Working at Seashell is a rewarding and educational experience. The role of a residential support worker at Seashell includes a range of activities, responsibilities and daily challenges. So, what is a residential support worker? Continue reading to find out more about their daily responsibilities and residential support worker qualifications.
What is a residential support worker?
The role of a residential support worker is to offer care to individuals who are unable to fully care for themselves. A residential support worker at Seashell works within our support homes to care for individuals with complex needs and disabilities.
Our support homes, which are open 24 hours a day, are the most in-demand and commonly utilised service at Seashell. Young adults and children live there alongside attending school and college.
The staff at our Seashell support homes provide guidance and care to all individuals who stay there. The support includes personal care regarding eating, washing, taking medication, and helping with social activities, such as day trips or outings. One of the main focuses of the role of a residential support worker is to help prepare the young adults and children and teach them life-long skills, so they can use them once they’ve left Seashell’s care.
Residential support worker qualifications
To work as a residential support worker, you’ll need A-C grades or grade 4 and above in GCSE English and maths, or the equivalent level 2 qualification in literacy and numeracy. If this has not been achieved, or cannot be evidenced, a candidate must commit to completing a functional skills exam to level 2 standard prior to completion of the apprenticeship qualification.
Maisy, who currently works for Seashell as a residential support worker, achieved a level 2 in Health and Social Care in high school.
What does the day-to-day of a residential support worker look like?
The daily life of a residential support worker is a busy and challenging one, but is extremely rewarding. Maisy says her day-to-day starts with “logging on to the system to check on the rota if I’m based within the house on that day, or working in a hands-on role.”
If she’s hands-on, she will “support the young adult I’m working with. This type of work involves engaging in activities with the individual, completing their daily recordings and providing complete care throughout the day.”
If not in a hands-on role that day, she’ll get some coursework done to complete her qualifications, as well as provide general support around the home.
Other areas of Seashell a residential support worker helps with
The role of a residential support worker at Seashell involves more than just working within our support homes.
Occasionally, residential support workers help at the Royal College and school. Support workers will get individuals up in the morning and help them to get dressed before walking them over to the college or school. They will also receive feedback from their teachers about how best to maintain the knowledge and skills while back within their house.
How rewarding is working as a support worker at Seashell?
The most rewarding aspect of being a residential support worker at Seashell, according to Maisy, is being able to work with young people every day, helping them to build key life skills. It is especially rewarding when an individual is struggling with an activity within the house, and the care the support worker helps them to learn and improve, helping them to overcome their struggles.
Work with Seashell
If being a residential support worker at Seashell appeals to you, consider checking our open vacancies now and work with us. We have a wide range of work opportunities at Seashell, including residential support worker openings.
If you’d like to work at Seashell and care for amazing people, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk.
