Care Assistant Nights in Southampton

Oaklands Rest Home is located in Marchwood, on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire. Night shifts run for 12 hours, so please make sure you can reliably travel to and from us at unsociable hours. Free on-site parking is available.

About Oaklands Rest Home: Oaklands Rest Home is a family‑run care home on the edge of the New Forest. We support residents with residential, dementia, respite and reablement care. Our vision is simple: Our Specialty is You. We invest seriously in our team and support progression from Care Assistant to Senior and beyond.

Role at a Glance:

• Job Title: Night Care Assistant
• Shift Pattern: 12‑hour night shifts – full time and part time positions available
• Team Structure: Dedicated nights team – you will not be expected to rotate onto day shifts
• Supervision: A Senior Care Lead is awake and on site throughout every night shift
• DBS Check Required – funded by Oaklands

What Makes Nights at Oaklands Different:

• We recruit specifically for nights. Nights at Oaklands is a team in its own right – with its own rhythm, its own relationships and its own identity.
• We use Ally acoustic monitoring technology to support our care at night. Rather than carrying out routine hourly physical checks that disturb residents' sleep, Ally allows us to detect when a resident needs attention – so our care is targeted, timely and less intrusive.
• A Senior Care Lead is awake and present throughout every shift.
• Our staffing levels are calculated using a dependency tool that matches the number of care staff to the actual needs of residents each night.

The Role:

As a Night Care Assistant at Oaklands, your role is to ensure residents are safe, comfortable and well cared for through the night. For many residents – particularly those living with dementia – the night hours can bring anxiety, disorientation and distress. Your calm, patient presence matters enormously. You will monitor resident wellbeing using Ally acoustic monitoring, respond to those who need support, assist with personal care where required, complete care records accurately, and hand over clearly to the day team at the end of your shift.

Night shifts have a quieter pace than days, but they are not passive. Residents depend on you being alert, observant and ready to respond – and on you using good judgement about when to act and when to elevate.

What You Will Do:

• Resident Monitoring and Response:
• Monitor resident wellbeing through Ally acoustic monitoring and regular visual checks
• Respond promptly and calmly to residents who are awake, distressed or in need
• Support residents living with dementia with patience, reassurance and familiar routines
• Recognise that night‑time distress and confusion are often expressions of need, not behaviour to manage
• Escalate promptly to the Senior Care Lead when a resident appears unwell or at risk
• Personal Care and Comfort:
• Assist residents with personal care needs during the night in a dignified, unhurried way
• Support residents with repositioning, continence care and comfort as required
• Ensure residents are settled, comfortable and their environment is calm and safe
• Follow individual care plans and adapt your approach to each person's preferences and routines
• Safety and Safeguarding:
• Maintain a safe, clean and secure environment throughout the night
• Follow safeguarding, infection control and health and safety procedures at all times
• Report any concerns about a resident's safety or wellbeing immediately
• Use moving and handling equipment correctly and safely
• Records and Handover:
• Complete care records accurately and in a timely way using Oaklands' digital care system
• Document any incidents, changes or concerns clearly during your shift
• Deliver a clear, thorough handover to the day team at the end of your shift
• Maintain confidentiality in all records and communications

What We Are Looking For:

No formal qualifications are required. What matters is the right attitude, the right temperament and a genuine commitment to the people in our care.

• Essential:
• Genuine patience and calm – especially when residents are distressed or confused at night
• Honest and willing to speak up when something is not right
• Reliability and consistency – your colleagues and residents depend on you turning up
• Basic English reading and writing to complete digital care records accurately
• Comfortable working with a degree of autonomy and using your own judgement
• Able to follow care plans, instructions and safe working practices
• Willing and able to support residents with personal care
• Comfortable using digital systems – full training provided
• Good observation skills – able to notice and report changes in a resident's condition
• Committed to safeguarding and the dignity of every resident
• Desirable (not essential):
• Previous experience in a care home or health and social care setting
• Previous night shift experience in a care or health setting
• Experience supporting people living with dementia
• Moving and handling or first aid training
• Care Certificate or NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care

This Role Is Not Right for Everyone:

Night shifts are not for everyone and we would rather be honest about that now. Please do not apply if you:

• Struggle to stay alert and focused during long night shifts
• Become easily frustrated by repetition, confusion or distress
• Are uncomfortable supporting residents with personal care
• Have a pattern of unreliable attendance – night shifts cannot be covered at short notice
• Are unwilling to complete digital care records during your shift
• Prefer constant supervision and find it difficult to use your own judgement
• See care work as a temporary job rather than a responsibility to vulnerable people

What We Offer:

• Competitive pay with annual pay reviews
• Salary enhancement on qualification achievement
• 28 days holiday (pro rata for part time)
• Paid online learning time
• Enhanced bank holiday rates
• Pension contributions
• Length of service holiday bonus
• Refer a friend bonus scheme
• Free uniform
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free parking on site
• Annual Staff Awards Programme
• Free DBS check
• Genuine career progression pathway
• Funded training and NVQ qualifications
• Study support for further qualifications

What Good Looks Like in This Role:

• Residents sleep safely and are responded to quickly and calmly when they need support
• Distress or confusion at night is met with patience, reassurance and dignity – never frustration
• Ally monitoring is used attentively and any concerns are acted on promptly
• Care records are accurate, completed during the shift and ready for handover
• The day team receives a clear, honest handover with nothing left out
• Colleagues can rely on you absolutely – night shifts cannot absorb last‑minute gaps
• You escape the Senior Care Lead without hesitation when something concerns you
• You contribute to a calm, safe and settled atmosphere through the night

Training and Development:

• Bespoke nationally recognised induction programme
• Full training on Ally acoustic monitoring – no prior experience needed
• Mandatory and role‑specific training included
• Study support and funding for NVQ / Diploma in Health and Social Care
• Salary enhancement on qualification achievement
• Supervision and appraisal throughout your time with us
• Genuine progression pathway from Night Care Assistant to Senior and beyond

Oaklands Rest Home is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of residents. All appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and right to work in the UK verification.