support practitioner

support worker

team leader

nurse practitioner ii

caregiver

The Richmond Fellowship Scotland

My time at Richmond Fellowship has been mostly wonderful, with a satisfaction that is hard to find in other roles. I get to support and enable people in their lives, and undertake personal care, finances, food prep, positive behaviour support, medicine and lots of outings. Location is also fantastic, and saves me extensive travel time. A lot of the time, my visits to our supported ones feel like social calls more than work, which makes me feel a little more human at work, where we can exercise autonomy to meet both our own needs and those of the supported individuals. While there are no formal breaks, there are always windows of opportunity to eat, go for a smoke and have a cuppa flexibly around the day, and the choices of the supported individual. Instead of limited windows for breaks, we are offered ample opportunity for respite and peace quite organically instead, which (for me) works really well.

Challenging behaviour and the business operations can detract from the experience. While we have adequate training and are expected to practice holds and escapes (known as CALM which is similar to Team Teach for Education staff), I struggle to perform these with confidence, leaving me upset with my performance and how this can endanger a supported person, myself or my team. However, my struggles with motor skills as an autistic and dyspraxic individual have a role to play here that aren’t necessarily the fault of the job. That being said, when concerns are raised it is hard to address these despite the fact that Richmond are supposed to be an Equal Opportunities employer and pass off as a charity organisation. Additionally, we could do with being paid more for the work we do, with other companies paying upwards of £10-11/hr (even £15!) rather than the approximate rate of £9.50/hr we receive.

Another benefit to this role is the opportunity to work lengthy shifts, and reduce the need to work more days of the week. A part-time contract (24hrs/wk) can be worked over 2 days instead of 3 or 4, with full-timers also enjoying this benefit of working several days to maximise gains. Sessional 0hr contracts are also available (which is handy if you’re a student, like me!) where one can opt-in on-demand or at short notice, allowing time to plan one’s schedule with more ease and flexibility. Night shifts are also handy for the night owls out there looking to burn the midnight oil, as many service users require 24hr care. This also means there are opportunities to mix it up and work with different people, which is brilliant if you don’t want to be too static.

Like any other establishment, base and superstructure override the human cost and structural needs are favoured over the individual, unless it pertains purely to service users who pay for the service. Challenging behaviour is off-putting for some, but each individual has their lovely side which outweighs the scary parts, and usually only manifest as attempts to communicate, especially from those who are nonverbal. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure here and would recommend to anyone looking to work in social care, for job satisfaction and who might be needing something a little bit different. Just be mindful of the expectation to commit, especially if you seek a healthy work-life balance.

A typical day for me as a support worker at The Richmond Fellowship  starts with reviewing the day's schedule and any updates on the individuals I support. The day involves assisting clients with their daily living activities, which might include helping with personal care, preparing meals, administering medication, or providing transportation to appointments. Throughout the day, I focus on building positive relationships, offering emotional support, and encouraging independence. There’s often a lot of flexibility required, as every client has unique needs that can change day to day.

As a support worker, I’ve learned the importance of empathy, patience, and active listening. Working closely with individuals who have diverse needs has deepened my understanding of how to provide person-centered care. I’ve also developed strong problem-solving skills, particularly in adapting to unexpected situations or needs. Communication, both verbal and non-verbal, has been crucial in understanding and responding to the needs of those I support.

Management in this role has generally been supportive, offering guidance and resources when needed. They play a key role in ensuring that the team has the necessary training and tools to provide the best care. However, there are times when communication could be more transparent, particularly regarding changes in policies or procedures. Having a management team that is approachable and responsive like the company's  has been essential in feeling supported in this challenging role.

The workplace culture is typically one of compassion and collaboration. There’s a strong emphasis on teamwork, as the role often requires coordination with other support workers, healthcare professionals, and family members. Despite the demanding nature of the job, colleagues tend to be supportive, sharing tips and offering emotional support. However, the high-stress environment can sometimes lead to burnout, making it important to foster a culture of self-care and mutual encouragement.

The hardest part of the job is dealing with the emotional and physical demands. Supporting individuals through challenging times, especially when they are in distress or facing health issues, can be emotionally draining. Additionally, the physical aspect of the job, such as assisting with mobility or performing daily care tasks, can be tiring. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is the deep sense of fulfillment that comes from making a positive difference in someone’s life. Seeing a client achieve a goal, no matter how small, or simply knowing that I’ve made their day a little easier, is incredibly rewarding. Building strong, trusting relationships with clients and their families, and being a part of their journey toward greater independence and well-being, is a privilege that makes the hard work worthwhile.





Worked for a Glasgow service for around 2 and a half years.  I was already applying for jobs after 6 months.  It took me so long to get out of TRFS due to lack of experience so I made the most of what I could and kept applying until something came up, which it did this year and I'm so much happier now.

The management style was less than desirable.  The organisation has an extremely high turnover of staff, senior staff have a culture of bullying, never praising good practice, focus always on the negatives.  You will be over worked, under paid and undervalued.  Made to work 10 days in a row regularly with out any time off, put on early's after working late at night, total unfair system with rota and sharing time off fairly between staff.  Seniors never worked weekends, Christmas or new year, left all for front line staff to do.  Threatened with dismissal when I put forward a grievance against management for mis-handling a situation.  Turns out that senior management are all buddies and will talk if you bring anything to their attention. TRFS tell staff they don't recognise any union in the hopes that staff wont join, luckily I did and joined Unison despite what they said.  Unfortunately when it came to requiring representation thankfully my union rep was able to squash the attempts at disciplining me and TRFS were forced to drop it.  I left a few weeks after that and thankfully have now joined a great organisation who 100% value their staff, take time to acknowledge the good work that you do and pay is so much better.

Think you'll get your SVQ done in good time with TRFS? Think again, I knew of staff who waited over 4 years to be put on the course... I was told at induction it would be after 6 months of employment. 


In my time at TRFS my team saw at least 6 or 7 staff leave over the space of a couple of years.  Myself and another memeber of staff left this year. Most people left for the same reason.  It was an awful place to work.  Morale low, no incentives to keep you encouraged, no positivity about the good work you do, no confidence in team manager to resolve issues.  

I do miss some of the people I supported, they were the only thing that kept me going for so long, as well as other great support practitioners I worked alongside with.  We all stuck together, you had to, it's sometimes a very hostile place to work.

Just don't bother applying.

I'm a former employee, I worked within service at Kilmarnock for just over 2 years..

-All staff were left to their own devices with each person we supported.
-No support or advice what so ever from the management, I got the impression 2/3 managers didn't really care.
-Long shifts, I done a dayshift then onto a nightshift (WITHOUT AN OPTION), due to another staff member not showing up & one of my manager's phoned asking I had slept due to she never covered my shift the next morning like she promised, yet I refused to do this and walked out to go home.
-I kicked up numerous times at my "supervision" stating that I DID NOT want to do nightshift and they promised me on numerous times that I would get put back onto dayshift which happened for a couple weeks then back onto nightshift.
-Managers were telling staff to come to them if they have any problems, one of the manager's was understanding and done something about it but the other managers didn't do anything expect drink coffee/laugh and joke in their office or go into the office for couple hours then skived into town.
-No recognition for those support workers who knew their job and how to do it correctly.
-Expecting staff on nightshift to do too much, e.g (Paperwork, supporting people and doing building checks every half hour), which when building checks never got done due to a staff member supporting someone we got questioned, in my opinion the building checks were pointless.
-No enhanced payment for those working unsociable hours.
-We had an "Oncall service", which was good if needed advice during the night when managers were away, (Not that they gave us much anyway), but if it was a manager from another service they couldn't help as they didn't know the service users etc.

Reading a previous review of this organisation from a 'Team Manager' certainly portrays a very accurate picture of how this company is managed. Honesty, openess, transparency, and consultation to front line staff from upper management down to senior level is sadly lacking. It certainly appears to be an ongoing issue to recruit and retain high calibre staff within the organisation and this is affecting morale and staff absence due to pressure to cover blanks on rotas due to continuing staffing problems. This is affecting the quality of care which the organisation is providing. Being the largest  provider of social care in Scotland and a boast of high quality community based care, the company certainly doesn't live up to this expectation. It certainly appears that staff are only valued as commodities, not as people, and very little consideration given to staff feelings or concerns. The importance of filling vacant rotas spaces seems to be priority regardless of staff experience, skills, confidence or ability to properly carry out duties. I really feel for the Senior support practitioners within the organisation who due to staff shortages are expected to cover posts at a moments notice when they can't get them covered by other staff. This in turn is affecting their ability to properly do the job in the role they were employed for and increasing stress and undue pressure from higher management to complete tasks for which they just don't have time. I would certainly say that you should give it a great deal of thought before joining this organisation if you value your own self worth, your work life balance, and your own mental health. 


I have worked with TRFS for over 10 years and I have witnessed the transition of this organisation many times over . I am so disappointed in what it has became and this once great company has been ruined by the people at the top.  
The decisions to make constant savings and profit has resulted in sub standard care. 
They have cut the management teams which has made the management role an impossible task, I have witnessed a manger in meltdown because of the constant introduction of new packages and managers have went from managing 1 service to 5 services and some services have gone from 3 Senior Support Workers to 1 covering the support of 600 hours of support. 
I had a general feeling of distrust and the fear of being stabbed in the back from the very people who should be supporting you .
I have no trust in the leadership of this organisation. The directors looked out for themselves during the pandemic and the pandemic pointed a great big light on the them  and us  culture in the company. 

Meanwhile the organisation has lost site that our aim should be to provide excellent support to the individuals in our care.
Everyone is so busy cutting corners that it is only a matter of time before there is a serious incident with the clients and I know that if there was a serious incident the blame would be apportioned to the service. There would be no recognition of the role of under resourcing and budget cuts.
I felt that there was a constant culture of blame and this is terrifying. 
I am aware that organisations must adapt in order to stay on top but this once great company needs to stop and ask their staff if they are ok and remind them that they are valued. 

A typical day - Supporting people with a range of needs withing the service and in the community.
Administering meds, meds stock count, dealing with finances. 
Cooking, cleaning and personal care.

I  learned that a fantastic work place can be run into the ground by inadequate management. Management are inconsistent, negative and unapproachable. Messages and emails were mostly unanswered. Requests for purchases and activities for supported people were unanswered then the buck would be passed back and forth. 
Management show little interest in supported people but love box ticking paperwork that does not reflect reality. They offer no support to staff after physical challenges and rarely provide a debrief or time out as per policy. They are unfamiliar with their own policies. On call phone would often not be answered. 
Rotas provided last minute and times changed without notification.   
However, there is/was a great staff team but over 20 have left in just over a year including 3 seniors. 
The hardest part of the job is dealing with management and trying to get answers. Also, feeling that supported people were not provided with adequate care, consideration and support and being unable to change this due to management cutting their support hours due to staffing issues. 
The most enjoyable part of the job was supporting fantastic people and an outstanding staff team.
The work culture was once tremendous but is very quickly dwindling. 

There are some fine people working very hard in this organisation and showing great care for the disadvantaged clients they look after.  BUT: 1. The hours are extremely long; 2. The pay is very poor ( do not go by the advertised hourly rate, as it is more realistic rather to take the average income you get for every hour you are away from home, ie working days and "sleepovers"); 3. There is quite a turnover of staff; 4. You might find yourself looking forward to the end of your shift, only to discover that there is nobody booked in to take over from you - and you may not legally leave the vulnerable person you are caring for unattended; 5. Management may try to be flexible for you but their options are limited because of shortages of staff, so do not assume that the special occasion that you have booked months in advance is going to be something you can go to; 6. You will find yourself bargaining for your weekends and evenings off - they are not guaranteed; 7. You will be responsible for the administration of very powerful medications; 8. You will handle money and paperwork for your client; 9. You will bath and toilet your client and wash soiled clothes and bedding; 10. You will cook and clean and deal with any gardening yourself; 11. You might find yourself becoming a stranger to your family and friends as you often are working when fun family things happen (birthdays, anniversaries, outings, etc); 12. You might ind a rather rigid application of illogical "care" rules strange to deal with, as you may not do at work what you unthinkingly (and safely!) do at home.

I have worked for the Richmond Fellowship for just over a year and I love the job I do. Working in the community with different individuals and helping them to achieve small things and reach personal goals is so rewarding. However the company are a total joke. There is no support for staff whatsoever. The seniors involved with the team I work in have to be some of the laziest people i have ever met. Most of their duties are passed on to support staff taking us away from doing our job and leaving individuals with shorter supports or no support at all. Rotas being changed at the last minute but neither staff or individuals are made aware of changes so staff are turning up at the wrong supports or turning up late to see individuals who dont know who is coming to see them. Support plans for individuals which are over 2 years old and no key workers to update them as staff turnover is so high. Rotas are normally finalised on a sunday to start on a monday and then need so many changes as they are never done properly.  The only thing the organisation are interested in is how much money they can make with individuals they support taking a back seat. Currently looking for a new job which is a shame as i will miss the individuals i support and the other support workers who are all great. But if you value your own mental health the Richmond Fellowship is definitely not the place for you!!!

Worked for the company for the past 3 years loved the job at the start but that has rapidly turned into a horrible place to work. Don't get me wrong I have okay days at times but the majority of my days are hard to get through. 

You can try and speak to team seniors or managers but will get you nowhere always to busy at meetings or paperwork to speak to staff if any issues arise during your shift or are told to deal with it yourself as that's not there job no that is your job to deal with issues to pop up in your team and handle them thats a major problem lots of seniors dont really know how to do there job or how to handle people properly.

I know of staff being hurt or verbally abused by supported individuals but being told to continue working as "you get paid to deal with it and stop complaining". Constantly being overworked and called in your days off being made to feel bad if you refuse to work overtime there is no staff due to being off on the sick as they have had enough honestly could go all day about the problems and the lack of support you receive in the job is alarming. This by a company who supposedly cares for the people it supports and its staff who carry that support out which I haven't seen much of during my time with the richmond.

Honestly if this is where your job hunt has brought you turn back and run away as far as possible as at this company this is where dreams come to disappear.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Support practitioner 414 salaries reported	£26,603 per year
Support worker 53 salaries reported	£32,367 per year
Team leader 61 salaries reported	£33,362 per year
Nurse practitioner ii 6 salaries reported	£28,657 per year
Caregiver 10 salaries reported	£589 per week

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