Maintenance Operative

Homeless Link; Hove, Brighton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vehicle provided

Job summary

YMCA DownsLink Group is seeking a Maintenance Operative to cover sites across Brighton & Hove, with two main Hove locations. The role combines practical maintenance tasks with caretaking to provide safe, welcoming homes for young residents aged 16-25.

You will work across properties, ensuring health and safety compliance, undertaking void works and day-to-day upkeep, and collaborating with housing staff to maintain high living standards.

Qualifications

• Strong maintenance experience across a range of trade or repair tasks.
• Experience working in supported housing, residential, or community-based settings.
• Commitment to high standards of safety, quality and resident wellbeing.
• Good understanding of health and safety requirements and compliance processes.
• A proactive, organised approach to workload and prioritisation.

Responsibilities

• Provide a comprehensive maintenance, caretaking, and cleaning service to ensure safe, welcoming, and psychologically informed accommodation.
• Carry out day-to-day maintenance across our sites, with occasional support to other housing schemes.
• Complete maintenance, cleaning, repair, and redecoration works within agreed timescales, delegating tasks where appropriate.
• Perform or delegate general caretaking and cleaning duties, including cleaning communal areas, litter-picking, and waste removal.

Skills

Maintenance experience

Supported housing experience

Health & safety compliance

Proactive/workload organisation

Education

City & Guilds or equivalent maintenance qualification

Job description

37.5 hours per week / £28,330 per annum / permanent / working Monday - Friday 9am-5pm.

As a Maintenance Operative, your primary work based will be Hove with regular travel and work required across Brighton and Hove to any of our YMCA DLG sites, with demand varying throughout the year. A full UK driving licence is therefore essential, and a vehicle will be provided.

YMCA DownsLink Group is the leading charity for children and young people across Sussex and Surrey. We offer safe homes, mental health support and trusted advice.

We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe, heard and to shape their own future. We work alongside them to make that happen.

We are here for children and young people, many of whom face multiple challenges and need our support.

Our Values - we do what's right, we work with heart, and we build real connections -

Do you take pride in creating safe, welcoming homes that make a real difference in young people's lives?

Our Maintenance team works across multiple properties to ensure our residents have safe, good-quality homes. We work closely with service staff to identify and complete repairs, carry out ad hoc cleaning and decoration, ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, and prepare empty homes for new residents.

This role will operate across Brighton & Hove, centred around 2 sites in Hove which provide 24-hour supported housing for young people aged 16-25. Locally we also manage several larger shared houses (typically 4-8 residents) through our Transitional Housing teams, supporting young people on their journey to independence. In total, the team helps maintain safe homes for approximately 100 residents across the city.

As a Maintenance Operative covering sites across Brighton & Hove, you will take on a hands-on role combining practical maintenance tasks with caretaking responsibilities. You will help create and maintain safe, welcoming, and psychologically informed accommodation for the people we support. This is a practical role; undertaking void works, working on and assessing the day-to-day compliance of our sites. You will be working closely with housing staff throughout the services.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide a comprehensive maintenance, caretaking, and cleaning service to ensure safe, welcoming, and psychologically informed accommodation.
• Carry out day-to-day maintenance across our sites, with occasional support to other housing schemes.
• Complete maintenance, cleaning, repair, and redecoration works within agreed timescales, delegating tasks where appropriate.
• Perform or delegate general caretaking and cleaning duties, including cleaning communal areas, litter-picking, and waste removal.

If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't match every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We know that skills and potential come in many forms, and your background may offer valuable transferable strengths.

We're looking for a someone with a positive, flexible attitude and a genuine desire to contribute to young people's wellbeing.

Experience and Knowledge

We are searching for someone with:

• Strong maintenance experience across a range of trade or repair tasks, including delivering high-quality maintenance and decorating work
• Experience working in supported housing, residential, or community-based settings
• Commitment to maintaining high standards of safety, quality, and resident wellbeing
• Good understanding of health & safety requirements and compliance processes
• A proactive, organised approach to workload and prioritisation

Qualifications and Training (Desirable)

It would be beneficial, though not essential, if you have:

• City & Guilds or equivalent qualification in one or more maintenance skill areas
• Manual handling training
• Training in handling bodily fluids
• Boundaries training
• First Aid training

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 20 September 2026 at midnight. If we find the right candidate sooner than expected, we may close the advert early - so early applications are strongly encouraged.

Please note that we are unable to offer a work permit or visa sponsorship for this role; applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace

We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.

Accessibility

If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns.

Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, conducted by an accredited third-party provider. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children's and Adults' Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity checks.