We’re looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Housing Support Worker to join our Homelessness service in Surrey. No personal care or experience is required, just the right values.

£22,500 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Do you want to make a difference and help people improve their lives?

Are you looking for a flexible, fast-paced role where no day is the same?

North Surrey Floating Support Service are looking for two additional Housing Support Workers to join our close-knit team within our well-established service.

You will work alongside the team and other services to deliver housing-related support to vulnerable people in their own homes and remotely (via phone, email, completing administrative tasks). As the role requires you to visit people across three boroughs, you will need to have use of your own car. The role is hybrid, meaning that you will have the option to work at home for some of the time. The support is provided between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, so you will not be expected to work evenings, weekends or bank holidays. In addition to this, you will get 25 days annual leave a year.

No specific experience or qualifications are required; the most important thing is a positive can-do attitude, a desire to learn through experience, and a willingness to help people make long-lasting improvements in their lives.

This role offers various career progression opportunities, and previous Housing Support Workers have gone on to work in the following areas:-

• more specialist support such as children’s service and mental health

• housing officers for social housing providers

• homelessness officers for local authorities

• supported housing

• internal promotion: Team Leader, Contract Manager

• human resources and recruitment

• counselling

This role requires a valid Right to Work for the UK as Look Ahead are not a sponsoring organisation.

What you’ll do:

• Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Manager

• Ensure that referrals to the service are managed effectively and in line with the referrals and assessment procedure

• Undertake initial and assessments and continuous reviews of support needs and potential risks, and agree levels of support and actions

• Create and review support/ action plans for providing appropriate housing-related support based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available

• Develop and maintain links with key agencies and service providers in the local community

• Empower customers to ensure they receive the benefits and services they are entitled to

• Signpost customers to support services that can help them address additional support needs such as mental or physical health, employment and education, adult social care, domestic abuse and family support

• Encourage and enable customers to pay their rent and other housing-related costs, and to ensure that rent accounts are managed effectively in conjunction with the relevant housing provider

• Encourage and enable customers to adhere to all other conditions of their tenancies/ licences, eg maintaining a satisfactory living environment, refraining from anti-social behaviour, allowing access for essential work

• Encourage and enable customers to take necessary steps to seeking and preparing for alternative accommodation where maintaining their current housing situation is unsuitable or unviable

• Ensure that all safeguarding concerns are managed in line with safeguarding protocols and are reported to Contract Manager/Head of Operations, as appropriate

• Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive customer records to professional standards

• Adhere to Look Ahead’s Policies and Procedures

• Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills

• Work closely with the team and communicate openly

• Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned by the manager within the remit of the service and contract.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:

• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement

• Approachable and open behaviour

• Prefers working as part of a group or team

• Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement

• Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised

• Flexible

• Open to feedback and self development

• Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments

• Is confident with high levels of self-esteem

• Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication

• Is essentially customer–focused

• Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude

• Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviours

What you’ll bring:

Essential:

• Use of own vehicle

• IT and functional skills

• Positive attitude and can-do approach

• Resilience

• Flexibility

• Good communication skills, written and verbally

Desirable:

• Experience working in homelessness, housing or support/care

• Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector

About us:

Look Ahead is a dynamic, leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. As an organisation we deliver over 110 services, providing support to around 7000 customers each year. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.