Most night shifts in care feel like you're just counting the hours until dawn. This one is different: you'll be the calm, steady presence that helps deeply troubled young people actually sleep, settle and feel safe when they need it most. We're looking for waking night workers who understand that the graveyard shift in a children's home isn't lonely - it's where real trust gets built
Picture 2am. A young person who's experienced real trauma wakes in distress. You're there - awake, alert, trained in therapeutic strategies - and you know exactly how to help them regulate, to feel held, to find their way back to sleep. That's the night shift that matters. You're not just keeping eyes open; you're providing the reassurance and emotional support that helps children with complex behavioural needs actually build resilience and stability
This is a bank role with genuine flexibility: work the nights that suit you, including weekends, knowing you're part of a family-run organisation that's expanding because they're doing trauma-informed, child-centred care properly. The home uses in-house behavioural analysis and structured therapeutic approaches, so you're never winging it - you've got the strategies, the supervision, and a team that understands what you're holding overnight
You'll earn £13.46 per hour, with an enhanced rate for those midnight-to-6am hours when you're most needed. Add pension eligibility, Blue Light Card discounts, free eye tests, gym memberships and genuine opportunities to gain professional qualifications while you work nights, and this feels less like a shift job and more like the start of a real career in residential care
What you will be doing
- Keep the children and young people safe, awake and alert throughout the full 11pm-7am shift, responding immediately to any needs, behaviours or safeguarding concerns that arise
- Provide reassurance and emotional support to young people who struggle to settle or wake during the night, using the therapeutic care strategies you'll be trained in
- Support emotional regulation and help maintain a calm, structured, nurturing home environment even when things get challenging
- Complete regular welfare checks in line with individual care plans and risk assessments, and maintain accurate records and handovers using the home's IT systems
- Handle household tasks during quieter periods and support morning routines, ensuring everything is ready for the day team
- Work collaboratively with the wider residential team, always following safeguarding procedures, policies and the care plans for each young person
Why you will love working here
- Flexible bank shifts: work the nights that fit your life, no contracted hours, genuine control over your rota
- Enhanced pay for midnight-to-6am hours on top of your £13.46 base rate, recognising the real value of the work you do when it's hardest
- Pension scheme eligibility, Blue Light Card access, free eye tests and discounted gym membership - we look after night workers properly
- Professional qualifications and real career development: you'll get training, supervision and genuine pathways to progress in residential care
- You'll be part of a family-run organisation that's expanding because they do this work with integrity - trauma-informed, child-centred, and genuinely committed to giving vulnerable young people brighter futures
Is this you?
- Is this you: you've held a full UK driving licence (manual) for at least 12 months and you're genuinely available to work 11pm-7am waking night shifts, including weekends
- You can stay awake, alert and genuinely responsive for the full shift - this isn't a sleep-in role, it's active work throughout the night
- You have experience working in residential childcare, care or support settings, ideally with young people who've experienced trauma or complex behavioural needs (though we welcome career changers with the right values)
- You're patient, resilient and compassionate - you can stay calm and confident when young people are in distress or behaving in challenging ways
- You're reliable, a strong communicator and a genuine team player who can maintain professional boundaries while building trust with young people
- You're committed to safeguarding and happy to work within a trauma-informed, child-centred approach (a Level 3 Diploma or equivalent is desirable but not essential)
Applications close on 12 October 2026. Great roles like this are filled quickly, so the sooner you apply the better.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All roles are subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.