Support Worker Jobs in London

What does a support worker actually do?

A care worker's day is mostly about doing things for someone: washing, dressing, meals, medication. A support worker does some of that too, but the main job is helping a person do more for themselves. You might stand beside someone while they cook, rather than cooking for them. You might go through the week's shopping budget together, or walk to the bus stop with someone a few times until they're confident making the journey alone.

It means holding back. A good shift can look quiet from the outside, because the person you support did most of it and you were there to help when they needed it. Support work in our homes and in people's own homes covers three broad areas:

• Daily living skills: cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, budgeting, paying bills and keeping on top of post and appointments.
• Health and personal care: personal care where it's needed, medication support recorded every time, and getting to GP and hospital appointments.
• Community and relationships: travelling on public transport, using the library or leisure centre, going to college or work, seeing friends and family, and taking part in local groups.

The people we support include adults with physical disabilities, sensory impairments and dementia. Every person has a written support plan, and you'll follow it, record what happened, and tell us when something changes.

Where are our support worker jobs in London?

Our supported living homes

We have three supported living houses, each in a quiet residential street with a garden: in Whitton (Twickenham, Richmond upon Thames), Kingston upon Thames and Uxbridge (Hillingdon). People live in them permanently or come for a respite stay. In supported living the house is the residents' home, not your workplace in the usual sense, so you knock, you ask, and the people who live there decide how the day goes.

All three are in west and south-west London. If you live nearby, the commute is short:

• Whitton has its own station on the South Western Railway line through Twickenham and Richmond, plus buses towards Hounslow and Twickenham.
• Kingston has trains to Wimbledon and Waterloo and a big bus network across Richmond, Surbiton and New Malden.
• Uxbridge is the end of the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines, with buses along the Uxbridge Road from Southall.

From east or north London, those homes are a long trip, so tell us where you live and we'll be honest about whether a role there makes sense. You can read more on our supported living page.

Supporting people in their own homes

We also support people living in their own homes. Visiting work is run from our office on Lewisham High Street, SE13, and depends on where our clients are, so it suits people in or near south-east London best. Live-in roles are different: you move into the client's home and support one person or a couple, so where you live now doesn't matter. Our carer jobs page and live-in carer jobs page cover those roles in more detail.

What a shift in supported living can look like

This is an illustration, not a timetable. Every resident's day is built around their own plan.

1. Handover. You read the notes from the last shift and talk to the colleague you're taking over from: who had a bad night, whose appointment is today, what's run out.
2. The morning. Prompting and support with getting up, personal care if someone needs it, medication given and recorded, breakfast made together.
3. Out and about. Going with a resident to the shops, the GP, a college course or a day centre, and letting them lead.
4. The house. Cooking, cleaning and laundry, done with residents, since these are the skills they're building.
5. Notes and handover. Clear, factual records, so the next person on shift and the family know what happened.

Can I become a support worker in London with no experience?

Yes. Many support workers start with no paid care experience at all. What matters more is patience, reliability, and being comfortable letting someone take longer to do a task themselves. Looking after a relative, volunteering, working in hospitality or retail, or having children all count as relevant experience. Tell us about them.

Support work suits people who like variety and practical problem-solving, and who don't need to be in charge of every decision. It doesn't suit someone who wants to get tasks done quickly their own way. You'll need to read and write well enough in English to follow a support plan and keep records, because the next person on shift relies on your notes.

What checks must we carry out before you start?

As a CQC-registered provider, we have to hold the information listed in Schedule 3 of the 2014 regulated activities regulations before you work with anyone, and immigration law requires a right to work check. That means:

1. An enhanced DBS check with the adults' barred list, from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Anyone on the adults' barred list can't do this work. Other convictions don't automatically rule you out, so tell us about them upfront.
2. Proof of your right to work in the UK, checked under the government's rules. If your visa limits your hours, we have to keep you within the limit.
3. References, including evidence of your conduct in any earlier job in care or with vulnerable adults or children, and why that job ended.
4. Proof of identity with a recent photo, any relevant qualifications, a full employment history with a written explanation of any gaps, and information about any health condition that affects the tasks of the role, once reasonable adjustments are made.

Gaps for raising children, caring, studying or illness are fine. We need you to explain them, and they won't count against you.

Training: the Care Certificate and beyond

If you are new to care, you'll work through the Care Certificate, the Skills for Care standards for new health and social care workers. There are now 16 standards, covering topics such as duty of care, person-centred working, communication, privacy and dignity, safeguarding, basic life support, infection control, and awareness of mental health, dementia, learning disability and autism. Skills for Care also runs an accredited Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate based on the same 16 standards, so the learning can count towards a recognised qualification.

CQC-registered providers must also make sure staff get training in learning disability and autism that fits their role. The government's Oliver McGowan code of practice sets the standard. Practical training, for example in moving and handling or medication, comes before you do those tasks on your own.

Across the care sector, support work can lead on to senior and management roles, and qualifications help you get there. Ask us about training while you work with us.

How do I apply for a support worker job?

There's no long application form. Choose whichever is easiest:

• Use the contact form and choose “A job with you”.
• Email your CV to info@jnpsidonasupportservices.co.uk.
• Call 0203 375 4047, or call or WhatsApp 07446 010486.

Tell us where in London you live, if you drive, which home or type of role interests you, the days and hours you can work, and any care experience you have, paid or unpaid. If there's a fit, we'll arrange a conversation, then start the checks above.

Questions support workers ask