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About this role: Based in Higher Openshaw, East Manchester, Justlife currently works across Manchester and Tameside providing one-to-one key work support to empower vulnerable adults housed in temporary accommodation (TA) to move towards more secure housing, independent living and improved health and wellbeing. The role of Specialist Support Worker involves playing an active part in the Specialist Support Team by supporting a caseload of clients that are experiencing housing vulnerability and taking part in regular outreach visits to TA’s across Greater Manchester on the Justlife minibus. The role requires the use of specialist knowledge and relationship skills to support clients with varying degrees of mental and physical health, addiction and trauma related issues to engage with health services and to access suitable housing solutions. The Specialist Support Worker is also expected to develop good working relationships with TA Landlords and Managers recognising the important role that they play in ensuring that their tenants experience of TA is as positive as possible. This will include advocacy in registering them for medical services and accompanying them to appointments, assisting them in addressing all aspects of physical and mental health and addiction needs, as well as advocating for them to get access to suitable housing and social security benefits. The role is dependent on excellent communication and collaborative working with colleagues and a variety of partners and professionals, including the Probation Service, local council services and other third sector organisations. The role requires a high degree of motivation in addition to creativity and flexibility to support people with multiple and compound needs. With a passion to work collaboratively with others for the good of our clients, and with experience of working in a related field in a voluntary or paid capacity. A high degree of emotional intelligence is required to support clients, many of whom have complex emotional needs, with backgrounds of trauma, neglect, abuse and involvement in the criminal justice system. In a role of this nature you will experience a range of emotions from joy to grief and as such it requires a high degree of resilience and self-awareness to cope with the emotional demands of the role. The role sits within a highly supportive team with all staff in receipt of regular line management and external clinical supervision; with reflective practice actively encouraged in team meetings.
Our vision is to make people’s experience of temporary accommodation as short, safe and healthy as possible.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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About Young Roots
At Young Roots, we want to see a compassionate and welcoming society for young refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. We work alongside young people seeking safety in the UK, building trusted relationships, providing practical and emotional support and promoting young people’s rights and power.
Our youth clubs and casework are transformative for young refugees, allowing young people who have fled danger, had traumatic journeys and who are often here alone, to find community and connection, have a space to be a young person and access support in addressing a whole range of practical challenges they face. We also draw on our evidence from working every day with young refugees and asylum seekers to call for change to the laws and policies which are harming young people.
About the role
Young Roots is looking for a proactive, values-driven Head of Youth Work to shape our life-changing youth work services for young refugees and asylum seekers. This is a rare opportunity to take strategic ownership of a high-impact service, influence organisational direction as part of our Leadership Group, and work alongside inspiring young people and passionate colleagues.
You need significant experience leading a face-to-face service for people facing complex challenges (for example in youth services, homelessness, mental health or refugee support). You’ll bring strong safeguarding expertise, excellent people leadership and programme management skills, and a track record of developing high-quality, inclusive services.
In this role you will:
- Set a clear and ambitious vision for youth work at Young Roots
- Lead and support Youth Work Managers and multidisciplinary teams
- Champion youth participation and co-production
- Ensure services are safe, compliant, and impactful
- Build partnerships and help shape new projects and funding
If you’re excited by the idea of combining strategy with hands-on leadership, and want to use your skills to support young people to thrive, belong, and build their futures, we’d love to hear from you.
Why join Young Roots
- A senior role with real influence in a respected, impactful organisation
- A collaborative leadership team, highly skilled colleagues and values-led culture
- Flexible, hybrid working
To Apply:
To apply, please submit your CV alongside a personal statement by the closing date outlining how you would be a great fit for the role.
Your personal statement should be no more than 800 words, answering the following questions:
- What is your motivation for working with Young Roots? (100 words)
- What is your motivation for applying for this role specifically? (200 words)
- What skills and experience would you bring that will enable you to be successful in this role? Please ensure you refer to the essential criteria on the person specification and provide examples to demonstrate how and where you meet the criteria. (500 words)
Please submit your application via Charity Jobs.
No agencies, please.
Closing date: 18th February
Interview dates: 25th February (panel interview in Croydon) and for those successful at the first stage 27th February (young person’s panel).
Young Roots recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equity and challenges discrimination. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who can face disadvantage in employment, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities. As an organisation that supports refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, we particularly welcome applications from people within these communities. We offer a guaranteed interview for those with lived experience of the asylum system and those with disabilities, where they meet the essential elements of the person specification. If aspects of the application process create barriers to you applying and you’d like any adjustment to the process or you’d like an informal discussion or advice on your application, please get in touch. We would also like to alert you to the existence of organisations which support people from under-represented groups to access employment, who can advise you on applying for this role. For example, Scope, Young Women’s Trust and Experts by Experience.
Young Roots is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. We take this duty very seriously.
Our work is underpinned by policies and procedures which promote safe working practices. We have a framework of training and supervision which everyone is expected to comply with and systems for monitoring, quality assurance and gaining service user feedback. On joining you will be expected to be part of this approach to safeguard our service users.
Working alongside young people seeking safety - building trust, providing practical and emotional support, and promoting their rights and power.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.