GROW Trainee - Norwich

Come and join us. The GROW Traineeship gives people with lived experience of homelessness and/or other related disadvantages (including but not limited to; contact with the criminal justice system, mental ill-health or substance use) access to paid employment, training and personal development opportunities. The traineeship lasts for up to 12 months, and each GROW receives personalised training and support to help remove some of the barriers that may have prevented them from getting meaningful employment.

We are looking for people who are passionate about using their own experiences to help make change for people in Norwich experiencing bad housing and homelessness.

About Shelter: A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent. We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

About the role: The role is working as a trainee Housing Rights Worker with the aim of being able to provide generalist housing and homelessness advice by the end of the fixed term. The successful candidate will be given extensive training, support, and supervision to support them to achieve this. They will also have access to a flexible personal budget to help in your own personal and professional development. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to community hub priorities and be involved in systems change work in the area. The GROW trainee programme includes opportunities to get involved in developing services in the southeast and across Shelter at a national level, using your experiences to influence our local strategic aims.

About you: We are looking for people who have experience of overcoming personal challenges and barriers and who are passionate about using their own life experiences to help make positive change for others. Good communication skills and the ability to make people feel heard will also be essential. Basic computer skills, e.g. word processing, the internet and email would be useful, but support can be provided. Above all, we need people with a real desire to develop personally and learn new skills.

Please note: This role is ring-fenced for those with lived experience of multiple disadvantage.

Benefits: We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme. Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

Safeguarding: Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free of harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies. Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs sent by external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.