Reconnect Worker (London)

Apply for this role if you want to make a real, immediate impact by helping young people and families rebuild relationships, reduce conflict and prevent homelessness before it begins.

Location: Sherborne House, London

Salary: £11,896.80 per annum pro rata (FTE £29,742 per annum – ILW)

Closing Date: 22 March, 2026

Employment Type: Permanent

Hours per week: Part time, 15 hours per week

About the Role

Join us as a Reconnect Worker and help prevent youth homelessness by supporting young people and families experiencing conflict or crisis. You’ll deliver focused mediation and personalised family support across London—working with young people aged 11–25 in schools, emergency placements, and Depaul services to strengthen relationships, improve communication and reduce the risk of homelessness. Your work will be grounded in detailed assessments, collaborative support planning and strengths-based interventions that help families rebuild stability and stay connected.

In this flexible, fast-paced role, you’ll manage a small caseload, work independently across multiple locations and build strong partnerships with schools, local authorities, Nightstop hosts and colleagues across Depaul. You’ll maintain clear, accurate records, contribute to safeguarding processes and advocate for young people when needed. Your creativity, impartiality and ability to engage families in challenging moments will be key as you help define and strengthen Depaul’s national approach to family mediation and homelessness prevention.

In this role, you will:

• Provide focused family support and mediation to young people aged 11–25 and their families experiencing conflict or breakdown.
• Manage a small caseload, completing risk assessments, needs assessments and structured support plans that drive measurable outcomes.
• Work across schools, Nightstop placements and Depaul services to stabilise situations and reduce the risk of homelessness.
• Build strong partnerships with local authorities, schools and external agencies to strengthen referral pathways and holistic support.
• Maintain clear, accurate case records and follow all safeguarding, EDI, health and safety and lone-working procedures.
• Advocate for young people and families when safeguarding concerns arise, ensuring safety and appropriate escalation.
• Work independently across multiple London locations, prioritising tasks and managing time effectively.
• Contribute to Depaul’s national prevention approach through peer learning, reflective practice and continuous service development.

About You (What we are looking for from you – Person Specification)

When completing your application form please address all the points set out below.

Essential

• Significant experience working with young people and families in crisis; reflective, creative and solution focused in your approach and committed to working in an assets based way.
• To hold or complete a Level 4 Interpersonal Mediation Practitioner’s Certificate (IMPC). Training will be provided if candidate doesn’t hold the qualification but training will have to be completed before the end of the probation period.
• Experience of working independently and managing own caseload; self-motivated and able to prioritise tasks and carry out efficient organisation and administration.
• Experience of carrying out risk and needs assessments and support planning for clients.
• Ability to develop strong, collaborative and productive relationships with colleagues and key external agencies, promoting the value of our work and its impact on families.
• High level understanding of professional boundaries and ability to maintain impartiality.
• Willingness and ability to travel independently and work from a number of different locations across the London region.
• Commitment to working in a manner, which promotes diversity and equality ensuring that everyone is treated with respect and dignity and no one suffers from discrimination.

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience providing effective mediation services to families experiencing conflict.
• Hold an accredited Interpersonal Mediation Certificate.
• An in-depth understanding of issues relating to youth homelessness.
• Independently manage and maintain a full caseload of families (15-20 families per FTE, or as identified by the service manager).
• Evidence through case recording, support planning and outcome monitoring that families are being supported effectively to make progress against the relevant national outcomes and that mediation is being used confidently and effectively to support this, when appropriate.

What You’ll Receive

• Tailored training and development.
• Flexible working options where suitable.
• 26 days annual leave, rising with service.
• Family-friendly leave policies.
• Pension scheme with employer contributions up to 7%.
• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 GP access.
• Discounts across retail, travel, food, fitness and more.
• Cash health plan for you and your family.
• Death-in-service benefit.
• Access to legal and practical support.

Safer Recruitment

Depaul UK is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If a role requires it under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, we will carry out the appropriate Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. We only look at information that is relevant to the role, and a criminal record will never be treated as an automatic barrier to employment. All DBS information is handled sensitively, confidentially and in line with the DBS Code of Practice, and we encourage applicants to discuss any concerns with us openly.

About Depaul UK

In the 1980s, high unemployment and steep inflation was contributing to a shocking rise in youth homelessness across London. Thousands of young people were sleeping rough every night, with many areas notoriously dubbed “cardboard cities” due to the visible rise in street homelessness. Appalled by the scenes playing out across the capital, a group of people came together to tackle the challenge head on. Led by Cardinal Basil Hume and Mark McGreevy OBE, in 1989 Depaul UK was born.

What began as a single housing project in North London soon expanded across London, Greater Manchester and the North East of England. Today, Depaul UK provides accommodation, prevention and support services to thousands of marginalised young people across the UK each year.

As our name suggests, the work of Depaul UK has been inspired by St. Vincent de Paul – a man who devoted his life to helping vast numbers of people throughout the 17th century. St. Vincent de Paul’s belief in the intrinsic worth of all people and his commitment to taking bold action remain central to our values today. Depaul UK now forms part of a family of Depaul charities around the world. We each focus on the specific challenges in our own countries, but we’re united by our shared values and mission to end homelessness.