Senior Support Worker in Lincoln

Job Type – Permanent/Full-Time

Salary - £27,540 per annum, + £1,300 unsocial working hours supplement

Hours – 35 hours (plus 5 hours paid lunch breaks)

Location – Lincoln

Are you passionate about helping young people thrive? An experienced support worker ready to step up and embrace a new challenge? Do you want every day at work to make a real difference – leading and supporting a frontline team as young people build independence and transition confidently into adulthood? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Our NEST service in Lincolnshire is a commissioned and Ofsted regulated supported housing service, that helps vulnerable young people, aged 16-21yrs, who are homeless or are threatened with homelessness, to live independently. This service is for young people with low level to complex needs including social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties. Our aim is to inspire the young people we support to be ambitious and embrace new opportunities. We offer transparent, positive, and open working environments that foster inclusive working cultures and encourage creativity and an engaging mind-set. We enable the young people we support to have new experiences and develop new skills to become independent and make a positive contribution to society. The purpose of this service is to transform the lives of Lincolnshire’s most vulnerable young people and our vision is to ensure every person in our services is given the support they need to have a chance at a brighter future.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking a passionate, energetic, and aspirational Senior Support Worker to work under the direction of the Team Manager, taking a lead role in supporting a team of Support Workers within a 24/7 Hub. You will help ensure the delivery of high quality, effective supported housing services for young people, meeting their needs while contributing to contractual requirements and organisational targets. As a Senior Support Worker, you will play a key role in maintaining high operational standards and achieving positive, measurable outcomes within the hub. You will supervise frontline Support Workers and provide leadership, guidance, and support to the wider team to deliver person centred, tailored support that helps every young person progress positively through their journey with us. You will bring experience in support planning and risk assessment, alongside a strong understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable adults and young people. Excellent interpersonal skills, a collaborative approach, and a genuine commitment to supporting colleagues to deliver positive outcomes are essential in this exciting and rewarding environment.

This is a fast paced, reactive environment where energy, initiative and resilience are vital, as a Senior Support Worker you need to be:

• An authentic leader who acts with honesty and confidence.
• A positive force, encouraging a can-do attitude.
• Reliable and motivated with a desire to help others learn and thrive.
• Resilient and calm under pressure.
• Flexible and think on your feet.
• Empathetic and creative with a solutions-oriented mind.
• Curious and diligent in your work.
• Work collaboratively with others, including direct reports, NEST management team and external partners.
• Organised and self-motivated with the ability to set clear objectives and performance targets for yourself and each direct report.
• A good role model who communicates positively and professionally.

You will receive a £1,300 unsocial hours supplement for working between 8am and 11pm, including weekends, on a rolling rota agreed with the Team Manager.

Essential requirements for the role

• Experience leading and coordinating team working.
• Excellent leadership skills, striving to continuously train and develop the team.
• Ability to communicate well both in written and verbal communication, avoiding use of jargon, with both internal and external agencies.
• Experience of partnerships working and building positive working relationships.
• Experience of using components of Microsoft Office including Outlook and Teams.
• Experience of delivering on agreed targets / outcomes / performance standards.
• Experience of budget management.
• Flexibility to take on responsibility of our on-call service on a rolling rota, providing support and guidance to staff countywide out of hours.
• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle, (there may be a requirement to travel to other Hubs across Lincolnshire to meet the service demands).
• An Enhanced and Barred Child and Adult DBS check.
• An understanding of your full employment and education history.
• Satisfactory reference one of which must be from your current/most recent employer.

Desirable

• Experience of supervising staff.
• Experience of managing a 24-hour rota.
• Professional experience of working with Children, Young People and vulnerable Adults.

What we can offer you

• A generous annual leave entitlement, starting at 25 days a year plus bank holidays, increasing by 1 day per year for the first 5 years.
• Occupational sick pay that exceeds statutory requirements.
• 40hr working week including paid lunch break.
• A reimbursement for any eyesight test and up to £50 towards frames if an optician recommends glasses are needed for VDU use, accessible every 2 years.
• A cycle to work scheme offering loans of up to £1000 towards a new bike to commute to and from work (electric bikes included).
• Employee Assistance Helpline offering employees confidential support and guidance on work related or personal issues. The service is delivered by a third party and is available 24hrs a day, 365 days a year.
• Yearly pay increments for the first 5 years of service.

For further information about the role, please email: Chantelle.Judd@nacro.org.uk