Care support worker/Driver (Day center)

Posting date:	25 February 2026
Salary:	£1,352 per hour
Additional salary information:	Competitive
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	20 March 2026
Location:	Northampton, N5 7EJ
Company:	West Northamptonshire Council
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	Ref/12702/8052

Summary

You’ll be working within a vibrant and welcoming Day Centre, supporting adults with learning disabilities to live meaningful, fulfilling and enjoyable lives. Every day is different — and every day you’ll be making a genuine difference.

As part of the role, you’ll be taking individuals out and about in the community, helping them enjoy new experiences and build confidence. This could include visiting local places of interest, enjoying the outdoors, or taking part in fun activities like bowling, swimming, going to the gym, and much more. It’s an active role where your energy and enthusiasm really matter.

Some individuals may require support with personal care, so it’s important that you are fit, healthy and comfortable providing compassionate, dignified assistance when needed.

Driving is also a key part of the day, so you’ll need to be confident behind the wheel and happy travelling between locations as part of your routine.

You’ll be supporting people with complex needs, helping them work towards their personal goals and outcomes. This includes assisting and leading a variety of sessions — encouraging independence, building skills, and ensuring every person has the opportunity to take part in the activities they enjoy.

This is a rewarding, hands-on role where you’ll be part of a supportive team, helping people live fuller, more connected lives both within the Day Centre and in the wider community.

Our benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council

What will you be doing?

You’ll be supporting adults with a range of learning difficulties and complex care needs. This may include individuals with:

• Mild to moderate behaviours that challenge
• Severe autism
• Communication differences
• ADHD-associated behaviours
• Epilepsy

No two days are the same. You’ll follow a varied timetable of meaningful activities designed around each person’s needs, outcomes, and goals. This includes both centre-based support and community-based activities.

We offer flexible opportunities to suit different lifestyles, with roles available at 37 hours or 22.5 hours per week. Our working day always starts at 8.30am — this is essential for meeting the needs of the people we support — and typically finishes at 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

There will be times when overtime or additional flexibility is required, depending on individual support needs, and we’re looking for someone who can adapt when needed while still enjoying a consistent daytime schedule.

About you

You’re someone who genuinely cares about making a positive difference every day. Kind, patient, and compassionate, you bring warmth and respect to every interaction. You stay calm and confident under pressure, even when things change quickly.

You’ll need to be physically fit and comfortable with an active role — supporting individuals may involve walking long distances, assisting with mobility, and helping people safely in a variety of community settings. Being fit and capable is essential to meeting the needs of the people you support and ensuring their safety and wellbeing.

With a full, clean UK driving licence, you’re confident providing safe transport (9-seater, mini van) and supporting individuals both at home and out in the community.

You’re a natural team player who’s equally confident working independently and using your own initiative. You’re flexible, adaptable, and open to learning — especially when it comes to understanding each person’s unique communication style and support needs.

Experience working with people with learning disabilities or complex needs is helpful, but not essential. What matters most is your positive attitude, willingness to learn, and genuine passion for supporting others to live full, meaningful lives.

You’ll thrive in this role if you can:

• Build trusting 1:1 relationships
• Offer calm, positive behavioural support
• Plan and adapt activities with flexibility
• Provide safe, reliable transport
• Support individuals at home and out in the community
• Remain composed in a fast-moving environment
• Contribute to a caring, person-centred team

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Unfortunately, this role does not meet the legal requirements for visa sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. As a result, we are unable to offer sponsorship or transfer of an existing visa.

This vacancy may close earlier than the advertised date if we receive a high volume of suitable applicants. We encourage early applications.

About us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.