Respite Support Worker

Enable Ireland provides services to over 13,000 children and adults with disabilities and their families from 43 locations in 14 counties. Covering childhood to adulthood our expert teams work with the individual and their family on a plan for each life stage. Our services for children and their families cover all aspects of a child's physical, educational, and social development from early infancy through adolescence. For adults we offer a range of services covering personal development, indep

Enable Ireland provides services to over 13,000 children and adults with disabilities and their families from 43 locations in 14 counties. Covering childhood to adulthood our expert teams work with the individual and their family on a plan for each life stage. Our services for children and their families cover all aspects of a child's physical, educational, and social development from early infancy through adolescence. For adults we offer a range of services covering personal development, indep Show more

Description

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 highly-motivated Respite Support Workers to join our team in Carlow/Kilkenny Respite service based in both Carlow and Kilkenny to support the expansion of the services.

Contract Type: Permanent

Contract Hours: A number of Part-time /afterschool /relief contracts are available

Salary Scale: €35,070 to €42,440 pro rata per annum. Salary scales are subject to LSI's (Long Service Increments)

Annual Leave Entitlement: 30 days pro rata per annum

Overview of the Post:

The purpose of the role is to work as a member of the team providing respite and home support services, in all Enable Ireland locations across Carlow and Kilkenny. To work with the children /young people through a person centred approach to meet their identified needs during their stay in active partnership and in line with the needs and wishes of each child and family.

This post is required for the after-school day respite programme being rolled out this year.

Overview of Duties:

• Help create an atmosphere which is inclusive and promotes each child's participation in terms of choice, and decision making and in which each child is enabled to reach their highest level of independence.
• Assist in implementing agreed programmes of care for each child, ensuring that each individual's varying needs are met in a way that promotes dignity and respect for the person.
• Work with the respite manager to help ensure that each person is enabled to participate in day to day activities in the home and community, and in leisure activities in the home and in the local community which reflect their choice and interest.
• Work with the respite manager to help ensure that each person is enabled to carry out therapy, education, etc. in the service.
• Work with the respite manager to ensure that special equipment is used appropriately and maintained.
• Be familiar with the health and medical needs of each individual and ensure that these needs are met.
• Help ensure that a healthy diet is provided, taking into account any special dietary requirements and requests.
• Respite staff will be expected to display appropriate sensitivity while working closely with families and service users.
• Providing assistance to children in personal care including intimate personal care.
• Accompanying children on outings/leisure activities within the community.
• Facilitating children's involvement in their local community by sourcing and arranging appropriate community based activities.

See Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

The successful candidate will have:-

• Possess a formal qualification in Health Care including FETAC/QQI Level 5 NVQ /City and Guilds.
• At least 1 year experience of working with children.
• Experience of working in a disability service.
• Full manual Driving license and access to own transport.
• Commitment to working in partnership with parents/carers and children.
• Experience of working with teenagers who can be challenging.
• Awareness of HIQA standards.
• Good knowledge of child protection & child development.

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

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
• Long service reward scheme
• Pay adjusted Maternity Leave
• Pay adjusted Adoptive Leave
• Pay adjusted Paternity Leave

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: Wednesday 20th May 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 the Enable Ireland's External Data Protection Notice available at 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

Enable Ireland is an Equal Opportunity Employer