Care staff for services in Kent and Medway
We recruit care and support staff for care homes, nursing homes, home care and supported living across Kent and Medway, from the Medway towns to the coast.
Kent is a large and mostly rural county, and its rural and coastal services face different staffing problems from those in the towns.
Who regulates care in Kent
Kent and Medway care services are registered with the Care Quality Commission, and children’s homes with Ofsted. Every worker we put forward for a Kent service has had their identity and right to work checked, an enhanced DBS check with the barred list the role needs, and references from recent care work.
For home care runs through the county’s villages, we also check driving licences and insurance that covers driving for work.
- 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.
- Councils
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- Kent County Council, for Kent’s 12 districts
- Medway Council
- NHS integrated care board
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- NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board
- East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Care services in Kent
The CQC’s assessment of Kent County Council, published in May 2025, records that at least 72.7 per cent of the land in each of Kent’s 12 districts is rural, and that the council serves about 1.61 million people. Smaller care homes are concentrated in the coastal districts, and there were no nursing homes on the Isle of Sheppey.
The council recognised difficulties in recruiting and keeping social care staff across providers, and set up a Care Sector Hub with NHS Kent and Medway. Skills for Care estimated 44,000 filled posts and 2,700 vacancies in Kent’s adult social care in 2024/25, with turnover of 22.6 per cent. In Medway, the CQC described workforce, recruitment and retention as a significant challenge to the stability of the local provider market.
Ministers decided in July 2026 to replace Kent’s councils with four unitary councils from April 2028, but on 7 September 2026 the government paused that work while it reviews the programme. For now, Kent County Council and Medway Council remain responsible for social care.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust runs the Kent and Canterbury, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and William Harvey hospitals.
In the 12 months to September 2024, four older people’s residential and nursing homes in Kent closed. West Kent has more nursing homes, while the east of the county has a greater number of smaller independent homes. As of March 2023 there were 263 older people’s care homes in the county, 189 of them on the council’s framework contract.
Settings and roles we staff in Kent
We recruit for every setting and role below across Kent and Medway.
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 Kent
Questions from managers in Kent
Can you staff a care home on the coast?
Yes. Tell us the town and the shifts. Coastal and rural homes can be harder to reach, so we look for workers who live locally or drive.
Is Kent County Council still the council to deal with?
Yes. The July 2026 decision to create new unitary councils was paused in September 2026, so Kent County Council and Medway Council still run adult and children’s social care.
Do you cover the Isle of Sheppey?
Yes. The CQC noted that the island had no nursing homes, so most care work there is in residential homes and home care, and we look for workers who live on or near the island.
Staff for your service in Kent
Call with the town and the shifts, or send the vacancy in writing.