered in Scotland SC038092

Action for Children helps some of the UK's most vulnerable children and young people. Our work is varied, the effects far reaching. 


Current vacancies

Residential Support Worker

  • Full time
  • £26,000 – £28,100
  • On site: Kilbarchan
  • Closing 22nd September 2026

Benefits:

  • 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays and options to buy or sell leave
  • Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities
  • Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
  • Pension with up to 7% matched employer contribution with included life assurance cover
  • Staff discounts and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts
  • We are a Real Living Wage accredited employer

We are one of the largest children’s charities in the UK and have been making a difference to the lives of the UK’s vulnerable children for over 150 years.

A bit about the role

‘Meeting new people, doing new things, seeing new places, that's what our short breaks services are all about.’

Join our fantastic, dedicated team at Renfrewshire Short Breaks, LoomWalk in Kilbarchan as a Residential Support Worker. Your role is crucial in creating a safe and supportive environment for children and young people to flourish.

Patience, empathy and resilience will go a long way, especially when supporting children through times that may feel challenging due to individual heightened behaviours or when meeting the complexities of some children’s health and personal care support needs. At times the role can be demanding, fast paced and busy where the ability to multi task is advantageous.

You won’t be doing this alone. At LoomWalk, it’s all about teamwork where we believe in investing in our team. You can expect a comprehensive induction, learn new specialised skills applicable to the role, and support for qualifications. Regular supervision and team meetings ensure you are integrated and valued within our team.

Short breaks are a chance for disabled children and young people to have fun, gain independence, learn and develop while their families get to take a much needed break.

Our children love to engage in playful and sensory activities such as singing, ball games, arts/crafts, garden play, water play, puzzles, dressing up and iPad time. Opportunities to support children within outings and stimulating activities within the community are encouraged to ensure they have a positive experience when staying at LoomWalk.

This isn’t just a job, it’s an opportunity to be part of a caring, supportive team to build meaningful connections to the children we support to make their lives better.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

Some key responsibilities of the Residential Support Worker are;

  • Provide lead case/care planning management, including assessing, reviewing and managing risk
  • Co-ordinating responsibilities within the service, with multi agency and producing family information, including analysis and written reports
  • Attendance at professional meetings including reviews, court work etc.
  • Supporting children to achieve positive outcomes.
  • Adopting approaches in line with the principles of The Promise
  • Assisting the children in all aspects of their care and supporting their health and wellbeing.

Let's talk about you

Are you resilient and have a positive approach to change and challenge? We are looking for someone with a ‘can do’ attitude to join our team. Ideally you will have:

  • Demonstrable experience of working in a care setting and developing positive relationships through trust
  • Application of a range of techniques to co-ordinate and communicate with service users and their families
  • Demonstrate a solution focused approach to address problems, individually and in a team setting
  • Ability to stay, steady, patient and grounded even when the role brings moments that feel challenging
  • Experience of working with disabled children and young people
  • Safeguarding knowledge and excellent communication skills
  • To possess Higher National Certificate in Social Care (or recognised equivalent) and an SVQ3 in Social Care – Children and Young People or if you do not possess this you must be prepared to complete this within 3 years of commencing employment with is, full support will be provided
Shortlist

Employment Facilitator

  • Full time
  • £26,006
  • On site: Inverclyde, Renfrewshire
  • Closing 5th October 2026

Benefits:

  • Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles
  • Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
  • Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
  • Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
  • As part of our commitment to staff wellbeing, you’ll receive a paid annual Wellbeing Day to use however you choose, supporting a healthy balance between work and life.

At Action for Children, we offer more than just a job. Join us and you’ll be part of a team dedicated to giving children safe and happy childhoods. See how your skills can make a real difference, helping solve the problems children and young people face every day.

A bit about the role

As an Employment Facilitator in Inverclyde, you’ll be part of a supportive team delivering high‑quality employability support to young people. Your role is hands‑on, varied and deeply rewarding. You’ll work one‑to‑one with young people to understand their strengths, barriers and aspirations, helping them build confidence and take practical steps toward employment, training or further education.

You’ll design and deliver tailored employability sessions across areas such as Customer Service, Construction, personal development and essential skills. A key part of your role will be creating outcome‑focused action plans, reviewing progress regularly, and providing warm, consistent aftercare to help young people stay motivated and on track.

Working closely with colleagues, local partners and employers, you’ll help young people explore opportunities in the labour market, prepare for interviews, develop workplace behaviours, and gain the skills they need to thrive. You’ll also support them to overcome challenges that may be holding them back, ensuring they feel heard, supported and empowered throughout their journey.

About the Service

Our Employability Service supports young people aged 16–24 across Inverclyde who are facing barriers to making positive choices about their future. Many of the young people we work with may be struggling to access education, training or employment, or may need extra support to feel confident about their next steps. We provide a welcoming, youth‑centred environment where they can explore opportunities, build essential skills, and develop a sense of direction.

Through personalised programmes, practical activities and strong partnerships with local organisations, we help young people strengthen their motivation, resilience and readiness for the world of work. Whether it’s improving confidence, gaining sector‑specific skills, or understanding what opportunities are available locally, our service is designed to meet each young person where they are and support them to move forward with clarity and confidence.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to improving life chances. We empower young people to recognise their strengths, overcome challenges, and take meaningful steps toward long‑term success.

What you do could make a difference

Some key responsibilities of an Employment Facilitator are;

  • Working in line with Action for Children’s standards and professional practice expectations and helping to put these into everyday practice.
  • Supporting and coordinating a caseload of young people, offering a range of tailored interventions, whether through group sessions, coordinated activities, or one‑to‑one support, to help them move towards the labour market.
  • Delivering engaging group‑work modules that contribute to our wider employability programmes, encouraging inclusion and recognising different learning styles.
  • Keeping all compliance requirements up to date and accurate, ensuring we meet the needs of both the organisation and our stakeholders.

Let’s talk about you

We’re open to people joining us from a variety of backgrounds, whether you’re stepping into your first role after gaining a recent qualification or looking to build on experience in youth work, employability or a related field. What matters most is your ability to engage young people, understand their challenges, and support them to move forward with confidence.

  • An SVQ Level 3 in Social Care, Guidance or a similar area would be helpful, but we’re equally open to applicants who bring relevant experience instead of a formal qualification.
  • Experience working with young people in group settings, particularly those facing multiple barriers, will be really valuable.
  • A good understanding of the challenges young people face when trying to access employment, and the motivation to help them overcome these.
  • Experience or insight into the Construction or Customer Service sectors would be beneficial, as these are key areas within our employability programmes.
  • The ability to build positive relationships, maintain professional boundaries, and create an inclusive, youth‑centred learning environment.

Why Action for Children?

Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us change that where it really matters.

We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here.

Shortlist