Supported Housing Support Worker in Horsham

Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent

Application Start Date: 29-05-2026

Application End Date: 21-06-2026

Location: Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1AH, UK

Work Style: On-site

Description: 37.5 hours per week / 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.

Horsham Y Centre provides 24‑hour supported housing services offering medium levels of housing‑related support for young people aged 16‑25 with 50 bedspaces and shared communal facilities. We adopt a trauma‑informed and psychologically informed approach to supporting our residents to help them build essential life skills, identify their goals and work towards aspirations so that they can move on to enjoy fully independent futures.

We are looking for a Supported Housing Support Worker to join our team. The role involves holding a caseload of residents and meeting with them weekly to build a support plan.

• Housing and Compliance: Support young people to understand and comply with their occupancy agreements, including coaching them to meet house rules and responsibilities as part of preparing for successful independent living.
• Promote a strong rent‑payment and credit culture, encouraging residents to maintain regular payments and understand their financial obligations.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of housing legislation, welfare benefits and statutory requirements affecting young people, ensuring practice aligns with current housing law and organisational policies.
• Respond promptly and effectively to breaches of agreement, including rent arrears, antisocial behaviour or property damage, using restorative approaches where appropriate and working collaboratively with the wider team.

• Coaching and Engagement: 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.
• Encourage young people to take responsibility for their own personal development, engage with the services on offer and build strong networks and connections within the local community.
• Maintain consistent standards of safeguarding and Trauma‑Informed Practice when supporting young people, observing safeguarding procedures and maintaining professional boundaries.
• Maintain client records on In-Form (client database) detailing each young person’s journey in relation to strengths and needs, risks and outcomes.

• Experience and Knowledge: Experience in housing or supported accommodation, ideally supporting young people with multiple and complex needs.
• Strong understanding of occupancy agreements, rent management, welfare benefits and tenancy sustainment.
• Ability to manage arrears, antisocial behaviour and other non‑compliance issues using appropriate and restorative approaches.
• Good knowledge of housing legislation, safeguarding procedures and compliance requirements, with ability to maintain clear professional boundaries.
• Familiarity with statutory and voluntary services available to young people and ability to work proactively with a caseload to support progression towards independent living.

• Skills and Abilities: Confident in record‑keeping, including case notes, incident reporting and health and safety checks.
• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing to record resident progression and evidence outcomes.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, including signposting and advocating for clients.
• Ability to work autonomously, use initiative and be part of a team.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills, good IT and keyboard skills.
• Ability to de‑escalate volatile situations and manage challenging behaviour appropriately.

Important Information: Closing date: Sunday 21 June 2026 at midnight.

We are unable to provide work permits or visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

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.

Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, including an Enhanced DBS check, reference and activity checks.