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Houseparents and Residential Wardens

Houseparents and residential wardens are responsible for the care and supervision of children, young people and the elderly within residential homes, schools or their own homes. An essential requirement of their work is that they reside with those for whom they are providing support.

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£9,977
£28,823
£46,619

New workers start around £9,977. Normal pay is £28,823 per year.
Highly experienced workers can earn up to £46,619.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 30,741 vacancies for this type of job

5.00%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • Keeps records and writes reports.

  • Maintains contact and discusses problems/progress with other staff and social workers.

  • Establishes and maintains contact with members of the neighbouring community and/or the residents’ family and friends.

  • May provide one-to-one counselling or group therapy.

  • Manage the household (domestic duties).

  • Ensures that students attend school regularly.

  • Ensures that all material needs of residents are provided and endeavours to resolve any problems that they may have.

  • Plans and participates in games and leisure activities to encourage emotional, social, physical and intellectual development.

  • Creates friendly, secure atmosphere and tries to gain the trust and confidence of those in the home or under supervision.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Risk Analysis

  • Risk Management

  • Closed-Circuit Television Systems (CCTV)

  • Auditing

  • Fire Alarm Systems

  • Textiles

  • Anti-Social Behaviour

  • Social Behaviour

  • Data Modeling

  • Data Analysis

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Communication

  • Management

  • English Language

  • Influencing Skills

  • First Aid

  • Customer Service

  • Incident Reporting

  • Planning

  • Resilience

  • Interpersonal Communications

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

See all

Health and Social Care

University of Huddersfield

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Huddersfield · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 104/104

Social Care Studies

Coleg Sir Gar

FdSc · 2 Years · Full-time · Ammanford · 09/2025

Tariff points: 32/32

Social Work

Edge Hill University

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Ormskirk · 09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

Social Work

University of Staffordshire

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Stoke-on-Trent · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/120

Healthcare Professions’ Support for England

Chichester College Group (inc Brinsbury, Chichester, Crawley, Northbrook & Worthing Colleges)

HND · 2 Years · Blended learning (full-time) · Chichester · 06/10/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Social Services

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)

HNC · 1 Year · Full-time · Elgin · 09/2025

Tariff points: 24/42

Social Work

University of East London

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Stratford · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

Health and Social Care

Leeds Trinity University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Leeds · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/136

Health and Social Care

New College Durham

BSc (Hons) · 1 Year · Full-time · Durham · 09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

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