At a Glance
- Tasks: Support children with learning disabilities during overnight hours, ensuring their safety and wellbeing.
- Company: A nurturing children's home dedicated to providing a safe environment for vulnerable young people.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, comprehensive training, career progression, and a rewarding work environment.
- Other info: Join a passionate team committed to safeguarding and promoting children's welfare.
- Why this job: Make a meaningful impact in the lives of children when they need support the most.
- Qualifications: Experience with children with complex needs and strong communication skills are essential.
We are excited to offer an opportunity for an experienced Residential Support Worker to be part of our children’s home team, supporting up to 5 young people with learning disabilities.
This is a unique chance to help shape the culture, routines, and outcomes for the children.
Our homes are carefully designed to feel safe, nurturing, and genuinely homely, places where children can build stability, trust, and a sense of belonging.
We are committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and therapeutic environment for children and young people with learning disabilities, autism, complex needs, and behaviours that may challenge.
Our children’s home is a place where every child is valued, respected, and supported to thrive - both during the day and throughout the night.
We are seeking passionate and dependable Waking Night Residential Support Workers to join our team and ensure the safety, comfort, and wellbeing of children during overnight hours.
Role Overview
As a Waking Night Residential Support Worker, you will play a vital role in the overnight care and supervision of Looked After Children with learning disabilities and additional complex needs.
You will help maintain a calm, safe, and secure environment throughout the night, ensuring every child feels protected, supported, and reassured.
This role requires you to remain fully awake, alert, and observant throughout your shift, carrying out welfare checks, monitoring safety, responding to incidents, and supporting children who may wake during the night due to anxiety, distress, sensory needs, or emotional dysregulation.
You will work closely with the wider care team to ensure continuity of care and maintain high safeguarding standards at all times.
Your ability to remain calm under pressure and respond sensitively to complex situations will be essential.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide high-quality overnight care, supervision, and safeguarding for children with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs.
- Carry out regular welfare and safety checks in line with individual care plans, risk assessments, and organisational procedures.
- Respond calmly and effectively to incidents, emotional distress, dysregulation, medical concerns, or waking children requiring support and reassurance.
- Maintain a safe, secure, structured, and therapeutic environment throughout waking night shifts.
- Follow individual care plans, behaviour support strategies, and risk management protocols to ensure consistent and person-centred care.
- Accurately record observations, incidents, behaviours, and relevant overnight information in line with regulatory and organisational requirements.
- Support continuity of care by providing clear and detailed handovers to day staff.
- Maintain professionalism, vigilance, and situational awareness throughout the entire shift.
- Participate in training, supervision, and professional development to ensure best practice in residential childcare.
Qualifications & Experience
- Previous experience supporting children or young people with learning disabilities, autism, complex needs, or behaviours that challenge is highly desirable.
- Experience in residential childcare, support work, health and social care, SEN settings, or similar environments would be advantageous.
- Understanding of child development, trauma-informed care, autism, sensory needs, and attachment-based approaches is desirable.
- Relevant qualifications in Residential Childcare, Social Care, Psychology, or related fields are beneficial but not essential.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to remain calm, focused, and professional during high-pressure situations.
- Strong observational, recording, and reporting skills.
- Ability to remain awake, alert, and attentive throughout waking night shifts.
- Strong commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
What We Offer
- A supportive, inclusive, and rewarding working environment
- Comprehensive induction, training, and ongoing professional development
- Opportunities for career progression within the organisation
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- The opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of vulnerable children during the hours they need safety and reassurance most
- Safeguarding
This role is subject to appropriate safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS check.
You will be expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people at all times.
Apply Now
If you are passionate about supporting children with learning disabilities and want to play a crucial role in keeping them safe, secure, and supported overnight, we would love to hear from you.
Please send your CV to be considered for this rewarding opportunity to make a real difference as a Waking Night Residential Support Worker
Waking Night Support Worker in Hailsham employer: Peters Dean Care Ltd
Join our compassionate team as a Senior Support Worker in a new home dedicated to transforming the lives of young people with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. We pride ourselves on fostering a supportive work culture that prioritises employee well-being, offers continuous professional development opportunities, and encourages collaboration among staff. Located in a vibrant community, our organisation not only provides meaningful employment but also the chance to make a lasting impact in the lives of those we serve.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Waking Night Support Worker in Hailsham
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Peters Dean Care Ltd.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Peters Dean Care Ltd!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Peters Dean Care Ltd, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Peters Dean Care Ltd or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Waking Night Support Worker in Hailsham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Peters Dean Care Ltd:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Peters Dean Care Ltd! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Peters Dean Care Ltd
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
