Senior Project Worker

Salvation Army Homes; Manchester; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 26 days

Healthcare cash back

Pension matched 6%

Family leave

Sick pay

Loans & wellbeing

Volunteering days

Cycle to work

Private medical insurance

Career development

Inclusive culture

Job summary

Salvation Army Homes in Greater Manchester seeks a Senior Project Worker to support young people toward safer, more independent futures. You will build trusted, boundary‑aware relationships, coordinating trauma‑informed support and working closely with youth justice and social care to enable move‑on planning.

This hands‑on role involves regular lone working and no line management, requiring sound professional judgment, clear boundaries and strong safeguarding practice across a supportive team.

Qualifications

• Experience with safeguarding responsibilities in youth work.
• Ability to work independently and lone-working
• Experience collaborating with youth justice and social care.

Responsibilities

• Build trusting, boundary‑aware relationships using trauma‑informed approaches.
• Lead keyworking with young people and co‑produce support plans reflecting voice and goals.
• Help young people develop living skills, routines and education/employment connections.
• Keep safeguarding central: recognise concerns, act promptly, and escalate risks.

Skills

Compassionate approach

Clear boundaries

Initiative

Safeguarding knowledge

Strong communication

Partnership working

Education

Relevant qualification

Job description

Salvation Army Homes

The Role

Imagine this..A young person starts to see a future beyond the uncertainty they’ve experienced. They have somewhere safe to live, someone who listens, and support to take their next step. You’re there alongside them — building trust, recognising their strengths and helping them turn possibilities into progress. That’s what being a Senior Project Worker at Maida Street is all about.

Maida Street is part of the Greater Manchester Branch Project, providing safe, stable accommodation and support for young people who may otherwise face custodial remand. Working closely with Youth Justice, social care and other partners, you’ll help young people build positive relationships, access opportunities and move towards greater independence.

This is a hands‑on senior practitioner role, not a line‑management post. You’ll bring experience, initiative and sound professional judgement to direct work with young people, modelling good practice and offering guidance to colleagues. The role involves regular and significant lone working, including times when a manager is not immediately available on site. You’ll need to act confidently within your responsibilities, recognise when support is needed and escalation promptly.

What you’ll be doing

• Building consistent, trusting and professionally boundaried relationships, using trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches.
• Keyworking young people and co-producing support plans that reflect their voice, strengths, goals and aspirations.
• Helping young people develop practical living skills, positive routines and connections to education, training, employment and health services.
• Keeping safeguarding central to your work: recognising concerns, taking timely and proportionate action, and reporting, recording and escalating risks in line with procedures.
• Working safely and independently, following lone-working arrangements, responding calmly to incidents and seeking management or emergency assistance when needed.
• Working alongside Youth Justice, social care, families and other professionals, where appropriate, to support coordinated placements, transitions and move‑on.
• Maintaining accurate support plans, risk assessments, records and handovers, and contributing to reflective practice and service improvement.

What you’ll bring

You’re someone who combines compassion with clear boundaries, and initiative with an understanding of when to ask for help. You can stay calm when circumstances change, prioritise competing demands and make thoughtful, defensible decisions without constant supervision. Above all, you see a young person’s potential, not just the challenges they are facing.

You’ll bring an understanding of safeguarding responsibilities, professional boundaries and the importance of young people having a meaningful say in their support. You’ll be confident working independently and undertaking regular lone working safely, with strong communication, recording and partnership-working skills. Knowledge or experience of Youth Justice would be welcome. A relevant qualification and continued professional development are desirable, alongside a willingness to keep learning and developing your practice.

Working Arrangements

• 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Sunday (ad hoc evening work)

Our Offer

In return, we offer a competitive and supportive benefits package, including:

• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 31 days
• Westfield Healthcare Cash Back Plan (including cashback for optical, dental, therapies, plus 24/7 GP access and counselling support)
• Matched pension scheme up to 6% (with salary sacrifice option)
• Enhanced family leave from day one, including enhanced maternity/adoption and paternity pay
• Occupational sick pay
• Financial support options, including season ticket loans, emergency loans, mortgage advice and wellbeing support
• Paid volunteering days
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Discounted private medical insurance
• Support to learn, broaden your skills and develop your career
• A fun and inclusive work culture where individual differences are valued and championed

Closing date: 11 December2026 (please note we may close the vacancy early if we receive a large volume of applications)

About Us

Founded in 1959, Salvation Army Homes is a registered provider and exempt charity, and a subsidiary of The Salvation Army. We are a specialist provider of housing and support services across England, owning and managing around 4,500 homes in partnership with 79 local authorities. We provide general needs housing, supported accommodation, and homes for older people.

If you join our passionate staff team you will be contributing to our mission; “Safe Homes. Transform Lives” where you will make a positive difference to residents, who are at the heart of everything we do.

Guaranteed interview scheme:

Please let us know if you have a disability, are a Salvation Army Homes resident or ex-resident, are a care leaver, or ex veteran as we guarantee an interview if you meet the minimum requirements of the role.

As an equal opportunities’ employer, Salvation Army Homes is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We invite and welcome applications to apply for Salvation Army Homes opportunities without concern of bias or discrimination.

If you require any adjustments or support to enable you to participate fully in the selection process, please let us know. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience.