Frequently asked questions about jobs at Sense

We have lots of health and social care roles available at Sense. For most of them, you don’t need previous care experience. We look for candidates who have the right values and behaviours to make a difference to people’s lives. Find out more about who we are.

Your role and day-to-day activities will be led by the people you’ll be supporting. You could be working in one of our Residential Care services, Supported Living services, at a centre or Sense College. Your job advert will have information about the role, and we’ll go through it in more detail during your application process and interview.

As a support worker, you’ll help people to live the life they choose, to express themselves and develop independent life skills. The people we support take part in lots of activities including holidays, swimming, shopping, ice skating, rock climbing, arts and crafts, and many more.

To apply for a role with Sense, first visit our job portal to view our latest vacancies. Once you’ve completed your application, we’ll contact you about the next steps. We might invite you for a telephone, video, or face-to-face interview. 

Sense’s talent acquisition team will manage all of your pre-employment checks, and you’ll have a dedicated team member looking after you. We pay for and complete a DBS check for you (the level will depend on the nature of your role). We also carry out reference checks and ID checks. You’ll be asked to share your right to work in the UK, proof of address, reference contact details and any other information needed.

When your new job starts, you’ll get an induction tailored to your role. This will include face-to-face and online modules, covering topics like safeguarding and equality, diversity and inclusion. After your induction, you’ll also get the opportunity to take an online British Sign Language (BSL) course. 

If you take on a role directly supporting people with complex disabilities, you’ll get further training as part of your induction. Find more information about your training and development.

As soon as all of your pre-employment checks have been done, your manager will contact you to confirm your hours for your first day, week and month with Sense. In the first few weeks there will be an induction plan for you, including e-Learning, face-to-face training, shadowing and observations. Once your induction is done, rotas are usually issued 4-6 weeks in advance, so you have time to make plans.

For all of our supported living and residential services, we work on a 24/7 basis. Our hours of work are based around the needs of the people we support. As part of our supported living services, we provide communicator guides and intervenor services out in the community. The hours for these roles are planned around the needs of the person being supported, and will be on the job advert.

Our Hubs and Sense Colleges each have their own opening hours. These will be on the job advert and discussed at your interview. 

For most of our services, this isn’t necessary. In some supported living services, you will need to use your own vehicle. If that’s the case, you’ll get mileage allowance for any travel. All the details will be on the job advert, and we’ll go through everything during your application process. 

We might ask you to provide personal care. This will depend on the person you’re supporting. Personal care could include supporting someone to the bathroom, using the toilet, having a bath/shower, cleaning teeth and so on. Your role may range from prompting or reminding someone to do these things, to fully supporting them.

This depends on the role you’re in. Many of the people we support need 24/7 support, and this doesn’t stop over the holidays! We make every attempt to design rotas as fairly as possible, so that this commitment is shared between Sense employees.

When you start at Sense you’ll get 24 days holiday plus bank holidays. This rises to 26 days after five years’ service and 28 days after 10 years. One of your benefits is the opportunity to buy and sell annual leave up to a maximum of four days.

No, there’s no uniform for Sense staff. You’re able to wear your own smart/casual comfortable clothes.

Yes, following on from your induction, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn on the job. Your manager will support you to create a plan for development in your role. We also take part in a cross-organisational mentoring scheme. Above all, we’ll invest in you as an individual.

We recognise that your life experiences and interests are just as valuable as having qualifications. You’ll have the opportunity to bring the interests that you really enjoy in life – like art or sports – into the workplace. 

Yes! If you feel that you need support or need an adjustment at any point in the recruitment process, just let us know. You can also get in touch to discuss accommodations you’ll need when you join us, temporarily or permanently. We want to support all our employees in the best way possible

Our permanent retail roles include Shop managers, assistant shop managers, area managers and drivers.

We have over 100 Sense Shops across England and Wales. Find your nearest Sense shop.

Our volunteers help to serve customers, sort through donations, and create eye-catching window displays. If you’re helpful and friendly, it could be perfect for you – no experience needed! Find out more about our volunteering roles.

Usually, yes. For most of our roles, previous experience isn’t necessary. Check the job advert to see the skills and experience you’ll need for the role. 

First, you’ll need to complete the online application form on the Sense job vacancies website. Once the closing date has passed, the hiring managers will invite you for an interview if you meet the criteria.

Congratulations! Once you’ve accepted the offer, your Recruitment Administrator will get in touch with you. They’ll complete all the relevant background checks and check your reference history before you start.

As a driver, you’ll be:

• Moving stock between shops in the area.
• Supporting our shop teams to maximise stock and sales.
• Delivering excellent customer service.

As an assistant shop manager, you’ll be:

• Supporting the manager to deliver excellent shop standards.
• Managing volunteers.
• Offering great customer service.
• A Sense brand ambassador. 

As a shop manager, you’ll be:

• Delivering excellent shop standards.
• Managing volunteers.
• Offering great customer service.
• A Sense brand ambassador.

As an area manager, you’ll be:

• Providing effective, inspirational leadership to the area team.
• Communicating with shop teams and supporting them to achieve their best.
• Setting targets to drive sales.
• Visiting Sense shops.

We have both full-time and part-time opportunities. Check your job advert for more details. Our shops are open Monday to Sunday, so you’ll need to work weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis.

When you start at Sense you’ll get 25 days holiday plus bank holidays. This rises to 26 days after five years’ service and 28 days after 10 years. One of your benefits is the opportunity to buy and sell annual leave up to a maximum of four days.

You won’t need to wear a uniform in our shops, but you should wear smart clothing that represents Sense positively.  

When you start at Sense you’ll get an induction tailored to you. This will include some face-to-face and online learning modules, covering topics like safeguarding and equality, diversity and inclusion, plus any training specific to your role. After your induction, you’ll have the opportunity to take an online British Sign Language (BSL) course. 

Yes, following on from your induction, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn on the job. Your manager will support you to create a plan for your development in your role. We also take part in a cross-organisational mentoring scheme. Above all, we’ll invest in you as an individual. We recognise that your life experiences and interests are just as valuable as having qualifications.

Yes! If you feel that you need support or need an adjustment at any point in the recruitment process, just let us know. You can also get in touch to discuss accommodations you’ll need when you join us, temporarily or permanently. We want to support all our employees in the best way possible.