Night Support Residential Worker

About The Role

Night Support Residential Worker

Permanent, Full Time

£33,013 to £41,770 per annum (including allowance)

Location: Colchester

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: Sunday 15th February 2026 at 11.59pm

Interview Dates: W/C the 9th of March 2026.

Are you interested in working with children and young people to make a difference in their lives? If so, then this could be the right opportunity for you.

It is an exciting time to join Essex County Council as we invest in and expand our residential provision. New Farm Road is a newly refurbished short-term home for up to five 12-17 year olds, and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team around the child you will support them to develop the skills and resilience to return to their families, or onto longer-term care.

Being a Night Support Residential Worker requires a special kind of person. Your main focus will be on providing nurturing therapeutic care to children who have experienced trauma, supporting and caring for them as a parent would, and each shift brings unique experiences, filled with both highs and lows.

Previous experience of working in a children’s home, would be beneficial however there are many skills that you might have that would make you suitable for the role. It is important to be open minded and have a flexible and adaptable att

itude and be able to manage challenges with a calm and patient demeanour. You will have an ability/willingness to understand and manage challenging behaviour including aggression and violence using a range of de-escalation techniques. You will also need to have effective written and verbal communication.

If you don’t already have a Level 3 Diploma you will need to complete this within 2 years of successful completion of probation period and you will be supported with this. We will provide you with all the training you need for the role along with good quality, regular supervision. This, together with the right attitude and access to a full in-house induction, will enable you to start your career with Essex County Council with confidence.

You will work an average 37 hours a week with shift times being 9.15pm to 7.15am and you will have every other weekend off.

The salary quoted is made up of a basic salary of £25,395 to £32,131 Per Annum and a guaranteed additional allowance of 30% (£7,618.50 to £9,639.30 Per Annum), paid monthly, alongside your basis salary.

If shortlisted, you will have an interview to explore the detail you provide in your application and give you an opportunity to discuss the role and ask any questions.

Due to nature of this role any applicants need to be at least 21 years old in order to undertake this post.

If you would like to know more about this role, please contact Wayne Russell - Registered Childrens Home Manager - Wayne.Russell@essex.gov.uk or Marcus Gill - Deputy Home Manager - Marcus.Gill@essex.gov.uk to arrange an informal chat.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council

is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email daniel.warner@essex.gov.uk

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