Outreach Worker

THE SINGLE HOMELESS PROJECT; Greater London; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

The Single Homeless Project in London is seeking an Outreach Worker for the Camden Rough Sleeping Outreach Service to provide consistent, compassionate street-based support to people experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping.

You will carry out assertive outreach, build trust, help with access to accommodation and services, and work with partners across health, housing and social care to coordinate responses.

Qualifications

• Experience of street-based outreach with people facing rough sleeping or homelessness.
• Understanding of trauma-informed, strengths-based and psychologically informed approaches.

Responsibilities

• Carry out assertive, street-based outreach to identify and support people sleeping rough or at risk.
• Build trust through consistent engagement, offering practical support and information.
• Respond promptly to referrals, intelligence, and hotspots with safety and risk reduction in mind.
• Participate in joint outreach shifts with partner agencies (NHS, social care, police) where appropriate.
• Support access to accommodation and move-on pathways, with advocacy as needed.
• Work flexibly between street outreach and hub delivery, contributing to coordinated support and housing plans.
• Maintain high-quality case notes and outreach records for service intelligence.

Job description

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

Company Limited by Guarantee number 1741926 Charity Number 287779 Registered in England as Single Homeless Project

shp Single Homeless Project

Job title: Outreach Worker

Delegated Authority: Level 8

Team: Camden Rough Sleeping Outreach Service

Responsible to: Service Manager/Team Manager

Responsible for: N/A

Job purpose

Camden’s outreach service exists to ensure that no one is left facing rough sleeping alone. As a Outreach Worker, you will be a consistent and visible presence on the streets and through the Greenland Street hub, offering calm, purposeful support to people at some of the most difficult points in their lives. This role sits at the very front line of the service - building trust, reducing harm and creating the conditions for people to move away from the streets and towards safety and stability.

This is a role for someone who understands that meaningful change takes time, persistence and emotional steadiness. You will work with people whose experiences of exclusion, trauma or repeated service contact mean that trust may come slowly. Through assertive, relationship-based outreach, you will help people navigate complex systems, access accommodation and support, and feel seen and respected throughout that process. Your work will directly strengthen the service’s ability to respond to street activity quickly, safely and with compassion.

Outreach Workers play a vital role in the resilience of the wider service. By gathering intelligence, maintaining accurate records and working closely with partners, you help the team understand what is happening on the streets and respond effectively. You will contribute to a no-wrong-door approach that values collaboration, gender informed practice and shared responsibility, ensuring that people are not passed between services but supported through them. This is a role for someone who is motivated by impact, grounded under pressure, and ready to be part of a team that shows up consistently - even when the work is complex, unpredictable and demanding.

Key accountabilities

Street outreach, sourcing and engagement

Carry out assertive, street-based outreach across Camden to identify, engage and support people who are sleeping rough or at immediate risk of rough sleeping, including people who may be sceptical of services or have had previous negative experiences.

Build trust through consistent, respectful engagement - offering practical support and clear information and maintaining persistence without pressure or judgement.

Respond promptly to referrals, intelligence, and hotspot activity, prioritising safety, continuity, and risk reduction.

Participate in joint outreach shifts and hotspot patrols with partner agencies, including NHS, adult social care, treatment services community safety and police, where appropriate.

Preventing new episodes of rough sleeping by providing co-located outreach at key locations with trusted referral partners

Undertaking street counts, women’s census, and working collaboratively to deliver targeted and intensive support addressing the needs of people within ‘hotspots and encampments.

Assessment, casework and move-on pathways

Complete initial street-based assessments and contribute to coordinated support planning, ensuring people understand their options and are supported to access them.

Support people to access accommodation and move-on pathways, including emergency accommodation and longer-term housing routes, alongside relevant advice and advocacy.

Provide practical, person-centred support to reduce barriers (e.g., attending appointments, supporting documentation, navigating services, advocacy with agencies).

Hold a specialism within the team based on the needs profile of clients and their eligibility for services.

Hub-Based Delivery and Integrated Working

Work flexibly between street outreach and the service hub, supporting hub-based assessment, engagement, and casework on a rota basis.

Conduct street and hub based assessments, contributing to coordinated support and housing plans.

Support access to practical interventions delivered through the hub, including in-reach services, advice, and multi‑agency support, and sharing responsibility for covering duty shifts at the Hub.

Contribute to a seamless interface between street outreach and hub provision, ensuring continuity for individuals moving between settings.

Risk, safeguarding and professional boundaries

Complete proportionate risk assessments and risk management plans, dynamically assessing risk during outreach and taking appropriate action to protect clients, colleagues and the public.

Identify and respond to safeguarding concerns in line with SHP policy and local procedures, escalating appropriately and contributing to multi‑agency risk management where required.

Work in ways that are trauma‑informed and gender‑informed, recognising and responding to heightened risks linked to exploitation, abuse, coercion or self‑neglect.

Work confidently with individuals presenting challenging behaviour, employing de‑escalation and conflict resolution techniques.

Ensure all rough sleepers are offered emergency shelter during Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) periods to preserve life.

Partnership working and no‑wrong‑door delivery

Work collaboratively with borough and community partners (including housing, adult social care, health, substance misuse, mental health, VAWG services, community safety, police and voluntary sector organisations) to ensure people receive coordinated support and are not passed between services.

Contribute to effective multi‑disciplinary working, sharing relevant information lawfully and professionally to improve outcomes and reduce repeat/long‑term rough sleeping. Participating in, and leading multi‑disciplinary team meetings and TAMs.

Engage with and signpost into hub‑based support at Greenland Street, supporting a joined‑up response between street outreach and hub provision.

Apply the No Wrong Door approach, ensuring individuals are not excluded from engagement or support due to complexity, presentation, or traditional thresholds.

Share information lawfully and professionally to improve outcomes and reduce repeat or entrenched rough sleeping.

Data, recording and service intelligence

Maintain high‑quality, timely and accurate case notes and outreach records, using SHP and borough systems in line with information governance and data protection requirements (e.g., CHAIN, INFORM and other agreed systems).

Contribute to service intelligence by recording verified rough sleeping, hotspots, patterns and emerging risks, and sharing this through appropriate channels to shape outreach responses.

Support the service to evidence impact, outcomes and learning, contributing to continuous improvement.

Teamwork, reflective practice and safe working

Work flexibly as part of a 7‑day outreach rota, including early/late/night shifts, to maximise engagement and respond to street activity.

Participate actively in team meetings, supervisions, reflective practice and learning, contributing to a positive, inclusive and accountable team culture.

Follow SHP health and safety procedures, including lone working and dynamic risk assessment, to ensure safe practice on outreach.

Participate in the on‑call duty rota.

Miscellaneous

SHP is at discretion to amend your responsibilities and, in addition to these, you may be required to perform other duties as may be required for the efficient running of the organisation.

To create inclusive working environments and cultures to enable colleagues and clients to feel safe and empowered to achieve their full potential.

Technical and professional know-how needed for position

Experience and Knowledge

Experience of street-based outreach, homelessness, rough sleeping, floating support or related work with people facing multiple disadvantage.

Understanding of trauma‑informed, strengths‑based and psychologically informed approaches, and how to apply them in fast‑paced, real‑world settings.

Knowledge of safeguarding principles and confident decision‑making around risk and escalation.

Understanding of the barriers people face accessing accommodation, health care and statutory support - and how to advocate effectively.

Experience working with partner agencies and contributing to coordinated support, including multi‑agency forums or joint working.

Skills and Abilities

Ability to build trust and engage people who may be hard to reach, distressed or disengaged with persistence, empathy and clear boundaries.

Strong organisation and case recording skills, with confidence using IT systems and databases to maintain accurate records and evidence outcomes.

Confident working independently in the community, using professional judgement and dynamic risk assessment to keep yourself and others safe.

Strong communication skills, able to work effectively with clients, colleagues and partners, and to represent the service professionally.

A proactive, solutions‑focused approach - able to stay calm under pressure and keep moving work forward with purpose.