Homeless Support Worker

Society of St James; Southampton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Flexible working options

Buy additional annual leave

Induction and training

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work scheme

Discounted laptops

Electric Card Scheme

Blue Light Card

Job summary

Society of St James in Southampton is seeking a Homeless Support Worker to join our 24/7 intensive homelessness accommodation. You will provide crucial life skills and housing-related support to residents with complex needs, focusing on outcomes like daily living skills, self-esteem and engagement with services.

The role involves promoting harm reduction, teaching budgeting and tenancy processes, and ensuring safety through regular welfare checks and safeguarding.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and IT skills to maintain case notes and logs.
• Ability to work flexibly on a 12-hour shift rota and respond to emergencies.
• Empathy, awareness of equality/diversity, and professional boundaries.
• Understanding of mental health, substance use, lone working, and safeguarding.
• Experience with homelessness or in supported housing settings.

Responsibilities

• Promote harm reduction and health support for residents.
• Teach basic life skills and housing management to residents.
• Conduct risk assessments, update case notes, and coordinate room turnarounds.
• Provide emotional and community support and help access volunteering or training.
• Maintain safety with welfare checks and safeguarding reporting.

Skills

Communication & IT

Adaptability & Initiative

Empathy & Boundaries

Mental Health Knowledge

Homelessness Experience

Job description

Homeless Support Worker, Southampton, £29,453.00

Employment Type

Full Time, Permanent

Application Start Date

18-08-2026

Application End Date

04-09-2026

Location

Southampton

State/County

Hampshire

SO15 2ED

Country

United Kingdom

Work Style

On-site

Category

Position

Description

Homeless Support Worker

Southampton Street Intensive Hostel

Working a rota of 3 days on 3 days off – 8am – 8pm

Salary: £29,453 per annum (calculated for 42 hours per week; equivalent to £25,947 FTE for 37 hours)

About Us

This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic Charity and Housing Association.The Society of St James (SSJ) has been working in Hampshire for over 50 years, delivering high impact, person-centred, accommodation services to adults and young people experiencing homelessness, problematic substance use and mental health problems. We believe that every person is of worth and we are prepared to take risks to house and support the most at risk and socially excluded members of society.

Make a real difference where it matters most. Come join SSJ as a Homeless Support Worker.

The Impact You'll Make

Working in our 24/7 intensive homelessness accommodation, you will provide critical life skills and housing-related support to individuals with complex needs . Your core focus will be on driving key outcomes—such as improving daily living skills, boosting self-esteem, enhancing long-term health, and encouraging engagement with support services and meaningful occupation .

Your daily responsibilities will include:

• Promoting Harm Reduction & Health: Facilitating harm minimisation (including needle exchange procedures and Naloxone administration) and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices .
• Teaching Basic Life Skills & Housing Management: Supporting residents with budgeting, tenancy processes, breakfast preparation, and maintaining personal/communal hygiene .
• Key-Work & Support Planning: Assisting with risk assessments, updating case notes/IT systems, logging maintenance requests, and coordinating room clearances and turnarounds .
• Providing Essential Emotional & Community Support: Offering empathy and stability while helping residents access volunteering, training, or opportunities like selling The Big Issue .
• Maintaining Safety: Carrying out regular welfare checks, reporting safeguarding concerns, and handling incoming rent/petty cash in line with financial procedures .

Who We're Looking For

We are searching for someone with a compassionate approach who can deal with difficult or challenging behaviour calmly, effectively, and professionally .

• Communication & IT Skills: Ability to listen, build positive relationships, and maintain accurate records (case notes, handover logs, emails) using IT systems .
• Adaptability & Initiative: Able to work flexibly on a 12-hour shift rota, respond effectively to emergencies, and manage time well within a team .
• Empathy & Awareness: A genuine sense of humor, dynamic understanding of equality and diversity, and strict adherence to professional boundaries .
• Key Domain Knowledge: Understanding of mental health, substance use, lone working, and adult safeguarding/protection .
• Prior experience working with individuals with histories of homelessness, mental health problems, or substance misuse in a residential or supported housing environment .

What we can offer you

We value and recognise our staff, offering some generous benefits, as well as the satisfaction of helping people at risk:

• A competitive annual leave entitlement of 25 days rising to 30 days, plus public holidays
• Flexible working options
• Buying additional annual leave
• Comprehensive induction and training
• Counselling, financial, personal support and health and wellbeing services via our Employee Assistance Programme
• Company cycle to work scheme
• Discounted laptops and computers with Jamie’s Computers
• Electric Card Scheme
• Blue Light Card

SSJ are an equal opportunity employer and we encourage applications from all backgrounds and walks of life.

At SSJ, we recognise the benefits of a supported workplace. SSJ is affiliated with Unite the Union. To learn more about their membership benefits or to sign up, you can visit their official website

Closing Date: Friday 4 th September 2026

Due to the high number of expected applicants, we do reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier.

Should you not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted laptops and computers with Jamie’s Computers
• Employer pension contributions via salary sacrifice
• Flexible working opportunities
• Counselling, financial, personal support, and health and well-being services via our Employee Assistance Programme