Care staff for services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
We recruit care and support staff for care homes, nursing homes, home care and supported living in Leicester and across Leicestershire and Rutland.
The three council areas are very different places to recruit in: a city where many care staff are on zero-hours contracts, a county with a lower vacancy rate than the region, and a small rural county where keeping staff is the main challenge.
Who regulates care in Leicester
Care services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are registered with the Care Quality Commission, and children’s homes with Ofsted. Before we introduce anyone, we check identity and right to work, an enhanced DBS check with the right barred list, and references from recent care employers.
For rural services in Rutland and the county, we also check drivers’ 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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- Leicester City Council
- Leicestershire County Council
- Rutland County Council
- NHS integrated care board
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- NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Care services in Leicester
Skills for Care estimated that 30 per cent of Leicester’s adult social care workforce was on zero-hours contracts in 2024/25. Leicestershire’s vacancy rate was 5.6 per cent, below the East Midlands average of 7.3 per cent, while Rutland’s was 9.3 per cent.
Rutland County Council’s market position statement, published in May 2026, names the main challenge as retaining skilled workers in a rural labour market with travel pressures, rising costs and strong competition from other sectors.
NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board shares its chair and chief executive with NHS Northamptonshire while remaining a separate board. University Hospitals of Leicester runs three acute sites: the Leicester Royal Infirmary, the Leicester General Hospital and the Glenfield Hospital.
A July 2026 decision to reorganise the three councils was paused in September 2026. Leicester sits where the M1 and M69 meet the A6 and A46.
In the CQC’s July 2025 assessment, Leicester City Council reported enough capacity in residential, nursing and home care, but its market sustainability plan identified that sourcing culturally appropriate nursing care was challenging, with growing demand for double-handed care and culturally appropriate nursing homes from the city’s South Asian communities.
Settings and roles we staff in Leicester
We recruit for every setting and role below across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
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 Leicester
Questions from managers in Leicester
Can you find care staff for a service in rural Rutland?
Yes, with drivers who live within reach. Rutland’s own market position statement names travel pressures as part of the challenge, so we plan for realistic travel times.
Which council do we deal with in Leicester?
Leicester City Council for the city, Leicestershire County Council for the county and Rutland County Council for Rutland. A July 2026 reorganisation decision was paused in September 2026, so all three still run social care.
Can you find staff who speak community languages for a Leicester service?
Tell us the languages and cultural needs of the people you support, and we look for workers who share them. The city council’s own plan names culturally appropriate nursing care as hard to source.
Staff for your service in Leicester
Call with the town and the shifts, or send the vacancy in writing.