Care staff for services in Oxfordshire
We recruit care and support staff for care homes, nursing homes, home care and supported living across Oxfordshire, from Banbury in the north to the towns of the south.
Oxfordshire County Council’s own care workforce strategy names two local problems: the cost of housing, and the time it takes to travel between rural visits.
Who regulates care in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire care services are registered with the Care Quality Commission, and children’s homes with Ofsted. Before we introduce anyone to an Oxfordshire service, we check identity and right to work, an enhanced DBS check with the right barred list, and references from recent care employers.
Nurses are checked on the NMC register, and drivers on home care runs have their licence and insurance for driving to work visits checked.
- 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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- Oxfordshire County Council
- NHS integrated care board
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- NHS Thames Valley Integrated Care Board
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Care services in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Council runs adult and children’s social care across the county; the five district councils do not. Its adult social care workforce strategy for 2026 to 2028 says the county has some of the highest house prices, highest rents and lowest affordability in England outside London, and names long travel times, limited public transport and an uneven spread of workers as barriers.
Skills for Care put staff turnover in Oxfordshire’s adult social care at 30.6 per cent in 2024/25, with a vacancy rate of 8.0 per cent.
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust runs the John Radcliffe, the Churchill and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. NHS services are planned by NHS Thames Valley Integrated Care Board, which replaced the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West board on 1 April 2026.
In Oxford, community health and care workers can apply for permits under the city’s traffic filter scheme. The A34 and M40 reach the northern edge of the city at the Pear Tree park and ride. A July 2026 decision to reorganise the county’s councils was paused in September 2026.
The county’s care home framework bands needs from 1, residential, to 4, complex nursing, and the CQC’s September 2025 assessment noted limited choice of care homes in more rural areas. In July 2024, 54 per cent of homecare referrals were sourced within 48 hours, according to data the council gave the CQC.
Settings and roles we staff in Oxfordshire
We recruit for every setting and role below across Oxfordshire.
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 Oxfordshire
Questions from managers in Oxfordshire
Can your home care drivers get through Oxford’s traffic filters?
Community health and care workers can apply to Oxfordshire County Council for a traffic filter permit. We make sure drivers covering Oxford runs know about it before they start.
Can you find staff who live in rural Oxfordshire?
We look first for workers who live near your service, because long travel times are one of the barriers the council’s workforce strategy names.
Is there enough care home choice in rural Oxfordshire?
Not always. The CQC’s 2025 assessment noted limited choice of care homes in more rural areas. For rural homes we look for staff who live nearby, and we are clear with candidates about travel before they apply.
Staff for your service in Oxfordshire
Call with the town and the shifts, or send the vacancy in writing.