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Building futures together. Eight levels, published pay and every qualification funded - for Support Workers, Champions of Care, Deputy and House Managers across England and Wales.

Why we're different.

The complex care sector is facing a crisis of talent retention. Too many good people leave not because they stopped caring, but because they could not see a future. Traditional recruitment treats care work as transactional — fill the gap, cover the shift, hope they stay. We built something else entirely.

Our pathway runs from Support Worker to Area Manager across eight progressive levels, each with a published pay rate, defined entry criteria and a funded qualification attached. Progression is measured on demonstrated excellence, not time served — and every qualification you earn belongs to you for the rest of your career, wherever it takes you.

It matters because our young people feel it. The single biggest predictor of a stable placement is a team that stays, and people stay where they can see the next step clearly enough to plan for it.

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Our care ethos.

At the heart of everything sits CARE; for our young people, for each other and for your future. It is a partnership, not a perk: Career & Progression, Accountability & Culture, Recognition & Relationships, Excellence & Improvement. Each element builds on the others, and each carries a commitment from us and an expectation of you.

Career pathway

At ENS Care & Support, we believe progression should feel clear, supported and achievable. Each stage reflects meaningful growth in responsibility, knowledge and impact.

Level One

Support Worker

This is where passion meets professional development. You provide hands-on, personalised care and build meaningful relationships with young people while learning to become a skilled practitioner who understands complex needs, delivering genuine care from day one.

Salary
£27,040
£13.00 per hour
Entry requirements
No experience necessary – we provide comprehensive training from the first week.
Development qualifications
Working towards induction workbook and a successful probation.
Key competencies
Basic care skills, safeguarding, record keeping, relationship building, communication.
Support provided
Weekly supervision, peer mentoring, foundational training programme.
Key criteria for progression
Completed induction, confident core care delivery and consistent, safe practice evidenced in supervision.

Level Two

Champion of Care

You are now a confident care worker showing initiative and taking on additional responsibility. You build on your foundation skills, develop your own approach to care delivery, work more independently and begin mentoring newer colleagues.

Salary
£29,120

£14.00 per hour

Entry requirements
Successful probation, demonstrated competency in core care skills, positive performance reviews.
Development qualifications
Enrolment onto Level 2/3 qualification and demonstrated competency.
Key competencies
Independent care delivery, basic mentoring, incident management, activity planning, collaborative working with external professionals.
Support provided
Fortnightly supervision, skills development workshops, shadowing with Senior Champions.
Key criteria for progression
Sustained independent practice and visible contribution to team cohesion and outcomes.

Level Three

Senior Champion of Care

This is where expertise meets specialisation. You deliver enhanced care, mentor new Champions and develop advanced skills in a chosen specialism — working with more complex cases and leading interventions others look to for guidance.

Salary
£31,200

£15.00 per hour

Entry requirements
Enrolment onto Level 2/3 qualification and demonstrated competency.
Development qualifications
Completion of Level 2 and 3 Health & Social Care Practice – Children & Young People.
Key competencies
Advanced therapeutic techniques, crisis intervention, mentoring new staff, specialised care approaches.
Support provided
Monthly development sessions, cross-house experience opportunities, advanced training programmes.
Key criteria for progression
Completion of Level 3, evidence of specialist practice and mentoring impact on colleagues.

Level Four

Deputy Manager

This is where leadership meets care expertise. You are an encouraging manager balancing team responsibility with hands-on support, accountable for outcomes while creating the conditions for others to excel.

Salary
£37,440
£18.00 per hour
Entry requirements
Completion of Level 2 and 3 Health & Social Care Practice — Children & Young People.
Development qualifications
Level 4 and 5 Leadership and Management qualifications, including Professional Practice and Leadership preparation programmes.
Key competencies
Team management, regulatory compliance, performance management, relationship building, leadership development.
Support provided
Leadership development programme, management shadowing, regulatory training, senior management mentoring.
Key criteria for progression
Confident supervision of others, strong regulatory record and readiness for registered responsibility.

Level Five

House Manager

This is where strategic leadership meets service excellence. You are responsible for service delivery, staff development and outstanding outcomes for young people, accountable for daily operations and long-term improvement.

Salary
£44,990
£21.63 per hour
Entry requirements
Level 3 minimum with management experience and demonstrated leadership competency, plus enrolment onto Level 4 Leadership and Management.
Development qualifications
Level 5 Leadership & Management of Health & Social Care Practice.
Key competencies
Strategic planning, budget management, regulatory compliance leadership, recruitment and retention, partnership working, safeguarding oversight.
Support provided
Senior leadership mentoring, strategic management training, peer manager networks, annual leadership conferences.
Key criteria for progression
Registered leadership of a home with strong CIW/Ofsted outcomes and a stable, well-supported staff team.

Level Six

Experienced House Manager

This is where you lead with strategic excellence. You provide oversight, drive excellence in care delivery and develop future leaders, focusing on innovation, service improvement and a culture that transforms young lives.

Salary
£55,000
£26.44 per hour
Entry requirements
Minimum 12 months as a House Manager with consistently outstanding CIW/Ofsted outcomes and completion of Level 5.
Development qualifications
Advanced specialist training in trauma-informed practice, therapeutic crisis intervention or regulatory excellence.
Key competencies
Strategic care planning and innovation, advanced budget management, mentoring Deputy Managers, building partnerships with authorities, leading quality improvement.
Support provided
Fully funded Level 6 qualification, quarterly leadership forums, one-to-one coaching, innovation fund access, annual excellence awards.
Key criteria for progression
Two or more inspection cycles rated Good or above and demonstrable development of other leaders.

Level Seven

Dual-Registered Manager

This is where your leadership expands across services. You lead two registered children's homes, ensuring consistency of care while managing complexity at scale without diluting the quality of practice in either.

Salary
£60,000

£28.85 per hour

Entry requirements
Minimum two years as a House Manager with a proven track record of excellence and completion of Level 5.
Development qualifications
Enrolment onto Level 7 Leadership and Management; cross-service management training.
Key competencies
Leading multiple teams across settings, consistency of therapeutic approach, complex resource allocation, strategic workforce planning.
Support provided
Fully funded Level 7, specialised multi-home management programme, operational support during transition, monthly peer supervision, flexible working.
Key criteria for progression
Consistent outcomes across both registrations and evidence of developing Registered Managers beneath you.

Level Eight

Area Manager

This is where strategic leadership meets operational excellence. You manage homes directly while providing strategic oversight across the cluster, focused on performance, quality assurance and developing the next generation of Registered Managers.

Salary
£65,000
£31.25 per hour
Entry requirements
Minimum three years in management roles with proven outstanding care outcomes and a strong regulatory compliance record.
Development qualifications
Enrolment onto Level 7 Leadership and Management; strategic leadership development programme.
Key competencies
Operational responsibility across multiple homes, mentoring developing Registered Managers, performance management and quality assurance, cultural alignment.
Support provided

Fully funded Level 7 Leadership qualification, executive coaching, comprehensive area-leadership development, national networking with children’s residential leaders.

Key criteria for progression
Sustained cluster-level performance and a visible pipeline of leaders developed from within.

Our values.

We don’t prepare for inspection. We live it. Every day, in every decision, through continuous improvement and transparent governance that doesn’t waver when a placement is at its most difficult.

These three values are the practice framework in miniature. They shape how we recruit, how we supervise and how we stay steady under pressure.

Consistency

Serving notice is a genuine last resort, never a routine answer to difficulty. When a placement becomes hard, we step in and step up, because every move a child survives teaches them that adults leave. We stay as long as it is safe and right.

Curiosity

We meet behaviour with wonder, not judgement. Every outburst, silence and risk is a message we are trained to read, and a care plan we keep rewriting until it fits the child in front of us. Nothing is dismissed; everything is understood.

Compassion

Care is not a service plan. It is a relationship, built slowly and held faithfully by the people who show up every day. We invest in those people so they can be the constant a child learns to trust, even on the hardest days.

What you'll receive

More than just a job; a complete package designed to support your career, wellbeing and future. From day one, you’ll have access to comprehensive benefits that invest in your development, protect your wellbeing and recognise your contribution.

Fully funded qualifications

We invest in every qualification you need—from Care Certificate to NVQ Level 5. All costs covered, no waiting lists, with on-site training facilities.

Clear career progression

Transparent pathway from Support Worker to Registered Manager with meaningful pay increases at every level. Progress without leaving ENS.

Continuous career mentorship

You'll always have someone to guide, encourage and help you grow. Every team member receives regular supervision and dedicated support.

Flexible working patterns

Choose shifts that fit your lifestyle. We work around your availability, whether you want full-time, part-time or bank hours.

Specialist development

Develop clinical skills in PEG feeding, tracheostomy care, ventilator support and complex presentations with expert training.

24/7 back office support

Expert consultants available on every shift via phone. You're never alone, providing guidance and backup whenever you need it.

Mental health & wellbeing

Comprehensive mental health support and wellbeing resources. We prioritize your health with accessible guidance.

Recognition culture

Your hard work is genuinely noticed and appreciated. Regular recognition, thank yous and rewards for your dedication.

Supportive leadership

Zero tolerance approach to poor leadership. Work in an environment where respect, teamwork and support are the standard.

Company events

Join exciting team events throughout the year. Be part of a culture that celebrates achievements and builds community.

Referral scheme & bonuses

Earn generous bonuses when you refer someone to join our team. Help us grow while earning extra cash.

Refer someone to us

Know someone who would be brilliant with our young people? Refer them and, if they join and stay, we will thank you properly. The best people in complex care usually come recommended by the people already doing it.
Make a referral

Shortlisted for the Workforce Development Award

Bluestones Complex Care has been shortlisted for the Workforce Development Award at the Children & Young People Now Awards 2026. It is one of the most competitive categories in the sector, judged on evidence of real, sustained investment in the people who deliver care, not on promises, policies or brochures.

For a prospective employee, that matters. It means our career pathway is not an internal document we wrote about ourselves. It has been held up to external scrutiny by a judging panel of sector leaders and found to be genuinely distinctive; a funding commitment, a progression structure and a culture of development that holds up when someone else looks closely.

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