At a Glance
- Tasks: Provide overnight support and care for children in a residential home.
- Company: A leading provider of high-quality children's residential care.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, full-time hours, and the chance to make a real difference.
- Other info: Opportunity for personal growth and development in a rewarding environment.
- Why this job: Join a compassionate team and help children feel safe and valued at night.
- Qualifications: Passion for supporting children, good communication skills, and ability to work night shifts.
Waking Night Support Worker – Children’s Residential Care
Salary: £16.75 per hour Contract: Full-time, Permanent Location: Milton Keynes Shift: Waking Nights
Make a Difference While Others Sleep
Our client provides high-quality children’s residential care for children and young people who may have experienced trauma, adversity and complex emotional or behavioural needs.
They are looking for a compassionate, reliable and resilient Waking Night Support Worker to join their residential childcare team.
This is an opportunity to provide consistent overnight care and support, helping create a safe, calm, therapeutic and nurturing environment where children and young people feel secure, valued and supported.
The Role
The successful candidate will provide overnight support within a children’s residential home, ensuring young people remain safe, settled and well supported throughout the night.
They will work independently during waking night shifts while maintaining close communication with the wider care team and responding calmly and professionally to any situations that arise.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide a safe, secure and nurturing overnight environment.
- Support children and young people in line with their individual care plans.
- Build positive, trusting and professional relationships.
- Complete regular welfare checks and respond appropriately to incidents or concerns.
- Maintain accurate records, daily reports and handovers.
- Administer medication where trained and authorised.
- Support positive behaviour using trauma-informed and therapeutic approaches.
- Promote safeguarding and child protection at all times.
- Support children and young people with emotional, behavioural and complex needs.
- Work closely with the wider residential care team to ensure consistency of care.
- Maintain a clean, welcoming and homely environment.
- Follow the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015, safeguarding procedures and organisational policies.
About You
The successful Waking Night Support Worker will be
- Caring, compassionate and emotionally resilient.
- Calm and confident when responding to challenging situations.
- Reliable, responsible and able to work independently.
- Passionate about supporting children and young people to achieve positive outcomes.
- A strong communicator with good written and verbal communication skills.
- Comfortable completing records and using basic IT systems.
- Flexible and committed to working waking night shifts.
Essential Requirements
- Genuine passion for supporting children and young people.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work waking night shifts.
- Understanding of safeguarding responsibilities.
- Full UK driving licence.
Desirable Experience
Previous experience in a children’s residential home, residential childcare or similar care setting.
Experience supporting children and young people with emotional, behavioural or complex needs.
Experience managing or supporting challenging behaviour.
Knowledge of trauma-informed care, therapeutic approaches or Positive Behaviour Support (PBS).
Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare / Children & Young People, or willingness to work towards one.
Interested? Please send you CV in as a Word format only
**Please only apply if you are already eligible to work in the UK (indefinitely & without sponsorship),
***Not for you but you know someone suitable? Take advantage of the Your Recruit paid referral fee***
Due to the large numbers of responses we receive, despite our best efforts, it is not possible to respond to every application.
Therefore, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for this particular role and if you haven't heard from us within 7 days please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Please feel free however to apply for further roles and we will certainly keep your details on file and contact you with suitable vacancies.
Your Recruit Ltd does not discriminate on the grounds of age, race, gender or disability and complies with all relevant UK legislation.
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Waking Night Support Worker – Children’s Residential Care in Milton Keynes employer: YourRecruit
At YourRecruit, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that values innovation and collaboration within the educational sector. Our supportive work culture fosters professional growth, offering ample opportunities for development while making a meaningful impact in Further Education. Located in a vibrant community, we provide competitive benefits and a commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring our employees thrive both personally and professionally.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Waking Night Support Worker – Children’s Residential Care in Milton Keynes
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We think you need these skills to ace Waking Night Support Worker – Children’s Residential Care in Milton Keynes
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 YourRecruit:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to YourRecruit! 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 YourRecruit
✨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.
