Most night shifts in residential care feel like you're just keeping the lights on. But waking nights are different: you're the adult in the room when young people need you most, building real trust and spotting the small wins that matter. This is a full-time permanent role where your presence and calm make a genuine difference, every single night
You'll work a rolling 5:2 shift system on waking nights, which means proper rest days and genuine time away from work to recharge. The role sits within a 35-37.5 hour contract, and overtime is available if you want it. You're part of a team spread across 17 homes supporting young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs, trauma-informed specialists who actually understand that every young person's story matters
Your actual job is building those relationships that change things: settling young people at bedtime, being there for the anxieties and conversations that happen when the world quietens down, supporting them through the night with calm and consistency. You'll maintain their care plans, keep records, and act as a key worker during your shifts. The organisation has spent 17 years refining how to do this well, and they invest in their team to make sure you can do it too
This isn't about tick-box care. The provider is values-driven and genuinely committed to your development. They're actively recruiting because they're growing, and they want people who see this work as more than a job. If you're resilient, adaptable, and you believe young people deserve an adult who shows up with integrity, this team will back you and help you grow
What you will be doing
- Be the trusted adult during waking nights: settle young people, respond to their needs with calm and consistency, and support them through evening and overnight routines
- Maintain care plans and records, acting as a key worker during your shifts and liaising with the team about what you notice and how young people are doing
- Promote safeguarding, healthy boundaries, and positive behaviour, using an approach rooted in understanding trauma and child development
- Support young people's emotional wellbeing and daily life skills, and lead shifts when required
Why you will love working here
- Permanent full-time contract on a 5:2 rolling shift system, with 35-37.5 hours per week plus overtime available
- Salary is subject to your experience and qualifications, with clear recognition of what you bring
- Work within a values-led organisation that actively invests in team development and supports you to grow - they're big enough to offer real career progression but small enough that you're not just a number
- Join a team across 17 homes where specialist care for young people with complex needs is the whole point, not an afterthought
Is this you?
- You can build positive, respectful relationships with young people and colleagues, and you're a natural problem-solver who stays calm under pressure
- You're reliable, flexible, and genuinely committed to your own development - ideally you're already working towards or hold a Level 3 Diploma in the provider, or something equivalent
- You have a full UK driving licence and you're comfortable working a rolling shift pattern that includes all days of the week
- You bring integrity and professionalism to everything you do, and you're someone young people would want to have around when things get tough
- Experience working with children, young people, or vulnerable adults is a real bonus, and knowledge of trauma and safeguarding frameworks will put you ahead
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.