Residential children’s home

[PrettyPleaseXo]

Hello!
I’ve been offered a new job working within a residential children’s home and have a few questions if anyone else does.
My shifts will be 7am-7pm, how long is your lunch break? Do you get breaks?
I am a single parent to two children and I wanted to make sure I would be allowed my phone on my person as it is important I can be contacted in an emergency.
thank you!

I don't know anything about this type of work but maybe all rch are have different rules/systems. You might be better speaking to the management.
Sounds challenging but hopefully rewarding.

Good luck.

Hello, shift wise you could get a break yes- legally the entitlement is only 20 mins for any shift over 6hrs however it will depend on your employer. Is it a council owned residential setting or a private?
phone wise I highly doubt you will be allowed it with you, you would however have a phone that belongs to the residential setting on you- which would then be the number you’d give in case of an emergency

Thank you both! It’s a private owned setting and that’s great about the phone

On a 12-hour shift you're legally entitled to at least one 20-minute rest break under the Working Time Regulations. Many employers in residential care give more than this, but 20 minutes is the legal minimum for any shift over 6 hours.
On the phone — that's a workplace policy question rather than a legal right, but as a single parent you could reasonably ask for an exception for emergency contact. Worth raising before you start.
ukworkrights.co.uk has a free employment rights checker that covers working time and breaks — no login needed.