Residential Social Care Worker

Role overview

Ashdale Care in Ireland is looking for a Residential Social Care Worker to support children and young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs. The position is based in Tullamore, County Offaly, and focuses on helping create a safe, stable, nurturing environment where young people can build hope, confidence, and positive futures.

You’ll join a collaborative therapeutic team committed to child-centred care, rebuilding lives, and supporting young people through consistent, compassionate practice.

Pay and benefits

• Annual salary range: €33,230 to €38,932, depending on experience, plus sleep-in allowances of around €9,500 each year.
• Yearly salary review.
• Income protection cover.
• Enhanced maternity leave: 13 weeks on full pay and 13 weeks on half pay.
• Paternity leave: 4 weeks on full pay.
• Access to strong internal and external training.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Annual leave package with extra days added for long service.
• Employee pension scheme.
• Sick pay.
• Accelerated Social Care Leader Programme.
• Management training programme.
• Education assistance programme.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Priority access to future career opportunities as the organisation expands across Ireland.

What the role involves

The role includes direct care work, therapeutic support, and active participation in daily home life. You will build respectful relationships with young people and their families, support wellbeing, and help maintain a positive, trauma-informed residential setting.

Work starts with 3 weeks of training in County Offaly. The new home is scheduled to open in September.

Working pattern

Support shifts are typically 8 to 10 hours, for example 10am to 8pm or 12pm to 10pm.

Sleep-in shifts follow a late/early pattern lasting 18 hours: starting at 10am to 12am, sleeping in the home from 12am to 7am, and finishing from 7am to 11am. Sleep-in hours are paid at a separate hourly rate in addition to contracted hours.

Key duties

• Develop warm, respectful and genuine relationships with young people and their families.
• Help maintain a welcoming, secure, caring and therapeutic home environment.
• Support and uphold each young person’s rights while encouraging physical, emotional, social, cultural, ethnic and spiritual wellbeing.
• Safeguard young people from abuse and follow policy and reporting procedures for any concerns.
• Supervise outings and carry out day-to-day household tasks such as cooking and cleaning as part of positive role modelling.
• Work actively within the Model of Therapeutic Care.
• Provide safe physical support when challenging behaviour requires it.
• Offer emotional reassurance during stressful or difficult periods.
• Involve young people in care planning, placement planning, decision-making and service delivery.
• Apply trauma-informed practice using specialist training such as Developmental Trauma and Attachment.
• Work closely with social workers, educators, guardians, family members and other support networks.
• Communicate effectively within the team through handovers, meetings, reviews and planning sessions.
• Give and receive constructive feedback with colleagues and managers.
• Maintain consistency in the implementation of childcare plans.
• Prepare accurate records and reports in line with statutory obligations and internal policies.
• Carry out key worker responsibilities, including petty cash handling, receipt tracking, secure storage of money and valuables, and acting as a main contact for professionals, family and the young person.
• Support community engagement and external partnerships to broaden residents’ experiences and opportunities.

Requirements

• Willingness and ability to work in a regulated setting caring for and supervising young people.
• Full clean driving licence.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, shift patterns and expectations.
• A Level 7 qualification or higher in one of the listed fields: Social Care, Social Work, Psychology, Health and Social, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy, Youth & Community, Teaching, Nursing, Social Science, Addiction Counselling, Counselling/Psychotherapy, Family Support, Disability Studies, Applied Behavioural Analysis, Early Years Care, Applied Policing, Higher Certificate in Custodial Care (Irish Prison Service).
• Alternatively, CORU registration as a Social Care Worker.

About Ashdale Care

Ashdale Care is a leading provider of specialised therapeutic residential care for children and young people in Ireland. The organisation supports young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs who cannot be adequately cared for in mainstream settings.

With more than 20 years of experience, the company follows a child-first approach built on compassionate, evidence-based therapeutic care. Its homes use the CARE model, supported by an in-house Therapeutic Support Team that includes psychologists, occupational therapists, art therapists, teachers and behaviour therapists.

The culture at Ashdale Care is centred on helping children build relationships, develop life skills and grow in a safe environment. Team members receive extensive training, opportunities for development and recognition for commitment and performance.

Additional information

Closing date for applications: Friday 26th June, 2026.

Contract type: Full time.

Salary advertised from €42,730.00 yearly to €48,432.00 yearly.

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