Supported Accommodation Housing Support Worker in Crawley

22.5 hours per week / £28,330 per annum, pro rata / permanent / working onsite on a seven-day rolling rota, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

YMCA DownsLink Group is the leading charity for children and young people across Sussex and Surrey. We offer safe homes, mental health support and trusted advice. We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe, heard and to shape their own future. We are here for children and young people, many of whom face multiple challenges and need our support.

Our 16+ Older Looked After Young People (OLYP), Care Leavers and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) services deliver specialist 24-hour supported accommodation where young people are supported to acquire the necessary skills in preparation for living independently, safely explore their increased freedom of choice and develop responsibilities associated with adulthood, whilst still having the appropriate level of support from an experienced team.

We adopt a trauma informed and psychologically informed approach to supporting our residents to help them build essential life skills, identify their goals and support residents into independent accommodation. We have a dedicated team of Support Workers, Night Workers and additional Bank Workers who provide support, guidance, and signposting around areas such as housing, budgeting, living skills, jobs and relationship building.

We are looking for a Supported Housing Support Worker to join our Ewhurst Road, Crawley team, who will hold a caseload of residents and meet with them weekly to build a support plan.

• Coach young people to manage their occupancy agreement and adhere to house rules, in preparation for independent living.
• Promote a credit culture, encouraging young people to keep up to date with all payments for rent.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of housing and welfare benefits for young people and be well-informed on significant changes to housing law.
• Coach young people so they can articulate their aspirations and ambitions and take the lead in acquiring the skills they need to live independent and fulfilling lives.
• Ensure young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own personal development, to engage with the services on offer and build strong networks and connections within the local community.
• Ensure consistent standards of safeguarding and Trauma Informed Practice when supporting young people, observing our safeguarding procedures, and keeping yourself and residents safe by respecting professional boundaries.
• Maintain client records on In-Form (client database) detailing the young person’s journey in relation to their strengths and needs, any risks, and any outcomes (to monitor service performance).
• Work as part of a team, on a rota shift pattern, ensuring young people at the service have non-judgemental, objective, and supportive staff during the day/evening, along with taking responsibility for personal safety during periods of lone working.
• Participate in relevant continuing professional development and utilise Reflective Practice Supervision as part of leading psychologically informed practice.
• There will be times when lone working will be a requirement for this role, but you will get to know the team and service, along with an induction and training prior to starting on a rota.

You will be passionate about being involved in the support and growth of young people.

• Experience relating to housing, support work, and/or working with young people at risk.
• Experience of working proactively with a caseload of young people with multiple and complex needs to enable them to achieve independent living.
• Knowledge of statutory and voluntary resources available to young people with multiple and complex needs.
• Knowledge of good safeguarding procedures in relation to young people and the ability to maintain effective professional boundaries.
• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing for appropriate recording of a resident’s progression, and to evidence outcomes achieved.
• Ability to de-escalate volatile situations and manage challenging behaviour appropriately.

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 9 August 2026 at midnight.

An inclusive workplace: We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity checks.