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Care Recruitment 020 8240 7884
Call 020 8240 7884

Care and support staff for services across the UK

We find care assistants, support workers, nurses, managers and ancillary staff for care providers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Book temporary cover for the gaps in your rota, or ask us to recruit for a permanent post.

Before we introduce anyone, we check their identity and right to work, the criminal record check that fits the role and the nation, their references and work history, their training, and any professional registration the role needs.

Call 020 8240 7884 Send a vacancy Register for care work

A care worker in a lilac tunic and glasses laughs with an older woman in a green hooded top.

Where to start

You run a care service

Tell us the role, the shift times and the postcode of your service. We offer people whose checks are complete, send you a profile for each one, and agree our terms with you in writing before anyone starts.

  • Temporary cover for single shifts, block bookings, holidays and sickness
  • Permanent recruitment, including nurses, deputies and registered managers
  • Temp to perm, when a temporary worker turns out to suit your team

Send a vacancy

You want work in care

Register once and we offer you shifts or permanent jobs that fit your checks, your experience and the hours you can work. UK law does not allow an agency to charge you a fee for finding you work, and we never ask for one.

  • Care assistant, support worker, nursing, management, social work, kitchen and domestic roles
  • Temporary shifts, regular blocks or a permanent post
  • A clear list of the documents to bring before your checks start

Register for care work

Common shift patterns in UK care

Most services build their rota from a handful of shift types. The chart shows patterns that are common in care homes, nursing homes and supported living services. Your own times may differ by half an hour or more, so give us the exact hours from your rota when you book.

Common UK care shift patterns across a 24-hour day. Each service sets its own times.
  • Early to or
  • Late to
  • Long day to
  • Waking night or to or
  • Sleep-in to A worker sleeps at the service and gets up if someone needs help. The service sets the hours and says what happens if the night is disturbed.

Care settings we recruit for

Each setting has its own regulator, its own checks and its own rhythm to the day. Choose yours to see the roles it usually needs, the checks we run and how cover works.

  • Care homes Residential homes where people live with care and support around the clock.
  • Nursing homes Care homes that provide nursing care, with registered nurses on the rota day and night.
  • Home care Visits to people in their own homes to help with personal care, meals and medicines.
  • Supported living People with their own tenancies and a support team who help them live the way they choose.
  • Learning disability and autism Support for autistic people and people with a learning disability, in any setting.
  • Mental health services Care homes, supported accommodation and community support for people with mental health needs.
  • Children’s homes Residential homes for children and young people who cannot live with their families.
  • Housing support Help to keep a tenancy and live independently, in supported housing or in people’s own homes.
  • Respite and day services Short breaks for people and their carers, and daytime support and activities.

What we check before we introduce anyone

The law says what a care provider must hold for each person who works in its service, and the detail changes between the four nations. We gather it before we put anyone forward, so the file is ready when you ask for it.

  1. Identity and right to work in the UK, checked from original documents or through the Home Office online service
  2. A criminal record check at the level the role needs: DBS in England and Wales, PVG membership in Scotland, AccessNI in Northern Ireland
  3. References from recent employers, with a full work history and a written explanation of any gaps
  4. Professional registration where the role needs it, such as the NMC register for nurses
  5. Training certificates, a health declaration and an interview with us

Read how our screening works

Where we recruit across the UK

We recruit for care services in all four nations. The map shows who regulates care in each one. The places listed below have their own page, with the councils, NHS bodies and checks that apply there.

The four nations of the United Kingdom, shaded by care regulator England: England. Scotland: Scotland. Wales: Wales. Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland. Pins mark the areas listed on this page.
  • England: Care Quality Commission
  • Scotland: Care Inspectorate
  • Wales: Care Inspectorate Wales
  • Northern Ireland: Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority

Roles we recruit for

From the care assistant on an early shift to the registered manager who signs off the rota, and the cooks and housekeepers who keep a home running.

  • Care assistant Personal care and everyday support in care homes, nursing homes and respite services.
  • Senior care assistant Leads the care team on shift, gives medicines and keeps care plans up to date.
  • Home care worker Works on runs of home visits, helping people keep living in their own homes.
  • Support worker Helps people live independently in supported living, and learning disability and mental health services.
  • Senior support worker Leads a support team on shift, guides colleagues and keeps support plans current.
  • Registered nurse (RGN) Registered general nurses for nursing homes and care homes with nursing.
  • Mental health nurse (RMN) Registered mental health nurses for nursing homes and specialist mental health services.
  • Registered manager Runs a care service and is registered with the regulator as the manager responsible for it.
  • Deputy manager Second in charge of a care service, leading the team when the manager is not there.
  • Residential childcare worker Cares for children and young people living in children’s homes.
  • Social worker Registered social workers for assessment, care planning and review in social care services.
  • Housing support worker Helps people keep their tenancy and manage day to day, in supported housing or at home.
  • Kitchen and domestic staff Cooks, kitchen assistants, housekeepers and laundry staff for care homes.

Questions managers ask us

If I ring on a Friday afternoon for weekend cover, what happens?

Ring before 17:30 and we will tell you who we can offer for the weekend shifts and send their profiles. Our office is closed on Saturday and Sunday, so weekend cover has to be arranged by Friday afternoon.

Can you send the same person back if my residents got on well with them?

Yes, if they are free. Tell us who worked well and we offer them first for your next shifts. We plan block bookings the same way, because the people you support do better with faces they know.

What will I see about a worker before they arrive?

A profile that confirms their identity and right to work checks, the level and date of their criminal record check, their references, their qualifications and training, and their registration where the role needs one.

Do care workers pay you to find them shifts?

No. Agencies in the UK are not allowed to charge work-seekers a fee for finding them work, and we never ask for one.

How do you work out what a shift costs me?

Each charge rate is built from the worker’s pay, their holiday pay, employer’s National Insurance, pension contributions and our margin. We agree the rate with you in writing before anyone starts.

Our office in Thornton Heath

Care Recruitment
30 High St, Thornton Heath CR7 8LE
Phone 020 8240 7884
Email info@carerecruitment.net

See where we are on Google Maps

Office hours

Monday to Friday
to
Saturday and Sunday
Closed

Emails that arrive outside these hours are read when the office reopens. For anything that cannot wait until then, phone first thing on the next weekday.