Maintenance Operative
Join Care South as a maintenance operative
Make a difference with a Maintenance career at Care South
Looking for Maintenance Operative jobs in Dorset, Somerset and Devon or the surrounding areas?
Join Care South and use your practical skills to help create safe, comfortable and welcoming homes for the people who live with us.
Our Maintenance Operatives are an important part of the Care South team. From planned maintenance and everyday repairs to plumbing, decorating, carpentry and essential safety checks, you will help make sure our care homes remain places that residents are proud to call home.
Whether you are an experienced Maintenance Operative, Handyperson, Maintenance Technician or Multi-Skilled Operative, you could find a rewarding new career with Care South.
View our latest Maintenance Operative vacancies below and join a team where your work makes a genuine difference every day.
Available maintenance jobs at Care South:
Maintenance jobs where your work really matters
Working in maintenance at a care home is about much more than repairing buildings.
Our residents live in our homes every day, which means the work of our maintenance teams directly contributes to their comfort, safety and quality of life.
One day you might be repairing a tap or carrying out planned maintenance, while another could involve decorating a resident’s room, checking essential equipment or responding to an unexpected repair.
It is a varied role where practical skills, problem solving and a friendly approach are equally important.
As part of the Care South team, you will get to know residents and colleagues while helping us maintain the welcoming environments that are at the HEART of our care homes.
What does a Care South Maintenance Operative do?
Our Maintenance Operatives help keep our care homes safe, functional and well maintained.
Depending on the home and position, your responsibilities could include:
- Planned and reactive building maintenance
- General repairs and handyperson tasks
- Basic plumbing and heating maintenance
- Basic electrical maintenance and safety checks
- Decorating and painting
- Carpentry and minor building repairs
- Fire system testing and routine safety checks
- Supporting the maintenance of care equipment
- Carrying out regular inspections
- Identifying maintenance requirements before they become larger problems
- Responding to urgent maintenance issues
- Keeping accurate maintenance and safety records
- Working with colleagues and external contractors when required
- Supporting other nearby Care South homes when necessary
Safety is always important. Maintenance work must be completed carefully, professionally and to a high standard, helping us provide an environment where residents, families and colleagues feel safe and comfortable.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for practical, proactive people who take pride in their work.
Previous experience in a care home or another regulated environment can be beneficial, but we also welcome people with transferable maintenance experience who share our values and want to make a positive difference.
Depending on the vacancy, useful skills and experience may include:
- Strong general repair and maintenance skills
- Plumbing and heating knowledge
- Electrical safety knowledge
- Decorating experience
- Carpentry skills
- Experience with heating, electrical or fire systems
- Knowledge of Legionella management
- A Basic Electrical Safety certificate
- Heating or plumbing qualifications
- Experience working independently and managing a varied workload
You will also need good time management skills, a flexible approach and the confidence to use your own initiative.
Just as importantly, you should be comfortable working around residents and understand that you are working in someone’s home.
Don't have every qualification?
Don’t let that necessarily stop you from exploring a career with Care South.
We provide a comprehensive induction and ongoing training and development for our teams.
Where relevant to your role, Care South can also support training such as Fire Safety or Legionella training and updates to existing certification.
We want our people to continue developing their skills and progressing their careers.
Available maintenance jobs at Care South:
Frequently asked questions about Maintenance Operative jobs
Previous experience in a care home or another regulated environment can be beneficial for some positions, but relevant maintenance experience and practical skills are also important. Check the requirements of the individual vacancy before applying.
Requirements vary between positions. Experience or qualifications relating to plumbing, heating, electrical safety, fire systems or Legionella can be advantageous. Care South also provides training and development, including support with relevant training where appropriate.
Working patterns vary by vacancy. Some Maintenance Operative roles typically work during weekday daytime hours, although flexibility may occasionally be required for emergencies or call-outs. Full working hours are provided on each individual job vacancy.
Yes. Care South recruits Mobile Maintenance Operatives where required to provide maintenance support across multiple homes within a local area. Current opportunities will be listed within our vacancies.
Care South has care homes across Dorset, Somerset and other parts of the south of England. Maintenance opportunities are advertised according to the requirements of individual homes and local groups of homes
Care South provides induction, training and ongoing development. Depending on the role and individual requirements, this can include relevant safety training and support with areas such as Fire Safety and Legionella.
Care South is currently unable to offer Visa Sponsorship for these positions. Applicants must also be aged 18 or over.
Care South operates care homes across the south of England, with opportunities available across Dorset, Somerset and surrounding areas.
Depending on our current vacancies, we may have opportunities for Maintenance Operatives in and around areas including:
Poole and Bournemouth
Explore Maintenance Operative and care home maintenance opportunities across Poole, Bournemouth and the surrounding Dorset area.
Weymouth and West Dorset
Find maintenance opportunities supporting our care homes in Weymouth and the wider West Dorset area.
North Dorset
Discover opportunities to support Care South homes in North Dorset and surrounding communities.
Somerset
Explore care home Maintenance Operative opportunities at our Somerset locations.
Devon
Discover opportunities to support Care South homes in Bideford, North Devon.
Our available positions change throughout the year, so we encourage you to check our latest vacancies regularly.
Yes. As our Maintenance Operatives work within care environments and around residents, successful applicants will be required to complete the appropriate pre-employment checks, including a DBS check.
For Mobile Maintenance Operative positions, you will usually need a full UK driving licence as the role involves travelling between Care South locations. Check the individual job description for the specific requirements of the role.
Food, Fun and Friendship is at the HEART of what we do
At Care South, we believe care homes should be places filled with Food, Fun and Friendship.
Our care homes provide much more than high-quality care. They are communities where residents can enjoy companionship, activities, great food and meaningful relationships.
Our Maintenance teams play their own important part in making that possible by keeping our homes safe, comfortable and looking their best.
Everything we do is underpinned by our HEART values:
Honesty
Excellence
Approach
Respect
Teamwork
If those values resonate with you, we would love to hear from you.
Activities Assistant
Maintenance Operative
Nail Care Worker
Activities Team Lead
Home Care Assistant
Kitchen Assistant
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Care home vacancies
Positions available in our residental care homes across Dorset, Devon and Somerset.
Care at Home vacancies
Positions available supporting people in their own homes across Dorset and Somerset.
Head office and support roles
When you join Care South, you’ll be part of a community of like-minded people who share a passion for supporting our residents to live with dignity and continue to enjoy meaningful lives.
Food, Fun and Friendship
Our residents continue living rich and fulfilled lives, doing what they love, with the people they love, enjoying Food, Fun and Friendship together.
Our chefs serve freshly prepared, seasonal food, that looks great and tastes even better!
Our homes are places to enjoy life and continue with hobbies and pastimes, within a vibrant community.
Our homes bring people together, through spending quality time with loved ones or by making new friendships.
Latest news and updates
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🫏🩰🍦 Summer Fayre fun at Kenwith Castle!
Residents at Kenwith Castle welcomed family, friends and members of the local community for a fantastic day filled with entertainment, laughter and plenty of summer fun. ☀️
Pupils from Sarah Westcott Dance Studios treated everyone to a beautiful ballet performance, while some very special four-legged visitors from the Donkey Centre at Highford proved popular with residents and guests alike. 🫏💛
There was also time to enjoy a visit from the ice cream van, alongside stalls selling gifts, clothes, cakes and crafts. 🍰🎁
Jo Passmore, Home Manager at Kenwith Castle, said: “Our residents thoroughly enjoyed our Summer Fayre, which is always a highlight in their summer programme of events. The whole day was filled with laughter, dancing, ice creams and fun.
“It was lovely to welcome so many residents’ families, friends and members of our local community to Kenwith Castle to enjoy the fayre together.”
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so special. 💙
Find out more about life at Kenwith Castle and Care South: www.care-south.co.uk/community-joins-kenwith-castle-residents-for-summer-fun/
#CareSouth #KenwithCastle #Bideford #NorthDevon #SummerFayre #FoodFunFriendship #CareHomeLife #Community
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⛵ A wonderful day on the water for residents at Talbot View!
Residents recently enjoyed a memorable trip aboard the Dolphin, taking in the beautiful sights around Poole Harbour, including Brownsea Island, Long Island, Round Island and more. 🌊
As we sailed, the Dolphin team shared fascinating stories about the history of the islands, while residents enjoyed spotting familiar landmarks and reminiscing about their own memories of the local area.
For Barbara, aged 95, the trip brought back memories of visiting Brownsea Island and of the beaches around the harbour in the years after the war. Bryan, aged 98, also enjoyed sharing stories from his days working for a boat builder on Poole Quay, where he helped to make wooden boats. 🛶
There was even time to look out for seals, hear stories about deer swimming between the islands, and enjoy hot drinks and biscuits on board. ☕🍪
Residents had such a lovely time that they said they wished they could stay on the boat all day and hold onto the memory forever. 💙
A truly special day filled with local history, treasured memories and plenty of food, fun and friendship.
#TalbotView #CareSouth #pooleharbour #brownseaisland #FoodFunAndFriendship #makingmemories
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🎀 A wonderful afternoon at Castle Dene in support of Breast Cancer Now! 💗
Residents and team members recently came together for a special afternoon tea to raise funds for a cause that is particularly close to the hearts of the Castle Dene community, with members of our team having been personally affected by breast cancer.
Residents and staff baked a lovely selection of homemade cakes and sweet treats, which were greatly admired and enjoyed by everyone who joined us. 🍰☕️
Thanks to the generosity of our residents, relatives, team members and visitors, we raised over £200 for Breast Cancer Now! 👏
A huge thank you to everyone who baked, donated and helped make the afternoon such a success.
A lovely example of food, fun and friendship bringing everyone together for an important cause. 💕
#Castledene #BreastCancerNow #fundraising #CareSouth #FoodFunAndFriendship
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🌻 Sunflowers reached new heights across Care South this summer! 🌻
Residents and teams across our homes have been putting their green fingers to the test in our sunflower growing competition, with some fantastic results despite deer, slugs, caterpillars and plenty of summer sunshine! ☀️
🏆 Elizabeth House took first place with their incredible 9ft sunflower, ‘Ray of Sunshine’.
🥈 Fairlawn followed closely behind with ‘Sunshine’, measuring an impressive 8ft 6in.
🌻 Wickmeads grew ‘The Blooming Skyscraper’ to almost 7ft 4in, while Fern Brook Lodge proudly entered their 4ft 8in sunflower, ‘Tournesol’.
From planting the first seeds to naming, watering and watching them grow, the competition brought residents and colleagues together for a summer full of fun, teamwork and friendly rivalry.
A huge well done to everyone who took part and helped bring a little extra sunshine to our homes. 💛
Read More: www.care-south.co.uk/care-south-sunflower-competition-brings-homes-together-for-a-summer-growing-...
#CareSouth #FoodFunFriendship #CareHomeActivities #Gardening #SunflowerCompetition #CareHomeLife
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🥁 Wickmeads residents have got the beat! 🎶
Our garden was anything but peaceful when Dawn from Drumtastic joined us for our very first drumming session!
After some gentle warm-up exercises, residents picked up their drumsticks and got stuck into an energetic afternoon of drumming along to favourites from Queen, Elton John, ABBA and Dolly Parton. 🎵
There were plenty of smiles, singing and concentration as everyone worked to keep the rhythm, with resident Sylvia comparing it to trying to rub your head while patting your tummy! 😂
Sade even got her visiting son involved, with the pair enjoying the music and showing off some brilliant moves together. 💙
A huge thank you to Dawn for showing us that exercise can be noisy, musical and lots of fun. We’re already looking forward to doing it again!
#CareSouth #Wickmeads #FoodFunFriendship #Drumtastic #CareHomeActivities #LiveMusic #Bournemouth #CareHomeLife
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🦉 A very special visit to Maiden Castle House! 💙
There was plenty of excitement when Owl Obsession brought four beautiful owls from around the world to meet our residents, from an impressive barred owl to a tiny feathered friend weighing just a few ounces.
The visit was particularly special for resident Buck, who has loved owls all his life. The owls even visited him in his room, creating a moment he won’t forget anytime soon.
Buck summed it up perfectly: “This didn’t just make my day, it made my year.” 🥰🦉
A huge thank you to Owl Obsession for creating such a memorable experience for everyone at Maiden Castle House!
#CareSouth #MaidenCastleHouse #FoodFunFriendship #OwlObsession #CareHomeActivities #Dorchester #CareHomeLife
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🛠️ Fancy an afternoon of good company and trying something hands-on?
Castle Dene is inviting gentlemen from across the local community to join us for our Men’s Shed. ☕🌱
It’s a relaxed opportunity to meet others, have a chat and get involved in activities such as woodworking and gardening. You don’t need any previous experience, just come along and enjoy yourself!
📅 Monday 7 September 2026
🕑 2:00pm to 3:30pm
📍 Castle Dene, Throop Road, Bournemouth, BH8 0DB
We’d also love you to help us spread the word. If you have a friend, neighbour, relative or know someone through a local club or community group who might enjoy the afternoon, please invite them along. Everyone is welcome. 💙
📞 For more information, call 01202 397929.
Website: www.care-south.co.uk/event/?id=47
#CastleDene #CareSouth #MensShed #Bournemouth #BournemouthCommunity #CommunityEvents #MakingConnections #FoodFunAndFriendship
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🎶 A wonderful evening of opera at Fern Brook Lodge! 🎭
Back by popular demand, we were delighted to welcome Gigi Strong and a fellow performer back to Fern Brook Lodge for a very special evening of live opera.
Residents sat back and enjoyed the beautiful singing and music, which created a fantastic atmosphere throughout the home. There were plenty of smiles and moments of pure enjoyment as everyone shared the experience together. 💙
A huge thank you to Gigi and her fellow performer for another memorable evening. We’re already looking forward to welcoming you back again soon!
#CareSouth #FernBrookLodge #FoodFunFriendship #LiveMusic #Opera #Gillingham #CareHomeLife #CareHomeActivities
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