Waking Night Residential Childcare Worker

Full Job Description

Make a Difference. Build a Career. Change Lives.

Role: Waking Residential Childcare Worker
Location: Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire
Salary: Up to £29,876 per annum depending on qualifications
Hours: Full-Time, Permanent (40 hours per week) | 3 on, 3 off with additional shift on 3 day week
Essential: Full UK Manual Driving Licence

UK Applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

About the Role

Be the Calm in Their Night and the Confidence Behind Their Tomorrow. For some young people, knowing there is a familiar, caring person there throughout the night can make all the difference.

As a Waking Night Residential Childcare Worker in Lochmaben, you’ll provide the reassurance, stability and support children and young people need to feel safe and secure overnight. From offering comfort when someone is struggling to settle to responding calmly when support is needed, you’ll be an important and trusted presence within their home.

This is much more than keeping watch overnight. You’ll help create a calm and nurturing environment, support individual routines and make sure everything is ready for the day ahead. You’ll work as part of a dedicated residential team where the small things you do can have a lasting impact on a young person’s wellbeing, confidence and sense of security.

No previous residential childcare experience is required. If you’re caring, resilient and able to remain calm when others need reassurance, we’ll provide the training and support you need to develop your skills and build a rewarding career.

What You'll Be Doing

Every night will be different, but your focus will always be on helping our young people feel safe, comfortable and supported.

• Providing overnight care, supervision and emotional reassurance to children and young people
• Creating and maintaining a calm, safe and nurturing environment throughout the night
• Completing regular welfare checks and responding sensitively to individual needs
• Supporting young people who may wake during the night and providing reassurance when they need it
• Following individual care plans, routines and agreed approaches to ensure consistent support
• Completing accurate records and night reports to provide continuity of care between night and day teams
• Helping maintain a clean, comfortable and welcoming home environment
• Supporting with appointments, activities and transitions where required
• Building positive and trusting relationships that help young people develop confidence and emotional security
• Working closely with your residential colleagues to maintain excellent standards of care and safeguarding

We're Looking for Someone Who Has:

You don’t need previous care experience or qualifications to get started. What matters most is your values, your attitude and your ability to be someone a young person can rely on.

You could already work within care or support, or you may be looking for a completely new career where your life experience and people skills can make a difference.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Kind, compassionate and genuinely motivated to improve the lives of children and young people
• Calm and reassuring, particularly when a young person is anxious, unsettled or experiencing a difficult moment
• Patient and resilient, with the ability to respond positively to challenging situations
• Reliable and comfortable working throughout the night as part of a waking night team
• A good communicator who can build positive and appropriate relationships
• Observant and able to recognise when a young person may need additional reassurance or support
• Comfortable completing records and following individual care plans and procedures
• A supportive team member who understands the importance of consistency between colleagues
• Willing to learn, complete training and develop a career within residential childcare
• In possession of a Full UK Manual Driving Licence

The Location

Holistic Childcare and Education consists of two specialist homes: Closeburn House and Maben House.

Closeburn House supports young people aged 10–16 years, while Maben House supports young people aged 6–16 years. Both homes are within commuting distance of Dumfries, Lockerbie and surrounding areas.

Our homes are dedicated to helping young people develop independence, life skills and personal interests, creating opportunities for brighter futures.

Every day is different, offering both challenge and reward as you support young people in a safe and nurturing environment where they are listened to, respected and encouraged to thrive.

For over 19 years, Options Autism has provided specialist care and education for children, young people, and adults with autism, complex needs, and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are pioneering innovative, evidence-based approaches that deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes for everyone in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why Join Options Autism?

We place children and young people at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS check.

• Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced Family Growth Support
• Critical Illness Cover
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Hundreds of UK and international discounts
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

Develop Your Career

We invest heavily in our people.

• Fully funded qualifications
• "Journey to Management" Programme
• Opportunities to progress into Deputy Manager and Management roles

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.

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