Care staff for services in Belfast
We recruit care and support staff for residential care homes, nursing homes, domiciliary care and supported living in Belfast, and we are clear about which services we can supply on a temporary basis in Northern Ireland.
Social care in Northern Ireland is organised differently from the rest of the UK: health and social care trusts run it, and councils have no social services role.
Who regulates care in Belfast
Care services in Belfast are registered and inspected by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). Social care managers and practitioners in residential care, day care, domiciliary care and supported living must register with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC), new starters within six months. Criminal record checks are made through AccessNI, usually at enhanced level with barred list information.
Agencies that supply nurses, or care workers to work in people’s own homes, must themselves register with RQIA as nursing agencies or domiciliary care agencies. In Northern Ireland the conduct regulations also require an employment business to agree terms with the hirer before supplying anyone.
- Care regulator
- Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), which registers residential care homes, nursing homes, domiciliary care agencies, day care settings, children’s homes and nursing agencies.
- Criminal record checks
- AccessNI. Care roles usually need an enhanced check, which includes barred list information for regulated activity.
- Workforce register
- Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) for social care managers and practitioners, and for social workers. Nurses are on the NMC register.
- Council
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- Belfast City Council, which has no social services role
- Health and social care trust
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- Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
- Department of Health Strategic Planning and Performance Group
Care services in Belfast
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is the largest integrated health and social care trust in the United Kingdom, providing both hospital services and social care in the city. The Health and Social Care Board was dissolved in 2022, and its work passed to the Department of Health’s Strategic Planning and Performance Group.
Independent providers delivered 86 per cent of domiciliary care hours in Belfast during the Department of Health’s 2023 survey week, published in December 2024.
The Northern Ireland Audit Office reported in May 2026 that spending on agency nursing in Northern Ireland had tripled in six years, reaching £162 million in 2024 to 2025, and that a further 2,195 nurses were needed for safe and effective staffing levels. The trust’s Corporate Plan for 2026 to 2031 lists workforce shortages among its pressures.
The G1 Glider stops at the Falls Road entrance to the Royal Hospitals site.
Settings and roles we staff in Belfast
These are the settings and roles we recruit for in Belfast; ask us first about temporary nurse and home care supply.
Care settings
- 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.
Roles
- 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.
Areas near Belfast
Questions from managers in Belfast
Can you supply agency nurses or home care workers in Belfast?
Agencies that supply nurses, or care workers to people’s own homes, must be registered with RQIA as nursing or domiciliary care agencies, so call us before you book to hear what we can offer. We recruit permanent staff for Belfast services in every role.
Do Belfast workers need NISCC registration?
Yes. Social care managers and practitioners in residential care, day care, domiciliary care and supported living must register with NISCC, new starters within six months. We check registration before we offer anyone.
Will you agree terms before supplying staff?
Yes. In Northern Ireland the conduct regulations require an employment business to agree terms with the hirer before supplying anyone, and we send ours when you first contact us.
Staff for your service in Belfast
Call to talk through the service and the shifts, or send the vacancy in writing.