Recovery House Nightshift Support Worker

Alternatives West Dunbartonshire Community Drug Services (Alternatives)

History and achievements

Alternatives has been established since 1996 as a charitable company, with premises across West Dunbartonshire. Its operation base currently consists of:

• A main office in Quay Street, Dumbarton;
• A 15-bed ‘Safe House’ in Jean Armour Drive, Clydebank;
• 4 x 2-bedroom Scatter Flats in Drumry
• A National Link Service including Prison to Rehab 
• Social Enterprise Projects within the Concord Community Centre, Denny Tank Museum, Dumbarton and Dalmuir Flats, Clydebank.
• A Family Support Service
• A Volunteer Project 
• An Employability Pathway 

Alternatives’ core theme and purpose is to facilitate the personal journey from chaos to wholeness for individuals who have a substance dependency or are in active recovery by normalising a lifestyle without such a dependency. 

Much of Alternatives’ core work is through the delivery of residential and community-based activities including volunteering, training and education. Majority of service users are housed in the Safe House and associated Scatter flats as part of their recovery journey. Our last Care Inspectorate awarded Alternatives a score of 6s across the board for its core work, the highest mark available and 5s for the rest, still an excellent accolade. This was the subject of a Private Member’s Motion in the Scottish Parliament during January 2020, where Alternatives and its team were praised and endorsed.

Social enterprises

We run various Social Enterprise Projects throughout West Dunbartonshire as safe therapeutic placement opportunities for; Lived Experience participants, Volunteers, Trainees, Family Members, Community footfall.

Job description

This role may be suitable for an internal or external secondment, as part of the candidate’s continuing professional development.

PVG Scheme Membership and SSSC Registration is required for this post.

Alternatives operates an Equal Opportunities Policy.

Job purpose/main scope of post:

To support the evening and overnight running of the Recovery House. This involves supporting residents of the Recovery House to maintain a safe and secure environment as they become and maintain abstinent lifestyles. The position is a waking nightshift position in a rota system. There will be additional support available through the night by way of management on call team.

• To provide and maintain a safe and secure environment for service users within the Recovery House.
• Assist with the evening and morning medications and record appropriately.
• To risk assess situations while maintaining a safe working environment for self and others.
• To be able to utilise the on-call system appropriately.
• To ensure an accurate shift report is passed onto those working the following shift.
• To provide support to service users throughout the night as required.
• To ensure Recovery House policies and procedures are adhered to by residents.
• To complete nightly welfare checks as required and record.
• To record work undertaken in a suitable form as designated by the Line Manager and to gather data and maintain data gathering systems.
• To undertake administration tasks as required, including updating of the in-house database system.
• To actively promote the services provided by Alternatives in line with policy guidelines, protocol, and service philosophy.
• To work as part of a team towards the aims of service users in line with agreed working practice and strategies.
• To complete overnight housekeeping tasks in accordance with checklist. 
• To undertake such training programmes as may assist this agency and enhance personal development.
• To participate in formal consultation and supervision as required. 
• To undertake such other duties, appropriate to the grade, as may be delegated by the Line Manager.

Hours: An average of 30 hours a week over a three week shift pattern including weekends.

How to Apply

To express your interest in this opportunity, please submit your CV, suitable applicants will then be issued with a full application pack, containing further information about the role and organisation, along with the application form required for consideration.

Completed application forms must be returned by 9:00am on Friday 2 October 2026.

Please note that late applications cannot be accepted.