Care staff for services in Bristol
We recruit care and support staff for care homes, nursing homes, home care and supported living across the city of Bristol.
Bristol is the largest city in the South West, with an estimated population of 495,300 in mid-2025, and Skills for Care estimated around 15,000 posts in its adult social care in 2024/25.
Who regulates care in Bristol
Bristol care services are registered with the Care Quality Commission, and children’s homes with Ofsted. Before we put anyone forward for a Bristol service, we check identity and right to work, an enhanced DBS check with the right barred list, and references from their recent care employers.
Bristol City Council is a unitary authority, so it runs both adult and children’s social care for the city.
- Care regulator
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) for adult social care. Ofsted registers and inspects children’s homes.
- Criminal record checks
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Care roles are usually checked at enhanced level, with the adults’ or children’s barred list where the work is regulated activity.
- Workforce register
- No national register for care workers. Nurses are on the NMC register, and social workers must be registered with Social Work England.
- Council
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- Bristol City Council
- NHS integrated care board
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- NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board
- Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Care services in Bristol
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board is still a separate body, but it has been run jointly with NHS Gloucestershire since October 2025, sharing a chief executive, and merger planning works on the assumption of a merged board from April 2027. Locally, the system known as Healthier Together organises the city into three locality partnerships: Inner City and East Bristol, North and West Bristol, and South Bristol.
On 1 July 2026, North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston merged to form Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which provides hospital services across Bristol, Weston, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
In July 2026 the government gave the West of England established mayoral strategic authority status. The M32 links the M4 to the city centre, and the M5 meets the M4 at the Almondsbury Interchange, north of Bristol.
Bristol City Council’s commissioning strategy for 2022 to 2025 doubles as its market position statement and is updated every financial year, so providers know the commissioning priorities for the year ahead. National estimates quoted in the CQC’s May 2025 assessment put Bristol’s adult social care vacancy rate at 7.37 per cent in 2023/24.
To help people leave hospital or a care setting quickly, the council introduced a bridging domiciliary care service that supports people while a longer-term package of care is arranged.
Settings and roles we staff in Bristol
We recruit for every setting and role below across Bristol.
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 Bristol
Questions from managers in Bristol
Do you cover South Gloucestershire and North Somerset too?
Yes. The same CQC rules and checks apply across the area, and we look for workers who live near your service.
Can you cover supported living in Bristol?
Yes. Tell us about the people you support and the shifts, and we match support workers on experience, interests and how they will get to you.
Can you supply home care workers for short-term packages?
Yes, where we have suitable workers free. Tell us the start date, the call times and how long the package is expected to run, and we look for workers who live close to the person.
Staff for your service in Bristol
Call with the area of the city and the shifts, or send the vacancy in writing.