Care staff for services in Sussex, Brighton and Hove
We recruit care and support staff for care homes, nursing homes, home care and supported living across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
Sussex has an older population than most of England and a long line of coastal towns, and both shape the care it needs.
Who regulates care in Sussex
Sussex care services are registered with the Care Quality Commission, and children’s homes with Ofsted. Before we introduce anyone to a Sussex service, we confirm their identity and right to work, an enhanced DBS check with the right barred list, references from recent care employers, and their training.
Nurses are checked on the NMC register, with their revalidation date recorded, before their first shift.
- 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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- West Sussex County Council
- East Sussex County Council
- Brighton and Hove City Council
- NHS integrated care board
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- NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Care services in Sussex
In East Sussex, 26 per cent of the population is aged 65 or over, against 18 per cent across England, according to the CQC’s assessment of the county council published in October 2025. A number of nursing homes there have closed in the past ten years, and most new homes have offered residential care only.
The CQC’s West Sussex assessment, published in August 2025, notes a high concentration of coastal communities, in Shoreham-by-Sea, Littlehampton, Worthing, Bognor Regis, Selsey and Chichester.
NHS services are planned by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board, created on 1 April 2026 from NHS Sussex and NHS Surrey Heartlands. The Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority was set up in 2026, with its first mayoral election due on 4 May 2028, and the councils keep responsibility for social care. A July 2026 decision to reorganise the councils in East Sussex and Brighton and Hove was paused in September 2026.
The A27 is the main east to west route along the coast, and roads including the A23, A29, A21, A22 and A259 link the coast to the M25.
Workforce estimates for 2024 put East Sussex’s adult social care vacancy rate at 5.82 per cent, better than the England average of 8.06 per cent, and the council reported that home care capacity exceeded demand in 2023/24, helped by overseas recruitment: leaders told the CQC that over 200 people recruited from Romania, Albania and the Far East were employed in the county’s care market. Waits for a care home place because of lack of capacity averaged between 10.9 and 12.8 days, longest for nursing dementia care.
Settings and roles we staff in Sussex
We recruit for every setting and role below across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
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 Sussex
Questions from managers in Sussex
We’re a nursing home in East Sussex. Can you help with nurses?
Yes. With nursing homes closing in the county, the ones that remain need reliable nurse cover. We recruit RGNs for temporary and permanent posts and check each one on the NMC register first.
Can your workers get to a coastal home for an early start?
Tell us the start and finish times. For early and late shifts on the coast we offer workers who live nearby or drive, so nobody depends on a first train or bus that might not fit.
Which NHS body covers Sussex now?
NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board, created on 1 April 2026 when NHS Sussex merged with NHS Surrey Heartlands. It covers all of East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
Staff for your service in Sussex
Call with the town and the shifts, or send the vacancy in writing.