Link Worker DARS

You Matter; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Homeless Link is launching the Domestic Abuse Recovery Service (DARS) and recruiting a Link Worker to join the team on a fixed-term maternity basis. The role focuses on delivering trauma-informed, survivor-centred support to individuals experiencing domestic abuse, with a commitment to safety, empowerment and choice.

You will work within our You Matter-aligned framework to build trust, deliver housing and support services, and help residents live independently while managing complex needs with

Qualifications

• Excellent communication, fostering a respectful, collaborative and professional approach to people you work with.
• Empathy and respect while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Organisation and time management with the ability to prioritise tasks.
• IT literacy with experience using Microsoft Office and Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Ensure Intensive Housing Management tasks are completed in a timely manner and to a high standard.
• Build supportive and therapeutic relationships with Service Users through dialogue.
• Deliver activity-based interventions.
• Support Service Users to resettle into their community of choice.
• Ensure Housing Benefit applications are completed promptly.
• Collaborate with the support-worker team to meet residents’ needs.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to risk assessments and handovers.

Skills

Communication

Empathy

Commitment

Organisation

Computer literacy

Tools

Microsoft Office

Outlook

Job description

Link Worker DARS

Location: Domestic Abuse Recovery Service

Salary: £26,996.84 per annum

Hours: 38.6 hours per week (4 on 4 off rota 12 hour shifts)

Job Type: Fixed Term Maternity Cover August 2027 (female only service)

Shortlisting: 16th November

Interview: 20th November

Why this role would be great for you

We are excited to announce the launch of our new DARS (Domestic Abuse Response Service), starting on 1st August. DARS has been developed to provide specialist, inclusive support to individuals affected by domestic abuse who have added complexities, ensuring that both males and females receive the tailored help they need in a safe and supportive environment.

As we prepare for this exciting new chapter, we are currently recruiting passionate and dedicated male and female staff to join our team. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of an innovative service from the very beginning and to make a genuine difference in people’s lives.

If you are committed to supporting individuals affected by domestic abuse and want to be part of a forward-thinking service, we would love to hear from you.

If you’re someone who thrives on building meaningful relationships, enjoys helping others overcome challenges, and has a passion for empowering people to live independently, this role could be perfect for you.

You’ll be a great fit if you’re proactive, compassionate, and confident working with individuals who have complex needs. If you’re a natural collaborator who can think creatively, stay organised, and remain calm under pressure, you’ll find this work both rewarding and impactful.

Domestic Abuse Focus

This role sits within services that support individuals with lived experience of domestic abuse. The postholder will be expected to work in a trauma informed, survivor centred way, recognising the impact of domestic abuse on individuals and families, and responding in a manner that promotes safety, empowerment, and choice.

Based in our Domestic Abuse Recovery Service your role will be to:

• To ensure that Intensive Housing Management tasks are completed in a timely way and to a high standard
• To build supportive and therapeutic relationships with Service Users through dialogue
• To deliver activity-based interventions
• To support in preparing Service Users to resettle into their community of choice
• To ensure that Housing Benefit applications are completed in a timely manner.
• To work alongside the support-worker team in ensuring that all daily tasks are completed and that residents’ needs are met

What your week may look like

Your week as a Link Worker might include:

• Supporting new residents as they move in, helping them settle and complete housing benefit applications.
• Building trust through one-to-one conversations and group activities that promote wellbeing, independence, and engagement.
• Collaborating with support workers and external agencies to create personalised support plans and risk assessments.
• Encouraging service users to take part in community activities and helping them re-engage if they’ve become withdrawn.
• Keeping accurate records of interactions, updating risk assessments, and contributing to team handovers.
• Responding to incidents, conducting welfare checks, and ensuring the environment is safe and welcoming for all.
• Attending team meetings and contributing to service development through feedback and co-production with residents.

Intensive Housing Management and Risk Assessing

• Assist the Practitioners with the induction and management of their case load taking direction as required
• Update and communicate service user risk assessments in line with You Matter policy and procedure
• Assist in the planning of workshops to individuals and groups that inform/ teach service users around how to manage a tenancy, manage a home and live independently.
• Creatively engage service users that have a wide range of complex and challenging support needs
• Encourage service users to take part in activities
• Offer a creative but assertive approach in order to seek to re engagement
• Assist Practitioners in the management of personalized behaviour / support agreements
• Provide clear, comprehensive and accurate information on handovers to the team making recommendations where appropriate
• Assisting service users in the cleaning of their room
• Complete void checks and get rooms ready for letting
• Maintain accurate up to date electronic and written records
• Post holders must be willing to support clients whose behaviours we may find challenging using our CAT /psychologically informed approach

Service User Involvement and Engagement

• Encourage involvement, participation and co-production from service users in the running and development of the service
• Provide a safe, welcoming environment with excellent standards and an ethos of service delivery that encourages service users to engage

Health and Safety

• Liaise with all emergency services
• Ensure at all times the safety of yourself and others on the premises in which you work

It is recognised that the association is operating in a dynamic environment and as such this job description may be varied in consultation with the post holder to reflect evolving needs of the business and changing nature of the job.

What We Can Offer You

What can we offer Working with You Matter comes will a whole host of benefits. We hope that people will find personal fulfilment and purpose by working with alongside people in our services. Our teams are compassionate and supportive, fostering a strong sense of community. With opportunities for professional growth, You Matter offers training to support your role and personal development. For a full list of benefits see here: Careers Page | You Matter.

The skills we are looking for:

• COMMUNICATION- Excellent communication, fostering a respectful, collaborative and professional approach to the people who you work alongside ensuring confidentiality at all times
• EMPATHY and RESPECT- The ability to empower people to make positive changes, showing empathy whilst maintaining professional boundaries
• COMMITMENT- The ability to work in an innovative and solutions focused way, including reflecting and learning as you go, and a willingness to flex and adapt approaches as needed. Ability to work within and have commitment to You Matter ethos, philosophy and SHREK values, Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness.
• ORGANISATION- Strong time management and the ability to manage to prioritise tasks
• COMPUTER LITERACY- You will be IT literate and have experience of working with multiple software programs such as Microsoft Office and Outlook.

What is a nice to have

• Qualification or working experience in homelessness, mental health or offending
• Experience of working within a psychologically informed working environment
• Knowledge of housing management and IT databases
• Awareness of benefits and how they work including Universal Credit and other welfare systems

Even if you don’t feel that you have all the relevant skills and "nice to haves" we would still like to hear from you and invite you to fill out our application form.

You Matter is an equal opportunities employer, values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.

Closing Date: 13 Nov 2026