Role: Support Worker – South East Regional Outreach Team Grade: £28,934 per annum Hours: 37.5 per week Location: South-East London 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… We are looking for a Support Worker to join the South East Regional Outreach Team. 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. You will: - Carry out assessments with people who are referred to the service to understand their eligibility and needs - Conduct regular early morning outreach shifts, sometimes with volunteers - Work alongside other agencies including the local authority, health services and housing providers - Support individuals to obtain and sustain accommodation - Support lead workers to deliver key working sessions and progress caseloads - Accurately record all work done in a timely manner To succeed as a Support Worker, you will need to have: - Experience in working with rough sleepers or vulnerable adults and supporting them to access services. - Experience to build rapport and engage multiply-excluded rough sleepers - 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. - Commitment to working in a challenging environment with the ability to be highly flexible throughout the working day. - Good communication skills and confidence in public speaking when representing Thames Reach to external organisations and forming strong working relationships with partners; being able to challenge them when required. Strong IT skills with the ability to use Outlook, online recording systems, Excel, and Word, using a tablet and a smartphone. The role will involve office and street-based work across the areas we work in, including Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Bromley. While some of your time will be spent working daytime shifts, Monday-Friday, the role includes early morning and occasional late-night outreach shifts. You’ll be supported and trained to use your strong communication and creative problem-solving skills, to enable you to create and deliver options for people where these may be hard to find. You’ll receive regular supervision from experienced staff who will both guide your work and encourage and facilitate your personal development. 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. To apply visit our website and complete our application form. For further information please contact, Michael Murray [email protected] 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.