Up to £32k salary, including nighttime allowance, for Restorative support workers, and up to £34k for senior support workers

Restorative SCS, since becoming an accredited Living Wage employer, has always paid its level 4 qualified staff more than the National Living Wage’s minimum hourly rate. But now, qualified support workers can earn up to £32k per year, including nighttime allowance, from the 1st of April.

Staff vacancies

Those interested in working in children’s social care are urged to look at the staff vacancies currently on the Restorative site, as well as keep an eye out for those coming up, but keep in mind the requirement to work sleeping hours.

“Working sleeping hours has always been part of the job of children’s round-the-clock care. But we plan rotas fairly, with lots of time off, and pay our staff well above the National Living Wage to reflect the dedicated work they do,” says Byron Smith, Director at Restorative

Restorative pays more than the National Living (minimum) Wage

Restorative is an accredited Living Wage employer, which means we pay an hourly rate to qualified workers well above the government’s national (or minimum) living wage. But we choose to pay even more to level 4 qualified staff because we want to pay a fair amount for a job well done.

Apprentices with us, who are not yet level 4 qualified staff, also receive a rate that’s above the government’s national living wage.

Restorative’s above national guideline pay rates

At Restorative, from the 1st of April, we will pay an hourly rate to our level 4 qualified support workers of up to £12.49 per hour. And a rate of up to £11.75 per hour to our non-level 4 qualified staff.

These rates are above that of national living (minimum) wage set at £11.44 per hour.

Salary inclusive of the nighttime support allowance

The £32,000 a year salary for level 4 qualified workers includes the nighttime support allowance, which means support workers must be available to stay overnight at the children’s home or supported accommodation service when they are on duty.

Support workers do a ‘nightshift’ where they sleep in the children’s care home but are very much on duty at all times during the night if they are needed by the children or young people.

Sleep hours just part of the rewarding support worker role

The nighttime support allowance makes up part of the support worker’s salary as nightshift hours are very integral to the role within children’s social care.

In acknowledgement of the unsociable working hours of nightshifts, rotas are planned so support workers get plenty of time off in return. And it’s usually the case, support workers work one shift, including a nighttime support allowance, once every third day. So support workers work one day and have two days off in a continuous pattern.

In the words of Restorative employee and children’s lead worker, Megan Queen, “The pride you feel when you leave your shift is a feeling that will stay with you [and] working with a great management team and support… The working shift pattern ensures you get a good amount of time off so you can enjoy the finer things in life!”

Read more from Restorative staff about what it’s like to be a support worker at Restorative.