Support Worker

The Riverside Group; Guildford; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading not-for-profit housing organization in Guildford seeks a dedicated Support Worker to assist vulnerable customers with their daily lives and promote independence. Responsibilities include connecting clients with services, managing support plans, and maintaining accurate records. The ideal candidate will have experience working with diverse individuals and a flexible, empathetic nature. This role offers competitive pay, generous pension, and opportunities for learning and personal development, while supporting a meaningful mission.

Benefits

Competitive pay & generous pension

28 days holidays plus bank holidays

Flexible working options available

Investment in learning and development

Wide range of benefits

Qualifications

• Understanding the barriers faced by vulnerable and diverse customer groups.
• Experience of delivering structured support and risk management.
• Caring, empathetic, flexible mindset and can-do attitude.

Responsibilities

• Support customers in managing their money and connecting with services.
• Help boost customer confidence and promote independence.
• Maintain records and handle various administrative tasks.

Skills

Experience of working with vulnerable people

Team player with a caring and empathetic nature

Ability to work flexible hours

Job description

Job Title: Support Worker
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £26,549.63 Per Annum (£27,722.51 Per Annum achieved after 18 months successful performance in the role)
Working Hours: 37.5 Hours per week
Working Pattern: Shifts on rota, Rolling rota including weekends
Location: Vaughan House, Guildford

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter.
At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

We will accept applications on the basis of any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK.

Riverside Sponsorship licence will not be applied for any further sponsorships on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.

The difference you will make as a Support Worker

You will be working from one of our supported services providing support to our customers in a variety of ways. For example, connecting them with employability coaches and other support agencies, helping them manage their money, signing up for benefits or to move on to a more permanent home.
It will be your job to help boost their confidence and support them on their journey as they rebuild their lives. Through all of this you will need to keep records of everything, so there is some admin to do. At times this role is tough, but most of the time it can be incredibly rewarding. You will need to be resilient, empathetic, and able to leave your work at work and not take it home with you.

About you

• Experience of working with vulnerable people
• Experience of delivering structured support and risk management
• Team player with a caring and empathetic nature, resilient, can‑do attitude, able to work as part of a team
• Understanding of supporting vulnerable people – this could include having your own lived experience of homelessness or drug or alcohol addiction
• Ability to work flexible hours to meet customer and business needs, which may not include normal office hours and may include lone working

Why Riverside?

At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.

We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Flexible working options available
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.

Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to be considered.

Role Profile

Supporting Customers:

We use Psychologically Informed approaches and Trauma Informed Care principles to support our customers to develop new ways of thinking and to make steps towards independence, by:

• Leading on Co‑producing bespoke support and move‑on plans, involving key stakeholders (e.g. family/other support providers), where appropriate
• Organising and carrying out regular planned reviews of support and risk plans, or following an incident/significant change in a customer’s circumstances
• Engaging customers to meet agreed outcomes and develop life skills
• Assisting customers with day‑to‑day support and tenancy‑related matters
• Identifying and promoting opportunities for employment, education and training and supporting customers to remove barriers to accessing these opportunities
• Signposting customers to appropriate external support services, including interventions such as food banks and other community resources
• Supporting customers to be ‘tenancy ready’ to enable successful move on
• Supporting customers to be financially independent through budgeting plans and maximising income
• Supporting and monitoring customers’ healthcare needs, ensuring appropriate contact with healthcare professionals
• Empowering customers to move towards self‑management of their medication by following the medication procedure
• Leading on support initiatives including Group Work
• Ensuring the safety of our customers by following local safeguarding procedures, recognising and acting on any significant risk, and escalating appropriately
• Recording and updating clear, factual, accurate, strengths‑based customer information on the local or appropriate digital platform

Service Delivery:

• Facilitate the referral process into the service and assess potential new customers
• Contribute to the delivery of a housing management service, including income collection and providing customers with tenancy‑related support
• Work with customers to maintain a safe environment by reporting repairs and health and safety concerns
• Clean and prepare rooms as appropriate
• Resolve difficult and challenging situations in a sensitive and informed way, balancing the needs of the individual with responsibilities for the safety of the service
• Develop and maintain local partnerships to provide a holistic range of support for customers
• Carry out day‑to‑day administration and operational duties

Other Information:

• Flexible hours, travel, lone worker system, safety framework, policy and procedure compliance, values alignment, team meetings, supervision, training, continuous development, additional duties as needed

Person specification

Essential

• Understanding of the barriers faced by vulnerable and diverse customer groups and individuals with complex needs
• Experience of delivering structured support and risk management
• Team player with caring, empathetic, flexible, resilient, can‑do attitude
• Previous experience in positively resolving incidents
• Initiative and confidence to make and act on decisions
• Competent administrative and IT skills (to produce reports and other communications)

Desirable

• Knowledge of Psychological or Trauma Informed approaches to support
• Experience of working in challenging environments with ability to plan, prioritise, organise tasks to achieve results
• Knowledge of current benefit systems
• Experience of working in a care and support environment

About Us

Riverside is one of the UK’s leading not‑for‑profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing around 75,000 homes from Irvine to Kent. We are a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods dates back over 90 years. We have plans to build over 15,000 affordable homes over the next decade.