Children's homes recruitment

At Gloucestershire County Council, we want every child and young person in our care, including our care leavers, to thrive close to the people and places that matter to them. That means growing up within the county, staying connected to their family and friends, and continuing at the schools they know and love.

To make this ambition a reality, we’re expanding and developing our own children’s homes here in Gloucestershire, and we’re building exceptional teams to bring them to life.

A Message from Isabel Santos, Head of Children's Residential Service

Every child deserves someone who believes in them. Join us and be that person.

I am incredibly proud of our Children's Residential Service and the dedicated teams who make a difference to children's lives every day. We currently have three operational children's homes, each providing high-quality care within nurturing, therapeutic and trauma-informed environments. While every home has its own identity, they all share the same ethos: helping children and young people feel safe, valued and supported to achieve the best possible outcomes. Alongside our children's homes, we are proud to operate a well-established Short Breaks Home for children with disabilities. Often described by children and families as a "home away from home", the service provides children with opportunities to develop independence, build friendships, enjoy new experiences and create lasting memories, while offering families valuable support and respite.

We are also expanding our service and are currently progressing the registration and opening of our new Supported Accommodation service. This exciting development will enable us to support more young people as they build independence, develop life skills and prepare for adulthood in a safe and supportive environment.

As our services continue to grow, our ambition is to increase the number of children and young people we can support across our homes and services. To achieve this, we need the right people to join our teams, people who share our values, are committed to building meaningful relationships, and want to make a lasting difference in young people's lives.

Working in children's residential care can be challenging at times. Our children and young people have often experienced adversity and need adults who can provide patience, consistency and understanding. However, it is also one of the most rewarding careers you can choose. Being part of a child's journey, celebrating their achievements, helping them overcome challenges and watching them grow in confidence are moments that stay with you forever.

One of our greatest strengths is the strong partnership working we have established across Gloucestershire County Council and with our external partners. Our teams work closely with social workers, education professionals, health services, therapists, fostering services and community organisations to ensure children and young people receive the right support at the right time. This collaborative approach helps our staff feel supported and enables us to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

Whether you already have experience in residential childcare, short breaks services, or supported accommodation, or you are looking to start a rewarding new career, we are committed to helping you succeed. We offer an outstanding training and development programme, access to recognised qualifications, specialist trauma-informed training, and clear opportunities for career progression.

We believe that investing in our workforce is essential to delivering exceptional care. When you join us, you will be joining a service that values learning, embraces innovation, and supports you to become the best practitioner you can be.

This is an exciting time to join us. Not only will you be supporting children and young people today, but you will also have the opportunity to help shape and influence the future of our growing services.

We cannot achieve our ambition for children and young people without skilled, compassionate and committed people. If you share our values and want a career where every day has meaning, I encourage you to join us as we continue to grow and shape services that change lives.

We’re recruiting: Be part of something meaningful

Over the coming months, we’ll be advertising a wide range of senior roles and frontline practitioner positions across our newly registered homes and those progressing through registration. Everyone who joins us will become part of our dedicated, compassionate, and ambitious children’s services workforce.

Who we’re looking for:

If you already hold a Level 3 qualification in children’s residential care and have sector experience — we’d love to hear from you.
But qualifications aren’t everything. If you’re passionate about making a difference, have the right values, and want a role with purpose, we want to talk to you too.
We welcome applications from people seeking a new career in children’s social care, who are ready to play a vital role in supporting our most vulnerable children and young people.

Wherever you’re starting from, we’ll support you to grow.

Please check our vacancies live here

Outstanding training and career development

Our class‑leading Social Work Academy will support you every step of the way with:

A dedicated training and development programme
Opportunities to gain qualifications
Professional accreditation support

You’ll join a workforce that invests in you as much as you invest in the children you care for.

Learning from lived experience

We’re incredibly proud of our 15 Ambassadors, young people with lived experience of Children’s Social Care and Early Help who work within our Participation Team.

Ambassadors play a key role in our recruitment and training. If you join us, you’ll receive bespoke training led by our Ambassadors, including:

Their experiences and insights
Practical guidance
Their nationally recognised "Language That Cares" resources

This is part of our commitment to ensuring children’s voices are heard in everything we do.

A trauma-informed, child-centred approach

We’re committed to working in a trauma‑informed way and ensuring children, young people, and families receive the right support at the right time. Our strong partnerships across the county help us deliver the highest standards of care.

If you want to be part of a forward‑thinking, sector‑leading Children’s Services team, one that’s influencing practice across the Southwest, we would love to welcome you.

Stay connected

We’ll be sharing all our upcoming opportunities on this page, so please check back regularly. Your next meaningful career move could be right here with us.

Follow us on social media @GCCSocialWork (Facebook & X), we’ll post all opportunities as they go live.

If you have any questions or queries please reach out to ChildrenHomeRecruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk