We’re proud to say that many of the people who come to work with us, perhaps as a placement at university or their first step on the social care work career ladder, end up staying with us long-term and advancing their career year on year. How do we do it? Well, we care about our people. From the children and young people in our care to the new starter on her first day or the regional manager who has been with us for years. Workplace wellbeing matters and so we make it a priority at Ashdale. Here’s how.

New starter support

Starting a new job can be intimidating. Starting a job in social care with children and young people who have experienced trauma, can be even more so. That’s why we take special care of our new employees. During the first three months at Ashdale, new staff will have fortnightly meetings with their line manager to discuss their progress and what can be done to support them their new position. New starters are also given the opportunity to carry out “shadow shifts” where they can experience all roles at Ashdale. We also hold new starter coffee mornings (any excuse for cake!).

Clear career progression

Many employers claim that a role has “clear career progression” but at Ashdale we truly mean it. Just ask the senior management team, many of whom will tell you they started out as a residential care worker and worked their way up the career ladder to the position they’re in today.

Extensive in-house training opportunities

Part of the reason that our staff work their way so swiftly up the ranks is because training and upskilling is built into the culture of what we do. We have in-house training teams whose job it is to help staff gain new skills. We also offer financial support and paid exam days for employees who wish to make the step into senior roles.

Competitive rates of pay

We’re realists. We know that the pay you receive isn’t the most important thing about your job but we also know that it matters. For those with families or bills to pay, it matters a lot. We’ve recently been able to uplift all staff salaries by 4% and increase the sleep in hourly rate too. We want staff to feel rewarded for what they do. We also have enhanced maternity, paternity and sick pay.

Good craic!

We look for any excuse to celebrate – birthdays, holidays, pancake day, pizza parties, BBQs, you get the idea! At Ashdale, our people are the most important focus, and we strive to create a culture where everyone – young resident or staff – know that they matter. We’ve also recently launched our Staff Recognition Awards, so staff who go that extra mile can be recognised for the work that they do. Sounds like another excuse to celebrate…

If you’re looking for a career in social care work then we have a number of positions available. Check out our job vacancies today.