Closing date for applications: Wednesday 7 October 2026 at 3.00pm
Interviews to be held: Wednesday 21 October 2026
Role Purpose
At Group Living we support young people aged 16-18 who are Looked After Children and Care Leavers. We are a residential service, with each of our projects housing up to 6 young people. We are a 24/7 staffed service, enabling us to build a safe and homely environment and provide the security and understanding that our residents need. During their time at group living, we support our residents to develop their living skills to work towards moving on to their own property.
This role is central to ensuring the safety, wellbeing, and development of young people, while maintaining a safe, compliant, and well-managed environment. It requires vigilance, professionalism, teamwork, and the ability to provide remote out-of-hours support, all underpinned by Social Care guidance and organisational standards.
Regulatory Context and Accountability
This role operates within the Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations and Quality Standards 2023, statutory safeguarding guidance, and local authority placement requirements for Looked After Children and Care Leavers.
The Night Group Living Key Worker is responsible for:
- Safeguarding young people overnight and out-of-hours support to other Roundabout services.
- Delivering person centred and Trauma-informed keywork sessions
- Following Social Care safety plans and agreed risk management strategies
- Maintaining safe, hygienic, and compliant accommodation
- Completing night registers and regular welfare checks
- Ensuring clear handovers and communication between shifts
- Working collaboratively within the team and independently when lone working
- Participating in staff meetings and supervision.
- Maintaining inspection-ready records at all times
The post reports operationally to the Service Manager and works under the leadership and regulatory accountability of the Ofsted Registered Manager.
Night Key Workers, work four nights on and four nights off on a rolling rota. The Group Living service currently has three 24/7 staffed projects in Sheffield, and together we provide a community for our young people.
Key Accountabilities
The Night Worker ensures young people are safe, supported, and living in a secure, hygienic, and compliant environment.
Key Responsibilities
Safeguarding and Adherence to Safety Plans
- Promote and safeguard the welfare of young people overnight
- Implement Social Care safety plans
- Undertake strengths-based wellbeing and safety assessments, developing person- centred goals.
- Respond to safeguarding incidents, including missing episodes under the Philomena Protocol.
- Escalate concerns appropriately and maintain professional boundaries and model safe, respectful behaviour.
Person-Centred, Trauma-Informed Keyworking
- Hold and manage a structured caseload, alongside day keyworkers
- Deliver outcome-focused keywork sessions
- Complete and update assessments, support plans, incorporating the young person’s pathway plan
- Ensure young people’s wishes, feelings, and strengths inform all planning
- Promote emotional regulation, resilience, and autonomy
Environmental Safety, Cleaning and Hygiene
- Conduct nightly health and safety checks of the premises
- Ensure the building is secure and monitored throughout the night
- Complete scheduled and ad hoc cleaning of kitchens, bathrooms, communal areas, and staff spaces
- Maintain furnishings and equipment in a safe, hygienic, and well-maintained condition
- Manage waste appropriately and maintain environmental standards
- Prepare the environment for the incoming day team
- Record all cleaning, health & safety, and welfare checks
Supporting Young People’s Development and Independence
- Support budgeting, cooking, cleaning, and tenancy readiness
- Encourage education, employment, and training engagement
- Promote independence in managing appointments and responsibilities
- Support understanding of rights, responsibilities, and communal living
Recording, Reporting, and Inspection Readiness
- Complete accurate daily logs, incident reports, keywork records, risk assessments, cleaning and environmental checks, night register, and welfare checks
- Provide clear written and verbal handovers to day staff highlighting safeguarding, environmental, and welfare updates
- Ensure all documentation demonstrates adherence to Social Care safety plans and regulatory compliance
- Provide comprehensive and factual handover notes
- Maintain records that are GDPR-compliant and inspection-ready
Working as Part of a Team and Lone Working
Team Working:
- Collaborate with Day Keyworkers, Managers, and colleagues across other Group Living sites
- Attend staff team meetings and contribute to safeguarding, service improvement, and reflective practice discussions
- Share information and support colleagues while maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries
Lone Working
- Take full responsibility for residents and the environment during night shifts
- Follow lone working procedures, maintaining safety and vigilance
- Seek support from on-call managers when needed
- Make professional, proportionate decisions and maintain accurate records of actions taken
Other Duties
Out-of-Hours Community Support (Telephone-Based)
- Provide telephone support to young people living in the community outside standard working hours
- Offer guidance, reassurance, and practical problem-solving advice remotely
- Document interactions clearly in line with safeguarding, GDPR, and regulatory standards
- Liaise with on-call managers for additional guidance, escalation, or intervention
- Ensure professional boundaries are maintained while providing remote support
- Follow Social Care safety plans and organisational policies during all interactions
Professional Standards
- Demonstrate strong safeguarding knowledge and competence
- Adhere consistently to Social Care safety plans and organisational policies
- Maintain high standards of hygiene, cleanliness, and environmental safety
- Communicate effectively during handovers, team meetings, and out-of-hours support
- Be accountable and resilient when lone working
- Uphold professional boundaries, integrity, and ethical practice
- Engage in reflective practice and contribute to service development
Person Specification
- Direct experience of face-to-face work with vulnerable young people or similar client group in a residential or alternative setting
- Experience of undertaking strength-based needs and support plans and reviews with vulnerable young people and supporting them to achieve goals and outcomes.
- Experience of multi-agency working, and effective liaison to ensure young people access appropriate services to meet their needs.
- An understanding of health and safety in a residential environment and an ability to maintaining the hygiene and cleanliness of communal spaces.
- Knowledge of the safeguarding process, in relation to working with vulnerable people, especially Looked After Children.
- A good working knowledge of the issues faced by young people and UASC (unaccompanied asylum-seeking children)
- Experience of undertaking accurate and thorough risk assessments and addressing safety concerns through mitigating identified risks.
- Ability to lone work and use own initiative as well as work as part of a team to prioritise and deliver support
- A working knowledge confidentiality and GDPR and experience of maintaining professional boundaries with vulnerable young people
- Excellent communication and IT skills, including a working knowledge of database recording systems and ability to maintain appropriate records and monitoring systems.
Personal Attributes
- Ability to empathise and believe in young people, empowering them to achieve their goals and aspirations.
- Strong interpersonal skills, to build rapport with young people and promote independent living skills
- Ability to be emotionally resilient, adapting in the face of difficult behaviour or challenging situations.
- To think creatively and bring new ideas to engage all young people within the project and wider service.
- Ability to work with a diverse client group to promote equality.
- A willingness to undertake all training required for the role, including Level 3 Workforce Diploma if required.
