Waking Nights Child Support Worker (Wisbech / South)

Waking Nights Child Support Worker | Wisbech | Full Time | 4 On, 4 Off | £29,120 per annum

Be the calm presence a child remembers.

Some of the hardest moments for a young person in care happen when the house is quiet. A bad dream. A worry that won’t go away. A night when sleep just won’t come.

As a Waking Nights Child Support Worker, you’ll be the trusted adult who is there when it matters: keeping the home safe, settled and reassuring until morning.

We are looking for a calm, dependable and compassionate Waking Nights Child Support Worker to join our children’s residential team in Wisbech, supporting children and young people who may have experienced trauma, instability or emotional difficulties.

Role details

• Location: Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Contract: Full time
• Salary: £29,120 per annum (£16.00 per hour)
• Hours: 35 per week on average
• Pattern: 4 nights on, 4 nights off
• Shifts: 10 hours, 21:30 to 07:30
• Induction: 3 to 4 induction day shifts, paid at the same rate and normally on your start date

Your role

Working in a specialist children’s residential home, you’ll stay awake and alert throughout your shift so the young people can rest, knowing someone is looking out for them.

You’ll offer comfort and reassurance when someone wakes or feels unsettled, respond calmly if something happens, and give the day team a clear handover each morning.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Providing attentive, consistent overnight support to children and young people
• Staying awake, alert and vigilant throughout the shift
• Carrying out regular welfare checks in line with care plans and risk assessments
• Offering emotional support and reassurance to young people who are anxious, unsettled or unable to sleep
• Supporting children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD)
• Responding calmly and appropriately to incidents, safeguarding concerns and emergencies
• Carrying out security, fire safety and other overnight checks
• Keeping accurate night records, reports and handovers
• Helping to keep the home clean, welcoming and ready for the morning routine
• Working with colleagues, managers and external professionals
• Following care plans, safeguarding procedures, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and organisational policies

What you’ll need

Essential

• Experience working with children or young people
• The ability to stay awake, alert and attentive throughout a night shift
• A calm, patient and resilient approach, especially under pressure
• A good understanding of safeguarding, child protection and professional boundaries
• Good communication skills and the confidence to work independently overnight
• Clear, accurate written record-keeping
• A reliable, compassionate and child-centred approach
• The right to work in the UK
• Willingness to undergo an Enhanced DBS check, including the children’s barred list, and the other pre-employment checks below

Desirable

• Experience in a children’s residential home
• Experience with EBD, SEN or SEMH settings
• Previous night or waking night experience
• A relevant qualification, such as a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, or willingness to work towards one
• A full UK driving licence

You don’t need the perfect CV, and you don’t need to have worked nights before. We welcome people from children’s residential care, children’s support work, youth work, social care, care work, behaviour support, SEN or SEMH settings, foster care and supported accommodation. What matters most is who you are and how you treat people.

What you’ll receive

• £29,120 per annum for an average 35-hour week
• A fixed 4-on, 4-off rota, giving you long blocks of time off
• Paid induction at the same rate of pay
• A supportive working environment and an experienced care team
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Opportunities for career progression
• The chance to build a rewarding career in residential childcare, and the satisfaction of knowing your work genuinely matters

The reality of the role

Waking nights can be quiet, and they can be challenging. There will be calm shifts and there will be nights that test your patience. We want people who understand that care is about turning up, staying dependable and staying compassionate, even at 3am.

Safeguarding and safer recruitment

The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is at the heart of everything we do. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Appointment is subject to safer recruitment checks in line with Schedule 2 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, including:

• An Enhanced DBS check, including the children’s barred list
• Verification of identity and right to work in the UK
• A full employment history, with any gaps explained
• Two satisfactory references, including your most recent employer
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Satisfactory health and fitness information

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to disclose all convictions and cautions that are not protected under current filtering legislation.

Could you be that calm presence?

If you want a role where your patience, compassion and presence can make a young person feel safe, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today.