Housing First Worker

Central Recruitment is currently recruiting for a Housing First Worker, to work in the Tower Hamlets area. The service provides support to people with a history of rough sleeping to move into and sustain a permanent home, while providing tailored, practical and emotional support.

The successful candidate will be required to work 37.5 hours per week, Monday – Friday 9AM – 5PM. Temporary cover is required for approximately 2-3 months. The pay rate for this role is £17.11 per hour, with £2.57 holiday pay, totalling £19.68 per hour.

In this position, you will be required to:

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of the Housing First service
• Build strong, proactive relationships with each person on your caseload, providing consistent, personalised support
• Agree individual support plans with each client, helping them set and achieve goals that sustain their tenancy and wellbeing
• Complete and regularly review risk assessments in line with policy
• Meet regularly with clients at home and in the community to review needs and plans
• Work closely with outreach teams, tenancy support staff and other agencies to coordinate care and achieve positive outcomes
• Provide practical help to set up and maintain a home, such as arranging furniture, utilities and minor repairs
• Tackle social isolation by encouraging community involvement and positive social networks
• Give clear advice on benefits, training, employment and budgeting to maximise income and opportunities
• Prepare and motivate clients to take on the responsibilities of their new tenancy
• Ensure clients understand tenancy conditions and assist with any issues, including neighbour concerns
• Support good physical and mental health and connect clients to specialist services when required
• Advocate for clients with external services such as welfare, health and housing so they can access their full rights and entitlements
• Arrange and carry out assessment meetings with potential clients and relevant professionals
• Liaise with local authority and housing association partners throughout the referral and allocation process
• Monitor rent and service charge payments to prevent arrears, and carry out property checks to ensure homes remain safe and well-maintained

To apply for this role candidates must have:

• Experience supporting people affected by homelessness or rough sleeping, including those with complex needs such as mental ill-health, substance use or trauma
• Knowledge and experience of safeguarding, risk assessment, support planning and trauma-informed approaches, with the ability to lead on identification and escalation of concerns
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to gain trust and motivate people who may be wary of services
• Understanding of Housing First principles and tenancy sustainment, including knowledge of housing law, welfare benefits and rights
• Knowledge of Tower Hamlets services and community resources
• Excellent communication and partnership working, able to collaborate with local authorities, housing providers and a range of support agencies
• Experience of advocating for clients in complex situations such as housing disputes or welfare appeals
• Organisational and record-keeping skills, confident in using IT systems to keep accurate case notes and monitoring data
• Flexibility and resilience, able to respond calmly to changing priorities and manage situations as they arise
• Desirable: Training in mental health first aid, substance misuse or safeguarding adults at risk

Candidates must confirm their interest as soon as possible, with interviews shortly after and the appointed candidate expected to start as soon as possible.

Further requirements:

• Current valid right to work in the UK
• Minimum 12 months’ of paid experience in a front line social care role within the last 3 years (unless recruitment criteria states otherwise)
• A fully enhanced DBS either registered on the DBS update service or issued within the last 12 months, or willingness to apply for one through Central (at a cost of £60)
• Employment or education history to cover the last 5 years which can be verified through the referencing process

How to apply:

If you feel that you fully meet the above outlined criteria for this role and would like to apply for this post, please forward your CV for consideration.

Please note the outlined experience is the 'minimum' first stage criteria, and we will therefore be unable to consider your application unless you are able to demonstrate a relevant work history in line with this position.