Support Worker (Weekends)
Real Life Options
12.60 £ per hour
Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB51 3WL
Part time, permanent
The Breakroom Take
- People enjoy this job
- Paid breaks
About Real Life Options
Real Life Options is a charity. They support people with learning disabilities and autism.
Job description from Real Life Options
Support Worker (Weekends)
Location: Inverurie
Hourly Rate: £12.60
Hours: 28 hours
Driver Required If you don’t live within Inverurie
About Real Life Options
Real Life Options is a registered charity dedicated to empowering people with learning disabilities, autism, and other complex needs to live fulfilling, independent lives. As we continue to grow, we are looking for committed Support Workers who share our values and want to make a real difference in their community.
About the Role
In our Inverurie service, Support Workers help individuals with a wide range of needs to lead enriched and independent lives. This includes:
- Supporting with day-to-day living tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping
- Providing personal care and support with medication (full training provided)
- Assisting individuals in attending medical appointments and managing household mail
- Encouraging and enabling participation in social activities such as parties, bingo, and community events
- Promoting independence and helping individuals achieve their personal goals
Who We Support
The people we support in Inverurie have varied support needs, including:
- Learning disabilities
- Autism (including Fragile-X)
- Epilepsy
- Down Syndrome
- Cerebral Palsy
- Mental health conditions
Some individuals may display challenging behaviour, including verbal or physical incidents and self-injurious behaviour. Experience in this area, particularly with de-escalation techniques and Positive Behaviour Support Plans, is highly desirable. Full training is provided.
Shifts and Flexibility
Support needs vary greatly, so we are looking for individuals who are flexible with working hours. Common shifts include:
- 7.30am-3pm
- 3pm-10pm
- 9am-4pm
- 12pm-9pm
- 5pm-10pm
Why Join Us?
We offer a range of benefits to support and reward our staff:
- 28 days paid holiday (pro rata)
- Accredited training and development opportunities
- Contributory pension scheme
- Health Cash Plan (for contracted staff)
- £10,000 life cover
- Employee Assistance Programme (health, legal, financial support)
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Financial wellbeing scheme
- Refer a Friend bonus scheme
- Staff recognition initiatives
- Mileage paid at 35p per mile (first 10,000 miles/year)
What We’re Looking For
We're looking for someone with the right values and attitude, not necessarily experience. Do you identify with these traits?
- Honest
- Good communicator
- Passionate
- Reliable
- Caring
- Flexible
- Inclusive
- Self-motivated
- Strong personal values
If you said "yes" to six or more, you could be exactly who we’re looking for.
Additional Requirements
- Drivers preferred: Due to limited public transport during shift times, having a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle is strongly preferred.
- PVG Membership (Adult): An Enhanced PVG check will be required.
- Shadow shifts will be completed before fully starting, tailored to your experience level.
Job insights from Breakroom
Support workers
Support workers help vulnerable people to live independently
What you’ll do as a support worker:
- Check the needs and progress of the individuals you are supporting
- Help with daily tasks like budgeting, shopping and claiming benefits
- Provide physical care and support including, bathing, dressing, cooking and feeding
- Check and monitor health and help with medication
Is it right for you?
This job may involve:
- Standing
- Heavy lifting
- Helping with personal care
- Physical activity
- Emotionally demanding duties
- Wearing a uniform
- Night work
- Long hours
- Anti-social hours
- Cleaning
- Working alone
What employees say
Pay
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Okay
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Only some people are paid a living wage
Do Real Life Options pay support workers enough to live on?
Some people are not paid a living wage.
How we know this
47% of people say they are paid below the Real Living Wage for where they live.Based on data from 19 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
Everyone should be paid enough to live on.
The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.
The current rates are £12.60 per hour, and £13.85 per hour in London.
Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.
Okay
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Only some people are paid market rates
Do Real Life Options pay support workers market rates?
Only some people are paid above average for their job.
How we know this
50% of people are paid below average for the type of work they do.Based on data from 22 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
Pay can vary a lot between types of job. Employers should be ensuring that the rates their staff are paid are in line with similar roles elsewhere.
Good
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Most people get paid breaks
Do support workers at Real Life Options get paid breaks?
Yes. Most people get paid breaks.
How we know this
69% of people say they get paid breaks.Based on data from 13 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2024 and January 2026.
Why this matters
A good job should have paid breaks.
You should be paid for all your time at work, whether you’re on a break or not.
Needs improving
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Most people don’t get sick pay
Do Real Life Options pay support workers sick pay?
No. Most people don’t get proper sick pay.
How we know this
100% of people say they wouldn’t get paid if they were sick but scheduled to work.Based on data from 20 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off without worrying.
At a good job you should still get paid if you’re scheduled to work but can’t due to sickness. Your contract should say how many sick days you can take each year.
This is more than the legal minimum, which says you should only get paid if you are unwell for 4 full days. See Citizens Advice for more details.
Okay
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Some people do unpaid extra work
Do support workers at Real Life Options do extra work that they don't get paid for?
Sometimes. Some people do unpaid extra work.
How we know this
40% of people report that they do extra work that they don’t get paid for.Based on data from 20 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
Everyone should get paid for any extra work they do, even if it is outside your contracted hours. At a good job, you should be paid for all the time you spend at work.
Hours and flexibility
-
Needs improving
-
Less than 4 weeks notice of shifts
How much notice do support workers get of their shift pattern at Real Life Options?
Most people don’t get 4 weeks notice of when they’re working.
How we know this
- 41% of people with changing schedules report getting one week notice or less.
- 23% of people with changing schedules report getting two weeks notice.
- 14% of people with changing schedules report getting three weeks notice.
- 23% of people with changing schedules report getting four weeks notice or more.
Based on data from 22 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
At a good job, you get plenty of notice about when you’re working.
This makes it easy for you to plan the rest of life, as well as your finances, because you know how much you’ll be working and when.
Good
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Most people don’t worry about their hours
Do support workers at Real Life Options worry about hours?
Most people don’t worry about getting enough hours.
How we know this
68% of people report they don’t worry about getting enough hours.Based on data from 22 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
At a good job, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting enough hours each week.
A good job should guarantee you a minimum number of hours in a contract, if you want it.
This makes it easier to plan your finances, because you know how much you’ll be earning.
Needs improving
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Most people don’t get any choice of shifts
Do support workers at Real Life Options get to choose the shifts they work?
Most people don’t get enough choice over which shifts they work.
How we know this
71% report that their manager doesn’t give them enough choice over which shifts they work.Based on data from 21 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. This means you get a say in when you prefer to work.
Needs improving
-
Hard to change shifts
How easy is it for support workers at Real Life Options to change shifts?
Most people find it hard to change shifts.
How we know this
71% of people report that it’s hard to change shifts if they need to.Based on data from 14 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. It should be easy to change a shift if you need to, whether that’s in an emergency or for planning ahead.
Okay
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Can be hard to book holiday
How easy is it for support workers to book a holiday at Real Life Options?
Some people find it hard to book holiday.
How we know this
44% of people report it’s hard to book holidays.Based on data from 18 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
A good job should let you take time off when you need it, and it shouldn’t be a nightmare to arrange.
Okay
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Shifts can get changed at short notice
Do Real Life Options managers change support workers shifts at short notice?
Some managers change people’s shifts at short notice.
How we know this
61% of people say their manager changes their shifts at the last minute.Based on data from 18 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
If your manager is often changing your shifts at short notice that’s a sign of poor planning. At a good job you won’t be messed around at the last minute.
Needs improving
-
Most people find it hard to take sick leave
How easy is it for support workers to take sick leave at Real Life Options?
Most people find it hard to take sick leave.
How we know this
72% of people report that it’s hard to take time off if they are sick.Based on data from 18 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off when you need to.
A good job should support you when you’re unwell and have systems in place that will allow you to take time off to recover when you need it.
Okay
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Only some parents say it’s good
Is working as support workers at Real Life Options good if you have caring responsibilities?
Only some parents and carer say this is a good place to work.
How we know this
58% of people who care for a child or other relative report this isn’t a good place to work.Based on data from 12 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between December 2023 and November 2025.
Why this matters
Whether it’s looking after children or caring for a relative, a good job should support your responsibilities outside of work.
Workplace
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Okay
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Only some people feel treated with respect
Do support workers at Real Life Options feel treated with respect by their managers?
Some people don’t feel treated with respect by their managers.
How we know this
36% of people say they’re not treated with respect by their managers.Based on data from 22 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between December 2023 and November 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should get treated with respect by their managers. You shouldn’t feel discriminated against or bullied, and if you have a problem you should be able to speak to someone about it.
Needs improving
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Most people don’t get proper breaks
Do support workers at Real Life Options get proper breaks?
Most people don’t get proper breaks.
How we know this
95% of people report that they don’t get to take proper breaks.Based on data from 20 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
When you take a break it should be a proper rest. It should last the full duration and you shouldn’t get pulled off it.
Okay
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Some people are stressed
Is it stressful for support workers to work at Real Life Options?
Some people feel stressed here.
How we know this
67% of people say they often feel stressed at work.Based on data from 18 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.
Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.
Good
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Most people enjoy their job
Do support workers at Real Life Options enjoy their jobs?
Most people enjoy their job.
How we know this
79% of people report they enjoy their job.Based on data from 19 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Needs improving
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Most people don’t recommend their team
Do support workers at Real Life Options recommend working with their team?
Not many people recommend working with their team.
How we know this
77% of people report that they wouldn’t recommend working with their immediate team to a friend.Based on data from 22 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
A good job means enjoying the place where you work.
The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.
If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.
Good
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Most people get enough training
Do support workers get enough training when they start at Real Life Options?
Most people got enough training when they started.
How we know this
67% of people report they got enough training when they started working here.Based on data from 21 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
A good job should give you good training when you start, not just drop you in at the deep end.
This means that you’ll be happier and more productive from day one and shows that your employer values you.
It’s also very important if your job involves anything that could be dangerous. Good training from the outset keeps you and your team safe.
Needs improving
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Most people don’t get support to progress
Are support workers given support to progress at Real Life Options?
Most people aren’t given support to progress here.
How we know this
In the last year, 68% of people report not being given an opportunity to get better at their job, learn a new skill, learn to manage a team or get more responsibility in their role.Based on data from 19 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
A good job should help you progress at work, if you want to. That might be supporting you to get better at the job you currently have, learn something new, manage a team or take on more responsibilities.
This means you’ll be able to build on your skills and experience, and earn more money.
Needs improving
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Head office doesn’t understand what’s happening
Do support workers think Real Life Options head office understands what's happening where they work?
Most people think head office doesn’t understand what’s happening where they work.
How we know this
83% of people think that this employer’s head office or owners don’t have a good understanding of what’s really happening where they work.Based on data from 18 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.
To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.
Okay
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Only some people feel well informed by head office
Do support workers feel well informed about how Real Life Options is doing?
Only some people feel well informed about how the company is doing.
How we know this
65% of people feel that they aren’t kept well informed about how the company is doing as a whole.Based on data from 17 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2024 and February 2026.
Why this matters
At a good job, there should be a supportive relationship between the people working on the frontline serving customers and the people who own the company or work in head office.
You should be kept informed about how the company is doing as a whole, both in good times and when things get tough for the business.
What Real Life Options employees say about their job
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Best thing
It’s somewhat fulfilling. It’s a good feeling of helping others who desperately need it.
Worst thing
However the forlorn and consumed feeling outweighs everything. The lack of understanding and respect from the suits at the top of the food chain of work is crushing and depressing.
Support worker at Real Life Options, August 2023
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Best thing
The people I work with and the residents
Worst thing
Lack of communication and employers slow
Support worker at Real Life Options, August 2021
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