Residential Support Worker
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
£27,254 - £30,518 ? + excellent benefits
Huge Small Victories
Our school support workers are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things. There’s lots of ups and downs, and to some of our young people, sitting through a lesson can be a big win. We call these huge small victories and whilst they may seem small on the surface, they add up to make a big difference
Get out what you put in
You’ll be working with children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. You’ll be there to help them learn, develop their abilities and raise their self-esteem. You will need to be resilient and dedicated, but those huge small victories that you achieve will be something you’re really proud of.
It can be a tough journey, but the positive steps forward will more than make up for it. You’ll be there to take care of our young people day to day, this involves making sure they are up and ready for school, helping with homework, completing paperwork and planning activities.
As a support worker at Witherslack Group you’ll be a part of a team that provides the support needed for success, from in-house psychologists, to teaching assistants and therapy professionals. Your colleagues will be the best at what they do, the environments will be well-resourced and we’ll be with you every step of the way, helping you build a rewarding career.
One of the best environments in SEND
Oversands School is an independent specialist day school providing high quality education, based in Grange-over-Sands. The school meets the needs of a diverse group of pupils with a range of complex learning needs, social and emotional diffculties and challenging behaviours.
“Here we know every pupil, their story, how we can help and importantly how they can succeed.” This statement is brought to life through a dedicated lower school designed with input from the pupils; an upper school that offers a broad and impressive range of subjects; and a vocational and post-16 provision that delivers extensive courses and opportunities led by experts in their field.
What we do for you
We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the education sector. With us, you’ll get to bring learning to life and make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:
- Training: A full induction and on the job training
- Holiday: You’ll work hard at WG, so you’ll be rewarded with full school holidays
- Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance – check out our benefits here
- Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
- Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts
- Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities – check out our schools here
- Pension: contributory pension scheme – matched up to 5%
- A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time
Bring your whole-self to work
Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs – and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves. As a Schools Residential Support Worker, you’ll be able to connect with our pupils because of:
- Your ‘can do’ attitude – a team player who rolls up their sleeves to help others
- You’ll need to be ready to study for a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (if you don’t have this or an equivalent already)
- We genuinely care about our young people (and each other) so honesty and empathy is a must
- The ability to build great relationships with the young people within your care
- The resilience to be able to deal with challenging situations
- A full UK driving licence
Interested in joining us?
Our young people deserve the best possible future and we feel the same about our teams. You deserve to have the career you want, with a purpose-led employer, in an environment that allows you to be yourself.
The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.
For a full job description and person specification, please click here.
To view our ex-offenders policy please click here.
To view our Child Protection Policy, please visit the 'Parents and Carers' section of this School/Learning centre. You can find all our Schools here.
Special Education / Careers in Care / Careers in Special Education / Working with Children / SEMH / SEN / ASD #INDH
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight any direct experience with ASD or SEMH needs at the top of your CV — the advert lists these as the core client group you will support daily.
📊 Quantify your impact where possible: e.g. 'Supported 6 young people with ASD across daily routines, contributing to a 30% reduction in behavioural incidents over one term'.
🎯 Reference experience with care planning and paperwork specifically, as the advert explicitly lists completing paperwork and planning activities as key duties.
🤝 Mention any experience working alongside multi-disciplinary teams (psychologists, therapists, teaching assistants) as Witherslack Group emphasises their in-house professional network.
🌐 Include any relevant training or qualifications such as Team Teach, safeguarding certificates, or NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care, as the advert values a commitment to ongoing professional development.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Supported 8 young people with ASD and SEMH needs across daily residential routines, contributing to a 25% reduction in morning refusal incidents over one school term through consistent structured prompting.
- •Completed daily care plans and behavioural incident reports for a caseload of 6 pupils in a specialist SEND setting, maintaining 100% documentation compliance during two consecutive Ofsted monitoring visits.
- •Planned and delivered 4 weekly structured activities tailored to the sensory and social needs of young people aged 11–16, resulting in measurable improvements in peer interaction recorded by the school's in-house psychologist.
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Letter preview — tailored to Witherslack Group
Dear Hiring Manager,
Witherslack Group's reputation for specialist SEND provision and its commitment to celebrating every step of a young person's progress is precisely what draws me to the Residential Support Worker role at Oversands School. The emphasis on ASD and SEMH support, combined with a multi-disciplinary team that includes in-house psychologists and therapy professionals, reflects the kind of structured, evidence-informed environment in which I believe I can make a genuine contribution.
My background in residential and educational support has equipped me with practical skills in behaviour management, care planning, and daily living support for young people with complex needs. I have worked alongside teachers, therapists, and safeguarding leads to deliver consistent, person-centred care, and I understand the patience and resilience required to support young people through both setbacks and those hard-won breakthroughs.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you adapt your communication style when supporting a young person with Autistic Spectrum Disorder who is non-verbal or has limited verbal communication?
- ›What strategies have you used to de-escalate challenging behaviour in a residential or school setting?
- ›How do you approach completing care plans and daily documentation accurately while managing a busy shift?
- ›Describe how you would plan a structured activity for a group of young people with varying SEMH needs.
- ›What do you understand by the term 'least restrictive practice' and how does it apply to working with young people in a SEND environment?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you supported a young person through a particularly difficult moment and the positive outcome that followed.
- ›Describe a situation where you had to remain resilient after a challenging day with a young person who was struggling to engage.
- ›Give an example of when you worked effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team to support a young person's progress.
- ›Tell me about a time you noticed a small but significant improvement in a young person's behaviour or wellbeing — how did you recognise and celebrate it?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to balance the emotional demands of the role with maintaining professional boundaries.
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you supported a young person through a particularly difficult moment and the positive outcome that followed.
Describe a situation where you had to remain resilient after a challenging day with a young person who was struggling to engage.