Staying Close Support Advisor
- Exeter, Devon
- Full Time
- £31,525 - £34,811 per annum
2 posts available:
1 x 6 Month Secondment (Full Time 37 hours per week)
1 x Fixed Term until 31 March 2027 (Full Time 37 hours per week)
An exciting opportunity to support care-experienced young adults across Devon
Staying Close is a model which provides an enhanced support package for young people leaving care from children’s homes or fostering and is designed to be a comparable offer to the option to Stay Put, which supports young people in foster care to remain with their former foster carers until age 21. Staying Close provides an offer of move-on accommodation, alongside a package of practical and emotional support, provided by a Support Adviser and support staff. These bespoke packages of support help develop their confidence and skills for independent living, and for their emotional health and wellbeing.
Devon County Council have recently made being Care Experienced a protected characteristic. This is a huge achievement for those who have been in the care of the local authority, but there is still a long way to go. Now is the time to ‘bridge the gap’ in the support and guidance provided to Children and Young People who are Care Experienced.
So… do you want to be involved in a new and exciting opportunity? Do you have what it takes to make a difference to the lives of care experienced young people?
We have a new project named Staying Close, and are seeking highly motivated, resilient, innovative individuals to join our team, providing support and guidance for those that are Care Experienced across the County.
This project is currently funded until MARCH 2027, with hopes of this being successful and becoming permanent. This is a fantastic Department of Education initiative, to improve the outcomes for Care Experienced people when transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.
Your role will manage and monitor a caseload of Young People, aged 18-24 years old, who have varied and often complex levels of needs. You will ensure that Care Experienced adults, and those transitioning into adulthood, are placed at the center of our service, are treated courteously, with respect and fairness, and that their voices are heard.
Your role will be fully focused on the needs of the Care Experienced, and be led by those needs in the decisions you are making. You will oversee the day to day running of the supported accommodation, and other practical issues for Young People, and be able to provide solutions or referrals where necessary.
You will be passionate about making a difference to the lives of Care Experienced people, along with the ability to advise, befriend, mentor, and support them.
If you wish to be a part of this project’s success and feel passionately about helping others and making a change, we would love to hear from you! Now is the time to Stand Up, Speak up!
Additional information
The salary range for this role is £31,525 to £34,811 per annum
Devon County Council
We offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of young people and their families in Devon. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:
- We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
- Generous annual leave allowance.
- Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
- Auto enrolment onto our Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
- A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain benefits such as, ‘cycle for work’ and health screenings.
DBS information
This post requires a criminal background check via the Disclosure procedure.
The interview for this role with be 23rd October 2026
If you think that you have these qualities and are interested in joining our team, we would love to hear from you. For an informal chat please contact Stephanie Rixon, on 07969 684638.
Please ensure, when completing your application form, that you provide a supporting statement which demonstrates how you meet the essential and desirable criteria as described in the job description. Applications may not be taken forwards if the supporting statement is not adequately completed.
We reserve the right to close this advert before the closing date if a sufficient amount of applications have been received, so we recommend applying early.
Candidates may find it helpful to download the HMRC app, which can provide an accessible summary of your employment history with dates to support your application.
Note: We do not sponsor Visas for this post. UK Right to Work is required.
Please note that the ability to drive with access to your own vehicle, a valid UK driving licence and business insurance is essential to the role.
How to apply
Please ensure when completing your application form that you provide a supporting statement which demonstrates how you meet the essential and desirable criteria as described in the person specification of the job description. Applications may not be taken forwards if the supporting statement is not adequately completed.
Internal Applicants, please note: If you are an existing DCC employee, please use your iTrent Employee Self Service (ESS) details to log in and apply.
Please click Apply Now to see the Job Description.
- DCC embraces the positive benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and safe. We welcome applications from people who share our commitment to stop discrimination, challenge inequality and promote diversity across Devon. More information can be found on our Equality and Diversity webpages.
- For details on the use of AI in applications and Devon County Council’s use of AI in Recruitment please see Use of AI in Our Recruitment Processes - Working for Devon | Devon County Council
- Happy to Talk Flexible Working - The Council offers flexible working arrangements in terms of when and where people work e.g. hybrid working, part-time, condensed hours etc.
- We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
- This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
- Personal data we collect from you will be processed in accordance with the Applicant privacy notice.
- For more information about Working for Devon please visit our Working for Devon page.
- We cannot consider visa sponsorship at this time. UK Right to Work is required. For further guidance on right to work in the UK, please visit: Work in the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Reference: REQ010709