Hostel Night Worker

We are SPEAR, a charity working tirelessly to end homelessness across South West London and beyond. We believe homelessness should be rare, brief, and non-recurring, and we work every day to make that a reality. Our services include street outreach, assessment hubs, supported accommodation, and tenancy support, helping people move off the streets and into safe, secure housing. We take a person-centred, trauma-informed approach, building trust and supporting people to achieve long-term stability and independence.

You have experience supporting people affected by homelessness or rough sleeping, including those with complex needs such as mental ill-health, substance use or trauma. You bring strong safeguarding and risk assessment knowledge, and you're confident identifying, responding to, and escalating concern promptly.

You are approachable and resilient and able to stay calm in a busy and sometimes challenging environment. You understand the issues, barriers and behaviours that people experiencing homelessness may display, responding with compassion and psychologically informed strategies.

You're skilled at building positive relationships and motivating individuals who may initially be wary of services, and you know how to use de-escalation and support techniques with clients displaying challenging behaviour. You communicate clearly and are committed to confidentiality and professional boundaries. You work well both independently and as part of a team.

As a Hostel Night Worker, you'll provide a safe, welcoming and responsive overnight service for hostel residents, safeguarding their welfare at all times. Staying alert to risk, you'll respond quickly to incidents and follow SPEAR's safeguarding procedures — taking sole charge of the hostel while on duty.

Working closely with daytime colleagues, you'll keep accurate records and clear handovers, so support continues seamlessly. Your presence overnight helps residents feel secure, respected and supported, in a calm, well-managed environment.

You'll typically work 21:45– 08:45 (hours subject to change) on a rota basis and must remain awake throughout your shift.

Everything we do is guided by our values. We're looking for people who are:

• Collaborative
• Aspirational
• Respectful
• Determined
• Visionary

If these values resonate with you, we'd love to hear from you.

You’ll be part of a welcoming, values-driven charity committed to ending homelessness and supporting staff wellbeing. Benefits include:

• Generous holiday – 26 days plus public holidays (pro rata), rising by up to five extra days with length of service.
• Wellbeing & EAP – 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme with free counselling, money, and legal advice.
• Health support – Occupational health service and free annual eye test (with contribution towards glasses if required).
• Cycle to Work – Save on a new bike and accessories through salary sacrifice.
• Season ticket loan – Interest-free loan for annual travel passes.
• Moving house day – Extra day’s leave when you move home.
• Financial security – Life assurance (4x salary) and interest-free emergency staff loan.
• Family-friendly policies – Enhanced maternity and adoption pay, plus flexible working options.
• Career development – Ongoing training, learning, and progression opportunities.
• Blue Light Card – Discounts across a wide range of shops, restaurants, and services.

At SPEAR, we welcome and encourage applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. We are facing diverse problems, so we need diverse people to tackle them.