Support Worker - Greenwich Navigators

Role: Support Worker – Greenwich Navigators – Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme.

Salary / Grade: £28,934 per annum / B

Hours: 37.5 hours (Monday – Friday)

Location: Royal Borough of Greenwich (office in Charlton)

Closing date: 04/06/2023

Interview date: 14/06/2023

Whatever your experience of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – personal, professional or voluntary – 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 Greenwich Navigators team.

The Greenwich Navigator team work intensively with people who are rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness, including women, young people and those identifying as part of the LGBTQI community. The people we support have a range of support needs including physical & mental health, substance misuse, and contact with the criminal justice system.

This is a new role within an already established team. It will involve supporting a caseload of 20 people to sustain tenancies provided via the ‘Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme’ (RSAP). The successful applicant will work alongside an experienced lead worker to support people from first moving into their new properties, to supporting sustainment throughout, then finally identifying a suitable move on option for them at the end of their stay. This role will involve working closely with other services in the local area.

The successful candidate will be responsible for delivering collaborative and person-led support. You will establish supportive relationships and adopt a problem-solving approach to overcome the barriers to securing and maintaining a tenancy. You will help people to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, navigate services and establish positive support networks.

Thames Reach welcomes applications from people with transferable skills.

You will:

• Carry out assessments with people who referred to the service to understand their eligibility and needs
• Build and maintain positive, trusting relationships with individuals that have a history of rough sleeping or insecure housing.
• Support individuals to move into their own, independent accommodation, and work closely with landlords, tenancy officers and housing providers to help individuals to understand and sustain their tenancies
• Empower individuals take an active role in developing their own personalised support plans, and motivating them to achieve their goals and aspirations
• Work alongside other agencies including the local authority, health services and housing providers
• Represent the team and needs of the clients at multi-agency meetings
• Accurately record all work done in a timely manner

To succeed as the Support Worker you will have:

• Be organised and efficient in your work
• An excellent problem solver who works well within a team and alongside other agencies
• Committed to developing your knowledge and skills
• Responsive and flexible to the needs of the team and the clients
• Great at building trusting relationships with people who have a variety of support needs
• The confidence and ability to manage your own caseload
• Good IT skills with the ability use Outlook, online recording systems, Excel, and Word, using a tablet and a smart phone
• Confidence in representing Thames Reach at external meetings and with outside agencies

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 Gemma Rogers at Gemma.Rogers@thamesreach.org.uk