Residential Support Worker

Action for Children; Belper CP; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading children's charity in the UK is seeking a Residential Support Worker (Waking Night) based in Belper. In this role, you'll provide essential overnight support to children, ensuring their safety, well-being, and comfort. Duties include routine checks, maintaining a welcoming home environment, and promoting independence. The position is permanent, full-time with an attractive salary of up to £29,500 and comprehensive benefits including training and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

29 days annual leave plus options to buy/sell leave

Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages

Pension with up to 7% matched employer contribution

Staff discounts with Blue Light Card eligibility

Comprehensive supervision and development programme

Real Living Wage accredited employer

Free parking on site

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience of working in a care setting and developing positive relationships.
• Ability to coordinate and communicate effectively with service users and families.
• Demonstrate a solution focused approach to address problems.
• Emotional resilience to respond to challenges.
• Willingness to complete Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare within two years.

Responsibilities

• Provide consistent support to children throughout the night.
• Complete routine checks and respond to any needs.
• Ensure a welcoming and safe environment.
• Maintain safeguarding practices within the service.

Skills

Experience in a care setting

Emotional resilience

Communication skills

Solution-focused approach

Ability to build trust

Education

Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare

Job description

Residential Support Worker (Waking Night)

Salary: up to £29,500 per annum

Location: Belper

Contract/Hours: Permanent/Full Time – 37 hours per week

Benefits

• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays and options to buy or sell leave
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
• Pension with up to 7% matched employer contribution with included life assurance cover
• Staff discounts and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts
• We’re offering a highly competitive rewards package, plus a comprehensive supervision and development programme to continue your professional development
• We are a Real Living Wage accredited employer
• Free parking on site

We are one of the largest children’s charities in the UK and have been making a difference to the lives of the UK’s vulnerable children for over 150 years.

Find out more about Action for Children here: Action for Children and on LinkedIn, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.

About the Service

Our service is built on a therapeutic approach, with safety, relationships, and emotional stability at its heart. We are dedicated to creating nurturing environments where young people can heal, grow, and thrive.

A bit about the role

As a waking night Residential Support Worker, you’ll provide calm, consistent support to children and young people throughout the night, ensuring their safety, well‑being, and comfort. You’ll complete routine checks, respond to any needs that arise, and keep accurate records to support a smooth morning handover.

Alongside direct support, there is an expectation to help prepare the home for the day ahead; including light cleaning, organising communal areas, completing washing and ironing, and ensuring the environment is welcoming and ready for the young people when they wake. This helps create stability, routine, and a homely space they can rely on.

The shift pattern for this role operates on a four‑on, four‑off rota, providing a consistent and balanced working structure.

How you’ll help to create brighter futures

• Working therapeutically to support our young people through early life trauma
• Working towards identified outcomes and goals to give them a positive future
• Supporting our young people throughout the night with any needs that arise, including personal care, comfort, reassurance, while promoting their safety, well‑being and progress towards their identified goals
• Helping to promote independence
• Maintaining safeguarding practices within the service

Let’s talk about you

Are you resilient and have a positive approach to change and challenge? We are looking for someone with a ‘can do’ attitude to join our team. Ideally you will have:

• Demonstrable experience of working in a care setting and developing positive relationships through trust
• Application of a range of techniques to coordinate and communicate with service users and their families
• Demonstrate a solution focused approach to address problems, individually and in a team setting
• Demonstrate emotional resilience to respond to the challenging nature of the role
• Possess a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or recognised equivalent) or, if you do not possess this, you must be prepared to complete this within two years of commencing employment with us; full support will be provided
• Experience in a trauma‑informed setting, residential short breaks, or children’s services

What we offer

• Full training and ongoing support
• A highly rewarding role where you’ll see the impact of your work every day
• The chance to be part of a dedicated, values‑driven team
• Opportunities for professional growth and development

Good to know

Please note we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

Contact

Shannon Neander at [e-mail] quoting reference12342. We'll be happy to give you any support you require.

Diversity, equality and inclusion

At Action for Children we’re dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and disabled candidates as they are under‑represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.

Want to know more about Action for Children?

Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.

For more information, please review the full job description.

See below for further information about working with us:

Action for Children Employee Benefits

AfC Commitment Statement