work for us: Journey Enterprises - A North East Charity supporting people with learning disability.

What do we offer?

We welcome Staff from a wide range of backgrounds.

Whether you are experienced, starting your career, want to change careers or are returning to working life, Journey might just be for you.

We offer:

A competitive salary
36 days' annual leave
1 additional days' leave (pro rata) for each completed year of service, up to 10 additional days
Holiday buy-back scheme
'Gifted' additional holiday days over the Christmas period
Benenden Healthcare (private diagnostic and therapies healthcare including counselling)
Discounted meals and free refreshments at our sites
Cycle2Work Scheme
Contributory pension scheme
Enhanced Training & Development Programme
Journey 'swag bag' goodies pack

Bank Staff - work when you want to

We have a register of Bank Staff who are offered occasional work covering when we have planned or unplanned employee absences.

Bank Staff are paid at the same Spinal Points as our employees, accrue their pro rata paid allocation of Journey's leave entitlement, and also enjoy the benefits of discounted lunches and free refreshments on our sites.

Bank Staff choose if they want to work when work is offered.

If you would like to join our Bank Staff register please contact us.

Current Vacancies

PT Learning Disability Support Worker - Blyth Hub

Salary: £9,703.38 per year 15 hours per week

We are looking for an inspirational Learning Disability Support Worker to join our Staff Team at Journey Blyth for 2 days a week, 15 hours.

Based out of the Annex in the Buffalo Community Centre, our Staff Team of Learning Disability Support Workers and Specialists (Work Coaches and Health & Wellbeing Coach) support adults with intellectual (learning) disability to develop independent living and work skills, and to manage their health & wellbeing.

Learning Disability Support Workers;

develop and deliver activities sessions for both Day Services and our projects.
deliver 2 sessions a day in small groups of Clients (service users).
with a focus on independent living and the first stages of work skills, all Clients complete ASDAN qualifications.

We welcome colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds to join our Staff Team. You will join colleagues who have worked within the Armed Forces, Creative and Performing Arts, Education, Health, Industry, Marketing, Retail, Social Work, Sports and Transportation services amongst others.

If you do not already hold an NVQ in Health & Social Care we with support you to achieve it. This and wider training provided both by Journey and external Providers are key requirement of the role.

Since a significant amount of our activities are delivered in the wider community the ability to drive a minibus is essential for the role.

Apply Online Job Description (107.4KB)

Bank Staff Minibus Driver

Salary: SP1 £12.25/hr

Journey's Bank Staff are regularly offered work covering both planned or unplanned Staff absences across all four of Journey's Day Centres. We are looking for Bank Staff Drivers at our Newcastle and Coundon Hubs.

Bank Staff find these roles flexible and enjoyable because working days/hours fit around other commitments including unpaid Caring roles, family commitments, management of disability, phased re-entry to employment or phased movement to retirement. With different roles and Day Centres, the variety also appeals.

Journey's Bank Staff are paid at the same rates as our employees and also enjoy benefits such as accrued annual leave, free refreshments and discounted lunches at our Community Cafes. Our leave entitlement is 36 days annually.

We are currently recruiting Bank Staff Minibus Driver .roles in Bishop Auckland and Newcastle.

Bank Minibus Drivers work two shifts/day. The first shift is 07.30-10:00, collecting Clients from their homes and bringing them in to Day Centre in our small fleet of minibuses. Clients are then collected from 15.30-18:00 to return to homes as the second shift.

You will need to have a clear enhanced DBS for Adult Services, UK full driving licence without endorsements and be able to supply two relevant professional references (from recent employment or academic studies).

If you would like to apply to find out more about Minibus Driver roles and apply to join our Bank list please contact

Coundon, Bishop Auckland Hub rachel.stott@journeyenterprises.co.uk

Kenton, Newcastle Hub sharon.wilson@journeyenterprises.co.uk

Apply Online Job Description (109.4KB)

Bank Staff: flexible hours up to 37/week

Salary: Learning Disability Support Worker £12.44 (SP2)

Journey's Bank Staff are regularly offered work covering both planned or unplanned Staff absences across all four of Journey's Day Centres. We are currently looking for Bank staff to cover Blyth, Acomb and Coundon Hubs.

Bank Staff find these roles flexible and enjoyable because working days/hours fit around other commitments including unpaid Caring roles, family commitments, management of disability, phased re-entry to employment or phased movement to retirement. With different roles and Day Centres, the variety also appeals.

Journey's Bank Staff are paid at the same rates as our employees and also enjoy benefits such as accrued annual leave, free refreshments and discounted lunches at our Community Cafes. Our leave entitlement is 36 days annually.

We are currently recruiting Bank Staff for Learning Disability Support Worker roles at Hexham.

Learning Disability Support Workers work between 08.30 and 16.30 from Monday-Thursday and 08.30 - 16.00 on Fridays. Depending on your booking with us, the hours we can offer can vary from 4 to 37/week. Sometimes we can offer bookings for longer periods of time if we have longer planned Staff holidays or longer term Staff sickness. Learning Disability Support Workers work with Clients on site and in activities off site.

For both Driver and Learning Disability Support Worker roles you will need to have a clear enhanced DBS for Adult Services, and be able to supply two relevant professional references (from recent employment or academic studies).

If you would like to apply to find out more about Learning Disability Support Worker roles please contact recruitment@journeyenterprises.co.uk and let us know which hubs you would be interested in working at.

Apply Online Job Description (110.8KB)

Your professional development

Find out how Journey can help achieve your goals

Journey Enterprises provides services which support adults with a learning disability to develop life and work skills and to manage their health & wellbeing.

We do not provide any personal care services and are not a Care Quality Commission regulated service.

All Clients must be able to manage continence and medication to attend Day Service.

Clients are on site from 09 .30 to 15.30, giving front-line Staff an hour pre and post Clients for preparation, reporting and clearing/cleaning.

Training and Development

Journey's Training and Development programme enables all Staff to develop their skills and practice and progress in their career. The Charity has training agreements in place and can advise on additional funding and scholarships for wider course fees.

Supporting our staff

Journey holds Disability Confident Employer, Mindful Employer and Better Health at Work and Leaders Council of Great Britain quality marks.

Our Staff are managed in small teams led by a Manager. New members of Staff are assigned a buddy who will provide information, advice and informal support.

Every Staff member receives 3-4 support & supervision sessions and an annual appraisal each year from their Manager.

The Charity has a commissioned private healthcare programme including counselling. This service is available to its employees 24/7 and their immediate family members. Our Line Managers are trained in supporting mental health and the workplace, to identifying and supporting employee carers and colleagues with disabilities.

We provide Carers and Disability Leave.

Connecting with Colleagues

Journey works across four sites and in the community. Making sure Staff meet regularly and keep in touch is a priority.

Our Teams meet every month and Hub teams have daily handovers. Whole Company, Managers and Leadership Team meetings are held bi-monthly.

Two Away Days are held annually giving everyone a chance to meet together, undertake some professional development in a fun and informal setting and meet our Trustees.

Special events and productions give Colleagues and Clients the opportunity to meet and enjoy time with others. During 2023 we celebrated our 40th year and had a wonderful Gala evening and summer fete for all Staff/ and Clients.

365 - Outlook, Yammer and Teams are used daily to communicate across the Charity, share news and best practice, and to link Staff to additional resources. All Staff are asked to login at the start of each day both to Microsoft and to our CRM, Charitylog.

Working patterns

The Charity’s normal operations are 08.30 – 16.30 (Monday – Thursday) and 08.30 -16.00 on Fridays.

Some Staff have site-based roles, some combine community-based roles with site-based delivery and some undertake flexible working from home.

The Charity has a ratio of Staff working part-time and we can offer job share.

Occasionally staff are asked to undertake unsocial hours at weekends, early starts or evenings, for which Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) is given. For part-time staff agreed overtime may be paid in place of TOIL.

Pay and benefits

Our benefits package: competitive rates of pay, generous leave allowance, employer pension, sickness pay, private healthcare, Cycle2Work, annual leave buy-back, discounted meals and refreshments and a Journey swag-bag.

“There is a genuine feeling of dedication and commitment around fun and a ‘can-do’ attitude.” (feedback from Staff during IIP inspection)

Eligibility to work in Social Care Services

Under the Health & Social Care Act, all Social Care workers must be qualified to work with vulnerable adults and/or children. If you are applying to us to work as a Learning Disability Support Worker with our Clients you must already hold, or be prepared to work towards, your NVQ 2 in Health & Social Care. Our Seniors take Level 3 Health & Social Care. Managers of Health & Social Care Services must have a Level 5.

This applies to all Bank and Agency workers who wish to work at Journey.

Overseas Students currently studying in the UK

You must be fully qualified to work in Social Care and have relevant professional experience, ideally gained in Day Services. Journey Enterprises does not provide any personal care services but skills development (training) services for adults with learning disability.

Unless you are on a suitable Graduate Visa, we are not able to accept applications for permanent posts at Journey from overseas students on study visas. A student visa restricts the type of work and contract you can apply for. This excludes all permanent, full time posts.

We are not able to accept applications for more hours/week than your study visa permits. For a postgraduate this typically is no more than 20 hours/week across all jobs you are doing.

We must be able to verify your full background: education, qualifications and prior professional experience, in addition to completion of an enhanced DBS check.