Rough Sleeper Accommodation Officer

Peterborough First group; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts

Cycle to Work

Car lease

Holiday flexibility

Pension

Volunteer hours

Diversity network

Awards

Job summary

Peterborough City Council is seeking a resilient Rough Sleeper Supported Accommodation Officer on a fixed-term basis until 31 March 2028. You will deliver intensive, trauma-informed housing support to residents with complex needs within a supported accommodation setting, helping stabilise accommodation and work toward independence.

The role requires assertive yet compassionate engagement, strong multi-agency collaboration, and a commitment to safeguarding, harm reduction and tenancy sustainment.

Qualifications

• Experience working with homelessness or complex needs
• Strong communication and professional boundaries
• Ability to work in multi-agency settings with trauma-informed approaches

Responsibilities

• Provide intensive, person-centred housing-related support to rough sleepers with multiple and complex needs
• Support residents to maintain accommodation, manage risks, and work towards greater independence
• Develop and manage individual support plans, risk assessments and safety plans
• Respond professionally to challenging behaviour, crises and safeguarding concerns
• Work creatively to engage residents who may distrust or disengage from services
• Liaise closely with mental health services, substance misuse providers, probation, health and outreach teams
• Maintain accurate and timely case notes, support plans and outcome records
• Uphold clear boundaries, structure and expectations while remaining compassionate and non-judgemental
• Promote harm reduction, tenancy sustainment and resident choice wherever possible

Job description

This role is Fixed Term until 31st March 2028

All about the Role

We are looking for a resilient, values-driven Rough Sleeper Supported Accommodation Officer to work with some of our most complex and excluded individuals-people with long histories of street homelessness, trauma, substance misuse, poor mental health and repeated service disengagement.

This role sits at the heart of our rough sleeper and homelessness response, providing intensive, trauma-informed housing support within a supported accommodation setting. You will work assertively and compassionately to help residents stabilise, sustain accommodation, reduce harm, and begin rebuilding their lives.

This is a challenging but deeply rewarding role for someone who believes that no one is too complex, and that meaningful change takes time, patience and persistence.

Responsibilities

• Provide intensive, person-centred housing-related support to rough sleepers with multiple and complex needs
• Support residents to maintain accommodation, manage risks, and work towards greater independence
• Develop and manage individual support plans, risk assessments and safety plans
• Respond professionally to challenging behaviour, crises and safeguarding concerns
• Work creatively to engage residents who may distrust or disengage from services
• Liaise closely with mental health services, substance misuse providers, probation, health and outreach teams
• Maintain accurate and timely case notes, support plans and outcome records
• Uphold clear boundaries, structure and expectations while remaining compassionate and non-judgemental
• Promote harm reduction, tenancy sustainment and resident choice wherever possible

All about You

You will have:

Experience working with homelessness, rough sleepers, supported accommodation or similar high-need groups
Strong understanding of complex needs, including trauma, substance misuse, mental ill-health and offending histories
The ability to manage challenging behaviour calmly and consistently
Experience of multi-agency working
Excellent communication, reflective practice and professional curiosity
Strong organisational skills and confidence with case recording
A non-judgemental attitude aligned with trauma-informed and psychologically informed approaches

There will be a requirement to assist with outreach which takes place at any time of the day or night.

Provisional Interview Date 4th November

Our Benefits

We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme...

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

Our Commitments

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.
We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you've already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there's no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.