Social Care Worker

Would you like to work for a great employer? Enable Ireland is an organisation that makes a real difference to the lives of children and adults with disabilities in Ireland, and is named as one of Ireland's Irish Independent 150 Best Employers 2025.

Enable Ireland, as an equal opportunities employer, proudly maintains a Silver Award in Diversity from the Irish Centre for Diversity. We vigorously advocate for fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion, and engagement, and are dedicated to ongoing enhancement in these areas.

We are currently seeking a highly-motivated Social Care Worker to join our team in Respite Services Carlow / Kilkenny.

Contract Type: Permanent

Contract Hours: Full time / Part time

Salary Scale: €39,160 - €54,746 pro rata per annum

Annual Leave Entitlement: 30 pro rata per annum

This pay scale is subject to increases in 2026 in accordance with the recent WRC agreement towards enhanced pay adjustments in Section 39 organisations.

Overview of the Post

Carlow/Kilkenny Children’s respite service provides services to children within the Carlow/Kilkenny area. Enable Ireland respite services are committed to working in partnership with service users and families in the planning, delivery and evaluation of all services. Kilcar House provides planned short-term respite care, both day and night, where children will be grouped together by age and interest. Our staffing levels compliment the health and social care needs of the children attending respite.

See Job Description for full details.

The successful candidate will have:

Essential Criteria:

Candidates must:-

· Hold professional registration on the Social Care Workers Register maintained by the Social Care Workers Registration Board at CORU.

· Have experience of working with children disabilities and their families.

· Possess a full, clean, manual driving licence with access to own transport.

· Be currently eligible to work in the State.

· Have experience and knowledge of the role of a key worker.

· Have experience of delivering personal care.

· Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, including a high standard of suitability, for the proper discharge of the role.

· On appointment, practitioners must maintain annual registration on the Social Care Workers Register maintained by the Social Care Workers Registration Board at CORU.

· Knowledge of Enable Ireland.

· Good understanding of Social Model of Disability.

· Understanding of HIQA regulations, standards and registration process.

· Awareness of safeguarding issues.

The post holder will demonstrate an ability to:-

· Support service users in a range of activities.

· Experience developing personal plans.

· Have an understanding of the concept of equal opportunities and how this relates to children with a disability.

· Maintain accurate written records and reports in accordance with professional guidelines.

· Good knowledge of child protection & child development.

· Have appropriate IT skills eg. Word/ excel.

· Understand relevant legislation and professional standards to ensure compliance with best practice.

· Ability to demonstrate an understanding of confidentiality.

· Have experience in contributing to the development of personal plans.

· Experience of engaging in professional supervision.

· Develop and promotes good interpersonal relationships with the Service Owners and their families.

· Ability to communicate at all levels within the service. Disseminate information appropriately in a clear manner.

· Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.

· Commitment to working in partnership with parents/carers and children.

· Disseminates information appropriately in a clear manner.

· Ability to work collaboratively with others and use own initiative when indicated.

· Actively participate in team meetings.

· Flexible, adaptable and open to change.

· Demonstrate a proactive approach to overall performance.

· Demonstrate innovation and creativity.

· Willingness to embrace service development and change.

Desirable Criteria:

· Manual handling qualification.

· First aid qualification.

· Experience of working with children and families in a community based setting.

· Demonstrate strong organisational ability.

· Have developed ethical awareness for best practice.

· Experience developing quality systems.

If you believe you would fit the role then please submit your application today.

Benefits

As a staff member of Enable Ireland, you will have access to a wide range of benefits, including:-

· Excellent internal and external training opportunities

· Generous annual leave entitlements

· Flexible Working

· Long service reward scheme

· Pay adjusted Maternity Leave

· Pay adjusted Adoptive Leave

· Pay adjusted Paternity Leave

· Wellbeing benefits

· Pension

For a full list of our benefits & conditions, please click here:

What now?

To apply, please download the Job Description and Person Specification for your information and complete the online application form. CVs will not be accepted.

Closing date for applications: Friday 10th July 2026

A panel may be formed from this vacancy for any similar vacancies, which may arise during the next 12 months.

· The post will be subject to reference checks and may be subject to Garda vetting/police clearance, as relevant.

· Due to the large volume of applications, we are not in the position to provide individual feedback to applicants who are not shortlisted for interview.

· Applications are invited from suitably qualified applicants from all sections of the community.

· The above information serves only as a guide to the advertised position. Enable Ireland, at its discretion, reserves the right to change this prior to appointment.

· Please review Enable Ireland’s Rezoomo Privacy Policy here: https://enableireland.ie/resources/publications/rezoomo-privacy-policy

· Please review the Enable Ireland’s External Data Protection Notice available at https://www.enableireland.ie/privacy-policy for details on how Enable Ireland processes applicant’s personal information. Please note if you are invited for interview, we will share your personal data with:

1) Any virtual service provider we use to host the interview; and

2) the interview panel (if applicable). Your information will be stored for this purpose in line with our retention policy