Supported Housing Support Worker at YMCA DownsLink Group

The Cosy Box Co; Eastbourne; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cosy Box Co. is seeking a Supported Housing Support Worker for our Eastbourne Foyer, with occasional duties at Hailsham sites as required.

You will hold a caseload of residents and conduct weekly key work sessions to develop personalised support plans and track progress toward independent living. We operate 24-hour supported housing for young people aged 16-25 across Eastbourne and Hailsham, focusing on budgeting, life and work skills and safeguarding.

Qualifications

• Experience in housing or supported accommodation, ideally for young people with multiple and complex needs.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding and compliance procedures.
• Ability to manage arrears or housing-related issues using restorative approaches.

Responsibilities

• Housing and Compliance: help residents understand occupancy agreements, promote rent payments, stay updated on housing law and welfare benefits, and respond to breaches of agreement.
• Coaching and Engagement: help residents articulate goals, build life and work skills, and foster community connections; maintain safeguarding standards.
• Maintain client records on In-Form detailing progress, risks and outcomes to monitor service performance.
• There may be lone-working periods; full induction and training will be provided.

Skills

Record keeping

Communication skills

Teamwork

Autonomy

IT skills

Tools

In-Form (client database)

Job description

We are looking for a Supported Housing Support Worker to join our team at Eastbourne Foyer, with the expectation of working from our other sites in Hailsham when required. You will hold a caseload of residents and carry out regular key work sessions with them each week. Through these sessions, you will work together to develop personalised support plans, track progress, and help residents achieve their goals.

Our Eastbourne and Hailsham services provide 24-hour supported housing for young people aged 16-25, offering low to medium levels of housing-related support. Eastbourne Foyer houses 33 young people, while our two Hailsham sites - Grove House and Newton Park - houses 7 and 3 young people respectively, all with shared communal facilities. Across all three sites, we support residents to develop the skills needed for independent living. This includes managing finances and budgeting, building life and work skills, and maintaining personal self-care.

Our staff take a trauma-informed and psychologically informed approach, supporting residents to build essential life skills, identify personal goals, and work towards their aspirations so they can move on to independent and fulfilling futures. Our dedicated team of Support Workers, Night Workers, and Bank Workers provide personalised guidance, practical assistance, and signposting in key areas including housing, budgeting, daily living skills, employment, and healthy relationship building.

Main areas of responsibilities are:

Housing and Compliance

• Support young people to understand and comply with their occupancy agreements, including coaching them to meet house rules and responsibilities as part of preparing for successful independent living.
• Promote a strong rent-payment and credit culture, encouraging residents to maintain regular payments and understand their financial obligations.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of housing legislation, welfare benefits, and statutory requirements affecting young people, ensuring practice aligns with current housing law and organisational policies.
• Respond promptly and effectively to breaches of agreement, including rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or property damage, using restorative approaches where appropriate and working collaboratively with the wider team.

Coaching and Engagement

• Coach young people so they can articulate their aspirations and ambitions and take the lead in acquiring the skills they need to live independent and fulfilling lives.
• Ensure young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own personal development, to engage with the services on offer and build strong networks and connections within the local community.
• Ensure consistent standards of safeguarding and Trauma Informed Practice when supporting young people, observing our safeguarding procedures, and keeping yourself and residents safe by respecting professional boundaries.
• Maintain client records on In-Form (client database) detailing the young person's journey in relation to their strengths and needs, any risks, and any outcomes (to monitor service performance).

There will be times when lone working will be a requirement for this role, but you will get to know the team and service, along with an induction and training prior to starting on a rota.

If you are enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable.You may be just the right candidate.

This is a dynamic and varied role; you will be passionate about being involved in the support and growth of young people.

Experience and Knowledge

• Experience in housing or supported accommodation, ideally supporting young people with multiple and complex needs.
• Strong understanding of occupancy agreements, rent management, welfare benefits, and tenancy sustainment.
• Ability to manage arrears, ASB, and other non-compliance issues using appropriate and restorative approaches.
• Good knowledge of housing legislation, safeguarding procedures, and compliance requirements, with the ability to maintain clear professional boundaries.
• Familiarity with statutory and voluntary services available to young people and ability to work proactively with a caseload to support progression towards independent living.

Skills and Abilities

• Confident in record-keeping, including case notes, incident reporting, and health and safety checks.
• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing for appropriate recording of a resident's progression, and to evidence outcomes achieved.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with all stakeholders, including signposting and advocating for clients as necessary.
• Ability to work autonomously, and use own initiative, as well as being part of a team.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills, good IT, and keyboard skills.
• Ability to de-escalate volatile situations and manage challenging behaviour appropriately.

37.5 hours per week / permanent / working onsite on a seven-day rolling rota, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.