Specialised Outreach Worker

YMCA Together; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Homeless Link is seeking a Specialised Outreach Worker to support young people in a six-bed pre-rehabilitation service. You will lead assessments, build trust, and coordinate care with partner agencies to promote readiness for residential treatment.

You will deliver regular one‑to‑one sessions, manage risks, and maintain clear records while working within a trauma‑informed, recovery‑focused framework to help service users achieve positive outcomes on their recovery journey.

Qualifications

• Experience working with vulnerable young people in recovery or homelessness settings.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed approaches and person-centred planning.
• Ability to conduct comprehensive assessments and risk assessments.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day support to young people in the six-bed pre-rehabilitation service.
• Act as a named keyworker delivering regular one-to-one sessions.
• Build therapeutic relationships to encourage engagement and recovery.
• Complete comprehensive assessments, including risks, needs, strengths and recovery goals.
• Develop, implement, and regularly review individual support plans and risk management plans.
• Coordinate care with external agencies and participate in multi-agency meetings.
• Support service users to transition to residential rehabilitation and associated services.
• Maintain confidential case records and progress notes in line with policies.
• Promote trauma-informed, strengths-based, and person-centred practice.

Skills

Youth outreach

Trauma-informed care

Assessment & risk planning

One-to-one support

Interagency liaison

Motivation for change

Independent working

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Windows

Job description

Specialised Outreach Worker

Location: L19 & L8

Salary: £30,000 per annum

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Job Type: Permanent

Shortlisting: 16th November

Interview: 23rd November

Why this role would be great for you

This is a new and exciting opportunity to lead on an innovative role within our Recovery Services. The post holder will work within a six-bed pre-rehabilitation service for young people affected by ketamine use, providing intensive, person‑centred support to prepare individuals for successful engagement in residential treatment at RISE. The role focuses on building therapeutic relationships, promoting motivation for change, and supporting young people to address the physical, psychological and social impacts of substance use.

The post holder will act as a keyworker, undertaking comprehensive assessments, risk assessments and support plans that identify individual needs, strengths and goals. They will provide regular one-to-one interventions, coordinate care with internal and external partners, and support service users to develop the skills, resilience and stability required to transition into residential rehabilitation.

Working within a trauma-informed and recovery-focused framework, the post holder will support young people to improve their health and wellbeing, manage risks, increase engagement with treatment, and overcome barriers to recovery. They will play a key role in ensuring a seamless pathway between the pre-rehabilitation service and RISE Residential Rehabilitation, providing continuity of care and promoting positive outcomes for service users throughout their recovery journey.

Although based within the pre-rehabilitation setting and expected to work with a high degree of autonomy, the post holder will remain an integral member of the wider RISE team. They will contribute to multidisciplinary discussions, share information appropriately, participate in team meetings and service development activities, and work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure a consistent and joined-up approach to supporting service users. The role requires the ability to work independently, manage competing demands, and exercise professional judgement while maintaining strong links with the wider therapeutic community and organisational values of RISE.

What your week may look like

• Provide day-to-day support to young people residing within the six-bed pre-rehabilitation service, helping them prepare for admission to RISE Residential Rehabilitation.

• Act as a named keyworker for allocated service users, delivering regular one-to-one sessions focused on recovery, wellbeing, motivation, and treatment readiness.

• Build and maintain positive, professional, and therapeutic relationships that encourage engagement, trust, and personal development.

• Complete comprehensive assessments, including risks, needs, strengths, and recovery goals.

• Develop, implement, and regularly review individual support plans and risk management plans in collaboration with service users.

• Monitor and manage risks relating to substance use, mental health, physical health, self-harm, safeguarding, and tenancy-related issues, escalating concerns appropriately.

• Deliver structured interventions that promote recovery, resilience, independent living skills, emotional wellbeing, and positive lifestyle changes.

• Prepare service users for their transition into RISE Residential Rehabilitation, ensuring they are informed, motivated, and supported throughout the process.

• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential case records, assessments, support plans, and progress notes in line with organisational policies.

• Liaise and work collaboratively with external agencies including drug and alcohol services, mental health services, social care, housing providers, education providers, and healthcare professionals.

• Participate in multi‑agency meetings, safeguarding meetings, and case reviews, advocating on behalf of service users where appropriate.

• Support service users to access healthcare, education, training, employment, and community-based opportunities that contribute to their recovery journey.

• Promote a trauma‑informed, strengths‑based, and person‑centred approach in all aspects of service delivery.

• Work autonomously within the pre-rehabilitation setting, managing a caseload and prioritising workload effectively while exercising professional judgement.

• Remain fully integrated with the wider RISE team, attending team meetings, clinical discussions, supervision sessions, and service development activities.

• Contribute to a consistent and joined-up approach across the pre-rehabilitation and residential rehabilitation pathway, ensuring continuity of care for service users.

• Work flexibly to meet the needs of the service and support the achievement of positive outcomes for young people entering treatment and recovery.

• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, health and safety, data protection, confidentiality, and organisational policies and procedures at all times.

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:

• Qualification or working experience in homelessness, tenancy management and supporting vulnerable people.

• At least 1 years’ experience of working with vulnerable adults and a working knowledge of resettlement, support planning, welfare rights, benefits advice, mental health issues, offending, drug and alcohol misuse, harm reduction, working with partner agencies and safeguarding.

• A working knowledge of providing intensive support to vulnerable client groups.

• A working knowledge of Health & Safety issues

• A clear understanding of complex needs support issues such as mental health, homelessness, substance misuse and offending

• Knowledge of safeguarding protocols

• Understanding of how to work alongside behaviours that we may find challenging.

• Computer literate, competent in working with Microsoft word, outlook, windows.

• The ability to conduct comprehensive and accurate risk assessments.

• To provide effective and consistent support planning with the people we support

• Excellent IT, communication, interpersonal, interviewing and assessment skills.

• Excellent administration skills and the ability to accurately and concisely record information and write reports.

• Plan and deliver workshops and training sessions to residents, staff and partner agencies.

• Demonstrate creativity in overcoming obstacles and a commitment to working with and providing support to vulnerable people.

• Ability and willingness to work unsupervised.

• Committed to improving the lives of people with complex needs.

• Committed to own personal development and CPD planning.

• Creative and dynamic approach with the ability to “think outside of the box” when providing solutions.

What is a nice to have

• A recognised qualification in substance misuse or mental health

• Qualification in welfare rights

• IT qualification such as CLAIT, ECDL, ITQ.

• Knowledge of support planning and models of change

• Experience of co coordinating three-way meetings

• Experience of directly working with young people.

• Knowledge of health interventions

• Knowledge of welfare rights

• Knowledge of the Cognitive Analytical Therapy (CAT) framework

• Knowledge of Critical Time Intervention Model

• Knowledge of health intervention and harm reduction.

• Analytical, data collation and reporting skills

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.