Care staff for services in Edinburgh
We recruit care and support staff for care at home, care homes, housing support and supported living services in Edinburgh, for temporary cover and permanent posts.
Most care at home in the city is bought from independent and third sector providers, and it is those providers who need a steady supply of registered staff.
Who regulates care in Edinburgh
Care services in Edinburgh are registered with the Care Inspectorate. Care at home and care home workers must register with the Scottish Social Services Council, usually within six months of starting, with a condition to gain the qualification the role needs, often an SVQ at SCQF level 6.
Every worker we supply for a regulated role must be a member of the PVG scheme, and we confirm membership before they start, as the law requires of agencies. We also check references, training and right to work.
- Care regulator
- Care Inspectorate, which registers care services for adults and children, including care homes, care at home, housing support and nurse agencies.
- Criminal record checks
- Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland, which is a legal requirement for regulated roles.
- Workforce register
- Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) for almost all managers and staff in registered care services, usually within six months of starting. Nurses are on the NMC register.
- Council
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- The City of Edinburgh Council
- NHS board and partnership
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- NHS Lothian
- Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership
Care services in Edinburgh
The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, directed by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, brings together the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian, with over 5,000 staff between them.
The partnership’s annual performance report for 2025/26 says it buys around 137,500 hours of care at home each week for 5,600 people from independent and third sector providers, under the One Edinburgh care at home framework introduced in June 2025. The same report records that three more private care homes closed in 2025/26, removing a further 88 beds.
NHS Lothian employs about 26,000 staff and covers Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian. Edinburgh Trams run from every 10 minutes in the early morning and the evening, which helps staff on early and late shifts along the line.
The One Edinburgh framework gives the partnership a single rate for community-based care at home services across its provider partners. Care home capacity has shifted: an 85-bed home closed in 2024/25, three more private homes closed in 2025/26, and a new private home opened in March 2026. The average number of hospital beds occupied by people waiting for a care home fell from a peak of 72 in 2024/25 to a five-year low of 46 in 2025/26.
Settings and roles we staff in Edinburgh
We recruit for every setting and role below across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
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 Edinburgh
Questions from managers in Edinburgh
Do you supply care at home workers for providers on the One Edinburgh framework?
Yes. Care at home workers in Scotland must register with the SSSC, and we check each worker’s registration and PVG membership before we offer them.
Can a worker registered with the SSSC in Glasgow work in Edinburgh?
Yes. The SSSC register covers the whole of Scotland. What matters is that the worker is registered, or within their first six months, for the kind of role they will do.
Can you help a new or expanding care home in Edinburgh?
Yes. Tell us how many beds you are opening and when. We recruit care home staff who are registered with the SSSC or within their registration period, confirm their PVG membership, and plan start dates with you so the rota grows as the beds fill.
Staff for your service in Edinburgh
Call with the service and the shifts, or send the vacancy in writing.