Support Worker - Hounslow Reach Floating Support Service

Thames Reach Charity; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday

Pension

Career development

Wellbeing support

Life assurance

Discounts & cycle to work

Job summary

Thames Reach is a charity in London dedicated to ending homelessness and supporting people to build stable lives. We are seeking a Support Worker for the Hounslow Reach Team who will deliver person-centred support, crisis interventions and casework to help individuals sustain their tenancy and access services.

You will work with landlords and partners, providing advocacy and goal-oriented support to enable move-on and independent living within a compassionate, quality-driven team.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering support to vulnerable people.
• Ability to work with clients with complex needs.
• Knowledge of homelessness and related services.
• Ability to use own initiative while reporting to line management.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to service improvement and outcomes.
• Provide key-work, crisis support, case recording, face-to-face and group work.
• Maintain relationships with Thames Reach teams.
• Provide timely information, reports and analysis.
• Deliver support to caseload with complex needs.
• Support Education, Training and Employment targets and move-on outcomes.

Skills

Strong communication

Empathy and compassion

Independent working

Team collaboration

Understanding homelessness

Crisis intervention

Job description

Whatever your experience of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – personal or professional – when you join the Thames Reach team as a Support Worker we will make the best use of all your understanding, compassion and commitment

About us…

Thames Reach runs projects and services that help to end homelessness in and around London. We work directly with homeless people on the streets and in hostels. We work to prevent vulnerable people from becoming homeless. We help formerly homeless people get their lives back on track. We help people find work and access training and volunteering opportunities.

Is our mission easy? No,but we never give up on people. Last year we helped more than 15,000 people.

Is our work rewarding? Yes, in every sense. We’re listed as one of the top 100 Best Workplaces in the UK. There’s no better place to develop or transfer your skills and build a fulfilling career.

About this role…

We are looking for a Support Worker to join the Hounslow Reach Team.

Floating Support services work with people to sustain their housing. We use a strength-based approach to work with people to identify what support they require and how we can address them together or / and in collaboration with others e.g. landlords, Department of Work and pension or mental health services.

We can support people for the duration of their tenancy, or we can provide short term interventions. We can provide resettlement support when a tenancy commences, and we can equip people with the skills to manage their home and goals independently or when they are move on ready and require minimal support.

We will not accept applications where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to assist with completing the competency questions.

You will:

• Contribute to the continual improvement of service effectiveness, ensuring that service users or internal customers receive a high-quality outcome-focused service
• Provide key-work, support any crisis intervention work, complete case recording, face to face work, group work, advice giving, advocacy and other interpersonal work.
• Maintain good working relationships with colleagues in other Thames Reach teams as appropriate
• Contribute to the provision of timely and accurate information, reports, and analysis.
• Deliver support to a caseload of clients with complex and multiple support needs.
• Contribute to the meeting of the targets in the areas of Education, Training and Employment / move on of the service users, maximising service user involvement /and other Key Performance Indicators

You will have:

• A strong record and good understanding of the issues involved in delivering effective support services to a range of vulnerable people
• The ability to establish good working relationships with service users, colleagues and others
• The ability to work independently using own initiative whilst remaining accountable to line management and communicating effectively as part of a team
• An understanding of a range of approaches to case working including key working with service users and the implementation of different agendas, such as personalisation
• An understanding of homelessness and the impact on the lives of individuals and a depth of understanding of the needs and aspirations of homeless people which is based either on your own personal experience of being homeless or professional work or voluntary experience
• The ability to work independently using own initiative whilst remaining accountable to line management and communicating effectively as part of a team

We are listed in the top 100 UK Best Workplaces 2023 in the UK. As part of a commitment to our employees we offer:

• Generous holiday allowance – 29 days per year plus 8 public holidays (pro rata).
• Pension – we contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5%.
• Excellent development opportunities – career progression, regular supervision and appraisals, and learning programmes to support your career with Thames Reach.
• Wellbeing support – our 24/7 employee assistance programme and opportunities for TOIL.
• Life assurance – four times your annual salary and critical illness cover.
• Other benefits including a blue light discount card, interest free season ticket and cycle to work loans.

Thames Reach is committed to achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value, respect, and celebrate diversity. We welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their history of homelessness, sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religious belief.

Thames Reach is committed to safeguarding. Applicants must be willing to undergo pre-employment screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not exclude you from applying but you will be asked to provide further details as most posts are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974