Join us as an Employee or Volunteer

Job Opportunities at Canterbury Oast Trust
Our Head Office is at Woodchurch, near Ashford, and we have 15 residential homes for the disabled in Rye, Aldington, New Romney and Woodchurch. These homes offer long-term residential care in small, family style homes, for up to 90 adults with learning disabilities. Our philosophy is simple - that people with disabilities can play a fulfilling and meaningful role in society. The Trust also offers a range of innovative day services to these adults to provide them with choice, training and occupation and many disabled adults who are not residents with the Trust also benefit from the opportunities we give to people.

What employment do we offer?
We employ over 180 staff on full and part-time permanent, fixed term and casual contracts distributed approximately as follows:
70% Care staff (Support Workers/Team Leaders/Home Managers). We employ care staff at all of our locations.
20% Day Services Staff, working to provide choices of life-skills training in various activities (including Horticulture; Arts & Crafts; Farm work; Woodcraft; Catering and Information Technology)- based at Woodchurch, Aldington and Rye.
10% Administration Staff (including Finance, Fundraising, Marketing, Personnel), mostly based at Woodchurch

What is Support Work?
We want our residents to experience all the normal activities of a home. But our residents need help and encouragement to enable them to take charge of their lives ~ we cannot do this without our Support Workers. Our Support Workers work alongside the residents in their own homes, supporting them in their day to day lives, whatever that entails - from making beds to swimming to driving them to college! Support Workers are normally based in one home so that they get to know the residents well and most Support Workers become a 'Key Worker' to at least one resident so that trust and confidence is built up with the residents. A typical job description of a Support Worker is available on request.

Do I need to have experience in this type of work?
No, we will train you. Whilst we welcome staff who do have experience, we have many staff who have come to us with no experience at all. We provide NVQ training on site in conjunction with South Kent College - you learn in work time at our cost!

Click here for current vacancies

For further information please contact our personnel department on 01233 861493 ext 255/227 or write to us at our Woodchurch address.

Could You Help as a Volunteer?
Giving time is as important as giving money. Have you a few hours a day or week you could offer us? For many of our services we depend on a dedicated group of vilunteers and can provide a wide range of choices. Whether you are interested in gardening, environmental work, arts and crafts, helping in a shop, restaurant, office or farm, we can find something to suit you. No experience is necessary, as we will provide training and support.

More details about becoming a Volunteer