Residential Practitioner Waking Nights

**Salary**

£28,598 - £31,022

**Contractual hours**

37

**Basis**

Full Time

**Job category/type**

Leeds City Council

**Date posted**

06/09/2025

**Job reference**

REQ003223

**Job title**: Residential Practitioner - Waking Nights

**Salary**: C1 £28,598 - £31,022 pro rata (plus weekend enhancements and sleep in allowance where appropriate)

**Hours**: 35

**Contract**: Permanent

**Location**: Kirkstall, Leeds

Leeds City Council are currently recruiting 3 Waking Nights positions to our 45 bed Kirkstall accommodation. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to kickstart their residential care vocation.

Kirkstall accommodation provides support to young people from various backgrounds, to gain independence skills to support their transition into adulthood and beyond. You will be joining a supportive team who have your wellbeing and development at heart, to ensure you have every success in this rewarding role.

We are seeking experienced and enthusiastic staff to join our passionate residential care team. Our mission is to continue to thrive and grow on what has already been achieved while maintaining our ethos of Leeds being a child friendly city.

This is a rare, exciting opportunity for someone to be part of a rapidly developing child focused service, where you’ll play a vital role in supporting young people with complex needs. Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

**About you**

As a Waking Nights, you will bring to the role:

- NVQ Level 3 qualified (minimum) in Caring for Young People or be willing to complete within 12 months of being appointed
- The commitment to undertake QCF, Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People Services
- The ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of young people’s needs within the supported accommodation service
- A flexible approach to work as a rota shift system is in operation to meet the changing needs of the young people
- The ability to use IT systems confidently

**About the role**

As a Waking Nights, you’ll use your excellent communications skills to build positive relationships with vulnerable young people to support and guide them in their journey to adulthood and independence. This role is varied and stimulating with no two days the same, from supporting the residents with cooking and personal care to making arts and crafts and gaming with them.

As our next post holder, you’ll contribute to developing the role in a positive manner. Waking Nights will be expected to ensure the safety of the young people throughout the night, carrying out regular checks while maintaining the health and safety of the service and its residents.

This role offers immense job satisfaction as you witness the positive changes you facilitate in the lives of disadvantaged young people daily. You’ll also be making a positive impact to your community by working for a local authority.

**What we offer you**

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

- a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
- membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
- being part of an outstanding service with an excellent support network, strong leadership and guidance
- a clear career pathway and continuing professional development and training opportunities
- a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

**How to apply**

**If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the**Skilled Worker visa**route before applying.** To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least**£41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.**

**Job purpose**
The Residential Practitioner’s role is to support, encourage and safeguard children and young people in their development, enabling them to make positive contributions to their families, society and local communities.

You will do this by fostering positive relationships and maintaining strong bonds between children and staff based on shared daily life and routines, joint activities and established boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

**Special conditions**

**Responsibilities**
- Undertake key worker role, implement care plans, conduct risk assessments and devise support and health plans
- Provide and maintain a safe, stimulating and secure living and learning environment supporting day-to-day physical and emotional needs
- Work with professionals and communities of origin to sustain links and understand past problems
- Nurture children’s ambitions for their future and their learning, both in and out of school
- Supp