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- Tasks: Support customers with care, dignity, and daily living skills in a safe environment.
- Company: Join Riverside, a leading not-for-profit housing organisation transforming lives for over 90 years.
- Benefits: Earn £14.68 per hour with flexible hours and opportunities for personal development.
- Other info: No prior experience required; we value potential and encourage all backgrounds to apply.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while working in a supportive team culture.
- Qualifications: Compassionate individuals with communication skills and a positive attitude are encouraged to apply.
Salary: £14.68 per hour
Working Hours: As and when required
Location: Blackmore House, Romford, Essex
If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.
The difference you will make as a Relief Worker
You will provide a high quality, customer-oriented service and understand that all actions should be customer-led. Under the direction of the scheme manager and support team, you will assist in providing care and support to customers. You will assist in maintaining and promoting the dignity of all individuals to improve their health and wellbeing in a safe and appropriate environment.
About you
- Experience of working with people from various backgrounds and sectors of society (this could be friends, family, professional experience, children)
- Compassion, patience, and empathy
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
- Flexibility to cover shifts, sometimes at short notice
- Approachable with a positive attitude
- Excellent team player who can work flexibly to meet business requirements
Role Profile
We use Psychologically Informed approaches and Trauma Informed Care principles to support our customers to make positive choices, develop new ways of thinking and take steps towards independence, by:
- Assisting in the planning and delivery of a range of personalised support and move-on plans
- Understanding the risk management process and assisting the team to organise and undertake regular reviews of support and risk
- Inspiring and motivating customers to meet agreed outcomes and develop life skills
- Assisting customers with day-to-day support and tenancy-related matters
- Assisting the team to identify and promote opportunities for employment, education and training and support customers to access them
- Signposting customers to appropriate external support services, such as food banks and other community resources
- Supporting customers to be ‘tenancy ready’, enabling successful move on
- Supporting customers to be financially independent through budgeting plans and maximising income
- Supporting and monitoring customers’ healthcare needs, ensuring appropriate contact with healthcare professionals
- Empowering customers to move towards self-management of their medication by following Riverside’s medication procedure
- Maintaining and updating clear, accurate and strengths-based records on the appropriate digital platform
- Assisting in the promotion of customer involvement and consultation
- Assisting with the delivery of a range of group work sessions
Deliver a support service:
- Support the delivery of the referral process for new customers
- Contribute to the delivery of a housing management service, including income collection and providing customers with tenancy-related support
- Work with customers to maintain a safe environment, including reporting any repairs or health and safety concerns
- Clean and prepare customer rooms as appropriate
- Resolve difficult and challenging situations in a sensitive and informed way, balancing the needs of the individual with the safety of the service
- Ensure customer safety by following local safeguarding procedures, recognising, and acting on any risks and escalating appropriately
- Contribute to and maintain local partnerships to ensure availability of a holistic range of support for customers
- Carry out day-to-day administration and operational duties
- Maintaining and updating financial administration systems including rent accounts, invoices, petty cash, and banking
- Assist in collating and submitting information returns on funding, health & safety, and performance
- Act as point of contact on the phone, reception, and deal with a range of enquiries
Other Information
You will be required to work flexible hours to meet customer and business needs, which may not include normal office hours. Use the Lone Worker system as and when necessary. Ensure customers are safe at all times - carrying out all of your duties within Riverside’s Policy and Procedure framework e.g. health & safety, safeguarding, dignity at work, GDPR opportunities, cash handling, etc. Deliver your role in line with Riverside company values – “Our Riverside Way”. Participate in team meetings, attend regular supervisions and reflecting practice sessions. Undertake regular training and take responsibility for continuous development to enable you to deliver your role safely. From time to time you may be required to undertake additional duties and responsibilities in consultation with your Line Manager.
Person specification
- An understanding of the barriers faced by vulnerable and diverse customer groups and individuals with complex needs
- Experience of working in a team and communicating positively with other people
- Experience of being able to organise tasks and plan accordingly whilst dealing with people
- Be a team player with a caring, empathetic, flexible and have a resilient, can-do attitude.
- Able to use initiative and have confidence to make decisions
- Basic administrative and IT skills maintain records
- Experience of working with vulnerable and diverse customer groups or individuals with complex needs
- Personal lived experience of either homelessness, rough sleeping, mental health issues or substance misuse
About Us
Riverside is one of the UK’s leading not-for-profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing around 75,000 homes from Irvine to Kent. We are a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods dates back over 90 years. We have plans to build over 15,000 affordable homes over the next decade.
Relief Worker employer: The Riverside Group
Contact Detail:
The Riverside Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Relief Worker
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the principles of Psychologically Informed approaches and Trauma Informed Care. Understanding these concepts will not only help you in your role but also demonstrate to us that you are aligned with our values and mission.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your experience working with diverse groups by preparing specific examples from your past. Whether it's through professional roles or personal experiences, being able to articulate these stories will highlight your empathy and understanding.
✨Tip Number 3
Be ready to discuss your flexibility and adaptability during the interview. Since the role requires covering shifts at short notice, sharing instances where you've successfully managed unexpected changes will be beneficial.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to demonstrate your communication skills by engaging in active listening during the interview. This will show us that you value customer-led service and can effectively support individuals in a compassionate manner.
We think you need these skills to ace Relief Worker
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience, especially any work with diverse groups or in care settings. Use specific examples that demonstrate your compassion, patience, and communication skills.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for helping others and how your values align with Riverside's mission. Mention specific experiences that showcase your ability to support vulnerable individuals and work as part of a team.
Highlight Relevant Skills: Emphasise your flexibility, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. Provide examples of situations where you've successfully navigated challenges or supported others in difficult circumstances.
Showcase Your Understanding: Demonstrate your understanding of the barriers faced by vulnerable groups. Discuss any personal experiences or insights that have shaped your approach to care and support, making it clear you are empathetic and informed.
How to prepare for a job interview at The Riverside Group
✨Show Your Compassion
As a Relief Worker, demonstrating compassion and empathy is crucial. Be prepared to share examples from your past experiences where you have shown understanding and support to individuals from diverse backgrounds.
✨Highlight Teamwork Skills
Riverside values teamwork highly. During the interview, discuss your experiences working in teams, how you contribute positively, and any specific instances where you helped resolve conflicts or supported colleagues.
✨Demonstrate Flexibility
Since the role requires flexibility in covering shifts, be ready to talk about your availability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances. Share any previous experiences where you successfully managed unexpected changes.
✨Understand the Role's Responsibilities
Familiarise yourself with the key responsibilities of a Relief Worker at Riverside. Be prepared to discuss how you would approach tasks such as supporting customers with their healthcare needs or assisting with tenancy-related matters.