Residential Support Worker

Residential Support Worker 
Salary: £27,000 - £28,099 per annum, pro rata 
Location: Penicuik, Midlothian 
Contract/Hours: Permanent / We have a variety of shifts available;

• Early shifts: 7:00am – 2:30pm
• Late shifts: 2:00pm – 9:30pm
• Night shifts
• Double shifts for those who prefer to work longer hours across fewer days

Full Time, Part Time and casual hours are available, offering flexibility to suit individual needs while supporting our 24-hour service.

Closing date for applications is midnight of Monday 5^th October 

Benefits:  

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave 
• 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.  

Action for Children isn’t just about fostering and employment — we’re a leading provider of specialist residential care for young people with complex needs, including intellectual disabilities.

Our teams work in highly tailored environments where every young person receives individualised support that meets their social, emotional, behavioural, and cognitive needs.

A bit about the role

As a Residential Support Worker at Pentland Way, you’ll play a vital role in helping young people build confidence, develop life skills, and achieve greater independence as they move into adulthood. Every day brings the opportunity to make a genuine difference by providing compassionate, person-centred support tailored to each individual’s needs, strengths, and aspirations.

Working alongside families, carers, social workers, and colleagues, you’ll help create a safe, structured, and nurturing environment where young people feel valued, respected, and empowered. Through building positive relationships, encouraging independence, and supporting everyday routines, you’ll help young people thrive and reach their full potential during an important stage of their lives.

This is a rewarding role for someone who is caring, resilient, and passionate about improving outcomes for young people with learning disabilities and autism.

About the Service 

Pentland Way is a well-established, specialist residential service in Penicuik, Midlothian, currently operating on behalf of Midlothian Council. From October 2026, the service will become part of Action for Children, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both the young people we support and our dedicated team.

Providing a warm and welcoming home for up to three young people aged 16–21 with learning disabilities and autism, Pentland Way focuses on supporting young people through the important transition from children's services into adulthood. Our aim is to ensure every young person experiences a meaningful, positive, and empowering journey towards greater independence.

With a small, highly personalised setting, we’re able to build strong, trusting relationships and deliver tailored support that reflects each young person's unique needs and goals. By working closely with families and professional partners, we create individualised support plans that promote stability, routine, personal growth, and life opportunities.

Joining Pentland Way at this exciting time means becoming part of a team that is committed to maintaining continuity, providing exceptional care, and helping shape the future of a service where young people can feel safe, supported, and optimistic about what lies ahead.

What you do could make a difference

Some key responsibilities of the Residential Support Worker are;

• Providing person‑centred support that’s consistent, calm and tailored to each young person
• Supporting daily life in every area — routines, personal care, activities and everything in between
• Using structured routines and positive behaviour approaches to help the young people feel safe and settled
• Promoting communication through agreed tools, visuals and systems
• Encouraging outdoor time and supporting access to activities in the community
• Working closely with the team to provide stability, consistency and a predictable environment. 

Let’s talk about you

• Having experience in similar settings like residential care, special needs, autism support or positive behaviour support can be helpful — but it’s not essential
• Communicating clearly and sensitively using different approaches to stay connected with children, young people and their families
• Staying calm and solution‑focused when challenges come up, whether you’re working on your own or alongside the team
• Bringing emotional resilience and staying steady, compassionate and grounded even when the role becomes demanding

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. 

Will you join us?

Contact: Please submit an application via our careers page. If you have any further questions, you can contact Laura McCarthy at [email protected] quoting reference 13732

Our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

At Action for Children, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive. We know that racism and discrimination create barriers, and we are taking active steps to challenge these inequalities in our organisation and in the communities we serve.

We strongly welcome applications from people who are Black, Asian, or from other racialised and ethnically marginalised communities, as well as disabled people, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to removing barriers in our recruitment processes and ensuring fair access to opportunities.

We also encourage applications from men, who are under-represented in our Children’s Services roles. We recognise that people hold multiple identities, and we value the richness this brings to our team.

Want to get to know Action for Children better?

Job description

Action for Children Employee Benefits

AfC Commitment Statement

Make a Difference - A Career in Residential Services

Find out more about Action for Children here: Action for Children and on LinkedIn, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better. 

The difference is what you do. You can learn more about why we do it, by checking out our 'Driven by Love' video.