Specialty ranking · tested October 2026

Best support worker agencies

120 agencies that work in support work (learning disability, autism, mental health) in the UK, ranked on the same tests. Shown as tiers; the Specialist mark shows which go deepest in social care work.

Social care & social work · Support work (learning disability, autism, mental health) · UK · 120

How we rank

All rankings

Area

Every ranking covers the whole UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each agency's page shows the nations it works in.

Social care & social work by specialty

Top 10 support worker agencies

of 120 · unnumbered
  1. Clinical 24

    12 yrs trading2 confirmed frameworksSilsoe

    Specialist
  2. Medsolve

    11 yrs trading2 confirmed frameworksChester-le-Street

    Specialist
  3. A24 Group

    30 yrs trading2 confirmed frameworksLondon

    Specialist

Top 25

the next 15
  1. Florence

    10 yrs trading2 confirmed frameworksLondon

    Specialist

Hiring care staff? Find an agency from this ranking

Tell us your setting, roles and area and we'll introduce you to agencies from this ranking that fit, in ranked order.

Showing 25 of 120

One brand per group per ranking: where sister brands from one group both work in social care, only the higher-ranked brand is listed. Missing an agency? Suggest it.

The Top 10 support worker agencies in the UK for October 2026 include Newcross Healthcare Solutions, Liquid Personnel, Charles Hunter Associates, Seven Resourcing and Cucumber Recruitment. We assessed all 120 with one method, from official registers, public sector framework supplier lists, company filings and each agency's own website. Rankings are free and no agency can pay to rank. How we rank · Overall ranking.

  • 64% are on at least one public sector staffing framework
  • Half have traded for at least 9 years
  • 30 (25%) have open jobs on our site, and 26 of those show pay on most of them

About these support worker agencies in the UK

120 of the 224 social care agencies we rank (54%) recruit for support work (learning disability, autism, mental health).

77 of these agencies (64%) are on at least one public sector staffing framework, about the same as the 63% across all social care agencies. The most common are HealthTrust Europe TWS3 (49) and Crown Commercial Service RM6281 (43).

The median agency here has traded for 9.1 years, and 3 have traded for under three. 30 (25%) have open jobs on our site, and 26 of those show pay on most of them.

The settings they most often supply are care homes, NHS hospitals and supported living. 73 (61%) recruit for permanent roles as well as temporary or locum cover. Many also recruit for residential and nursing home care, social work (general) and complex care.

Further down the list, the longest-established is A24 Group, trading for 30 years. Seven Resourcing has the most open jobs on our site (488). The newest is EmRec, trading for about a year.

At the top:

  1. Newcross Healthcare Solutions: on 4 confirmed frameworks, trading 30 years.
  2. Liquid Personnel: on 6 confirmed frameworks, trading 19 years.
  3. Charles Hunter Associates: on 1 confirmed framework, trading 17 years.
  4. Seven Resourcing: on 1 confirmed framework, trading 15 years.
  5. Cucumber Recruitment: on 1 confirmed framework, trading 8 years.
  6. Belmont Recruitment: on 2 confirmed frameworks, trading 10 years.
  7. Clinical 24: on 2 confirmed frameworks, trading 12 years.
  8. Medsolve: on 2 confirmed frameworks, trading 11 years.
  9. A24 Group: on 2 confirmed frameworks, trading 30 years.
  10. Precedo Healthcare Services: on 1 confirmed framework, trading 18 years.

Figures are from our latest checks of each agency's website, Companies House and public sector framework lists. How we rank.

Questions

How are these support worker agencies ranked?

Every agency is assessed with the same method, at the same time, from evidence we can check: official registers, public sector framework supplier lists, company filings and what each agency publishes about itself. Rather than a position for every agency, we show tiers (Top 10, 25 and 50), because small differences in the middle of a ranking aren't meaningful. No agency can pay to be listed, to rank higher or to change a result.

What makes a good support worker agency?

Look for one that is on a public sector staffing framework, has a trading record, shows pay on its adverts and is clear about training, the checks you'll need before you start and when you'll be paid. Each agency's page here shows its frameworks, how long it has traded and its live jobs. Then talk to people who work through it.

What is a public sector staffing framework?

An approved supplier list that public sector buyers, such as NHS trusts, health boards and councils, use to book agency staff. To get on one, an agency has to meet the framework's standards on vetting, compliance and rates. Frameworks cover public sector bookings; an agency that supplies care homes, GP practices or private hospitals doesn't need one for that work. Each agency's page lists the frameworks it is on.

Do support worker agencies pay weekly?

Of the 107 agencies here whose websites we've read, 20 say they pay weekly. The rest don't say so on their website, so ask before you register. Rates depend on the role, location and shift; each job on our site shows its pay where the advert states it.