Rough Sleeping Outreach Worker - Portsmouth in Isle of Wight

We are looking for a Rough Sleeping Outreach Worker to join our Housing Needs, Advice & Support team, working directly with customers to help deal with housing issues and prevent homelessness in the city. This is a full-time role based at the Rough Sleeping Hub in Portsmouth.

The Rough Sleeping Outreach team provides a vital service in Portsmouth to support and engage with people who may have become homeless and have resorted to sleeping rough in the city. The Outreach team goes out at different times of day, including early in the morning, to look for people sleeping rough and to help them away from the streets. The team's priority is to seek to engage with rough sleepers and check their immediate health and wellbeing, gather information about their situation, and provide further advice, support and signposting to appropriate services in the city - including Portsmouth City Council's Rough Sleeping Hub in Queen Street.

People who have slept rough might find it hard to trust others because of negative experiences; it's crucial to build up trust and get to know people individually. Rough Sleeping Outreach Workers will therefore take a person-centred and trauma-informed approach to working with any individuals who may be rough sleeping, and make use of the strong partnerships with other organisations in Portsmouth to help them access accommodation and support, such as physical and mental health services, drug and alcohol services, legal support and advocacy.

Reporting to the Senior Rough Sleeping Outreach Worker, you will be part of a small team which will provide the Rough Sleeping Outreach service within the city. The team will manage a caseload of clients who are known to be sleeping rough in Portsmouth. These cases are likely to require a range of interventions as part of a tailored package of support which could include assisting with benefit claims, GP registrations, exploring housing options and engaging in recovery support for addiction.

Somebody who:

• Ideally has experience working with vulnerable and homeless people, or households with housing problems, and a desire to work to resolve these issues.
• Has an awareness of the Equality Act 2010 and the Care Act 2014, and of adult safeguarding principles and procedures.
• An awareness of relevant housing legislation such as the Housing Act 1996, Homelessness Act 2002 and Homeless Reduction Act 2017 would be beneficial for this role.
• Is able to advocate for customers by developing positive relationships with other agencies (ie mental health services, probation, substance misuse services) and be the single point of contact if required.
• Is confident in making risk assessments in relation to customers' circumstances, including identifying potential safeguarding concerns, to ensure a safe working environment at all times.
• Is able to listen to people and not rush to conclusions or judgements before fully understanding what is needed or wanted by a customer.
• Has tact and diplomacy; the ability to deal with sensitive and confidential issues that may require a variety of responses.
• The right person will be able to manage challenging situations whilst remaining professional and objective.
• Possesses negotiating and advocacy skills.
• Able to work on their own initiative and who can be proactive, and solution focused.
• Able to work well within a highly functioning team, supporting your peers and supervisor to manage a caseload of clients.
• Is emotionally resilient and able to deal with the impact of being exposed to customers' difficult circumstances.
• Can maintain accurate records of all clients who you come into contact with to enable concise data collection.
• Has the ability to communicate clearly to colleagues, partners and customers, verbally and in writing.
• Is competent in the use of IT to manage and monitor a small team's caseload effectively, recording information appropriately on the required management information system.
• Basic ICT skills, including the use of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Outlook and other Office 365 applications such as SharePoint.
• Is able to work flexibly as part of a rota, which will include shifts on some weekends and bank holidays, some early mornings and some evenings.
• Is willing and able to travel to meet customers in a variety of locations as needed within the Portsmouth city area, and at times when public transport may be limited; a valid driving licence and access to a car are therefore desirable for this role.

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work/personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had.

If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

Interviews 23rd/24th February 2026.

If you are applying as a secondment, please ensure that you have your line manager's permission before applying, and please state this in your application.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.