Senior support worker jobs and recruitment
A senior support worker, sometimes called a team leader, leads the support team on shift, keeps support plans and risk assessments up to date, and is the first person colleagues turn to when things get difficult.
We place seniors in supported living, learning disability and autism, mental health and housing support services, in temporary cover and permanent posts.
Register for senior support work Send a senior support worker vacancy
The senior support worker role at a glance
- Duties
- Leading the shift, support plan and risk assessment reviews, medicines, supervising support workers, and contact with families and professionals.
- Shifts
- Long days, earlies and lates, and sleep-ins, with some on-call cover.
- Checks
- All support worker checks, plus references that cover leading a team.
- Pay basis
- Hourly or salaried, usually above the support worker rate.
- Qualifications
- Often a Level 3 care qualification in England; registration with the SSSC, Social Care Wales or NISCC in the other nations.
What a senior support worker does
Seniors do the same support as the rest of the team, and also lead it. They plan the shift, check that support is delivered the way the plan says, and deal with incidents, rota gaps and phone calls from families.
Many seniors also supervise support workers, carry out medicines checks and write the reviews that go to social workers and commissioners.
Qualifications for senior support workers in each nation
Senior roles usually need a higher qualification than frontline support:
- England
- Services often ask for the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care and experience of supervising staff.
- Scotland
- SSSC registration for the role, with its qualification condition.
- Wales
- Social Care Wales registration and a Level 3 Health and Social Care Practice qualification.
- Northern Ireland
- NISCC registration, with training the service sets for senior roles.
Checks we run for senior support workers
On top of our checks for support workers, for seniors we confirm:
- references that speak to leading a team and handling incidents
- medicines training and competency
- training in the behaviour support approach the service uses, at the level expected of a senior
- registration with the SSSC, Social Care Wales or NISCC where the nation requires it
Shifts senior support workers usually cover
Seniors cover the core of the week so there is always a lead on shift, and often share a sleep-in rota.
- Early to or
- Late to
- Long day to
- Sleep-in to A worker sleeps at the service and gets up if someone needs help. The service sets the hours and says what happens if the night is disturbed.
How senior support worker pay is set
Seniors are paid by the hour or on a salary, usually above the support worker rate. We tell you the rate or salary before you accept any work.
The National Living Wage, £12.71 an hour from 1 April 2026 for workers aged 21 and over according to GOV.UK, is the legal floor for every worker.
Where senior support workers work
Senior support workers lead teams in community services and supported housing.
- 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.
- Housing support Help to keep a tenancy and live independently, in supported housing or in people’s own homes.
Questions about senior support work
Can I move up from support worker to senior through you?
Yes, if your experience supports it. Tell us about any shifts you have led and any training you have done, and we will look for senior roles that fit.
Do seniors do on-call?
Some services include on-call in senior roles. We tell you before you apply if a job includes it, and how it is paid.
Register for senior support work
Send us your details, including any team leading experience, or phone the office.