Support Worker

Support Worker – Croydon Reach

Salary: £29,427 per annum

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Location: Croydon

Closing date: 21/01/2024

Interview date: 01/02/2024

Whatever your experience of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – personal or professional – when you join the Thames Reach team as a Support Worker, we’ll make the best use of all your understanding, compassion and commitment.

About us…

Thames Reach runs projects and services that help to end homelessness in London. We work directly with homeless people on the streets and in hostels. We work to prevent vulnerable people from becoming homeless. We help formerly homeless people get their lives back on track. We help people find work and access training and volunteering opportunities.

Is our mission easy? No, but we never give up on people. Last year we helped more then 10,000 people.

Is our work rewarding? Yes, in every sense. We’re listed as one of the top 100 Best Workplaces in the UK. There’s no better place to develop or transfer your skills and build a fulfilling career.

About this role…

Thames Reach’s Outreach teams operate across London and help those who are rough sleeping to find routes away from the street. The teams respond to referrals and work flexibly to reach London’s most vulnerable. Individuals are assessed to identify their support needs and support plans are created, including work to obtain identification, access health services and refer to other specialist agencies, including those with immigration issues.

We are looking for a Support Worker to join the Croydon Reach team.

Thames Reach welcomes applications from people with transferable skills.

You will:

• Directly casework rough sleepers, supporting them to access appropriate services and accommodation.
• A clean UK driving licence is desirable*.
• Be a first response to referrals, carrying out assessments with new rough sleepers met, to identify support needs and refer to relevant agencies
• Work alongside other agencies including, the local authority, mental health services, drug and alcohol, and housing providers.
• Conduct regular outreach shifts
• Accurately record work done in order to support service development

*Due to our rental car company’s requirements, candidates need to be 25+, have held their license for at least a year and have no more than 3 or 6 points, depending on whether they are under or over 30.

To succeed as a Support Worker, you will have:

• An understanding of working with rough sleepers or vulnerable adults and supporting them to access services.
• Excellent organisation and time management skills in order to remain strongly outcome focused, with the ability to coordinate a high number of cases and complete tasks promptly and efficiently.
• A commitment to working in a challenging environment with the ability to be highly flexible throughout the working day.
• Good communication skills and confidence when representing Thames Reach to external organisations and forming strong working relationships with partners.
• Strong IT skills with the ability use Outlook, online recording systems, Excel, and Word, using a tablet and a smart phone.

We are listed in the top 100 UK Best Workplaces 2022 in the UK. As part of a commitment to our employees we offer:

• Generous holiday allowance – 29 days per year plus 8 public holidays (pro rata).
• Pension – we contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5%.
• Excellent development opportunities – career progression, regular supervision and appraisals, and learning programmes to support your career with Thames Reach.
• Wellbeing support – our 24/7 employee assistance programme and opportunities for TOIL.
• Life assurance – four times your annual salary.
• Critical illness cover.
• Other benefits including interest free season ticket and cycle to work loans.

Thames Reach is committed to achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value, respect, and celebrate diversity. We welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their history of homelessness, sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religious belief.

For more information and to apply visit our website.

Thames Reach is committed to safeguarding. Applicants must be willing to undergo pre-employment screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not exclude you from applying but you will be asked to provide further details as most posts are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.