Homelessness support worker jobs in Bristol

Job Description & Person Specification

Contract: Full time, Permanent 

Working hours: 48 hours per week over 4 Nights per week (Monday to Thursday). This will be a mix of sleep in and waking hours. 

Starting salary: £25,265.76

Leave: 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata) 

Responsible to: Senior Project Coordinator 

Location: 3 Pritchard Street, St Pauls, Bristol, BS2 8RH 

Conditions: Employment is on the condition of a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check (organised by Caring in Bristol) and employment references. 

Some of the benefits we offer:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with 3 years' service 

• Flexible working arrangements 

• Enhanced 5% pension contribution 

• Company sick pay, increasing with 1 year of service 

• Individual learning & development budget 

• Group Reflective Practice 

Job Summary 

Z House is an exciting project run by Caring in Bristol, opening in July 2024. It provides emergency short-term accommodation for 18 – 25-year-olds in housing crisis, which is supplemented by daytime support to help people move on to sustainable and appropriate accommodation.

Based in St Pauls, Z house fosters a safe and supportive environment where 4 young people can stay in the Night Shelter at a time until they obtain suitable accommodation.This Role is for 4 Nights a Week, Monday to Thursday, involving a mix of both Waking and Sleep-in hours.

Sometimes working alongside a volunteer, you will be responsible for providing a safe space, listening ear and support for young people using the service. 

The role involves starting at 20:30, supporting our young people to settle for the evening before your sleep-in shift from 11:30pm until 07:30 am, in the morning you’ll support the young people and our volunteers with Breakfast and room changeover for the day, finishing your shift at 08.30am.

Shift Times       Activity

20.30 – 23.30    Waking

23.30 – 07.30    Sleeping (dedicated night worker room with shower)

07.30 - 08:30     Waking
 

Key responsibilities 

Housing management 

• Sign up and induct young people arriving outside of normal working hours

• Ensure the health, safety and security of the building, colleagues, residents, and visitors; taking reasonable care to protect yourself and all other persons, complying with health and safety legislation and procedures; seek guidance as necessary and highlight any significant deficiencies to a senior colleague 

• Carry out any required health and safety, housing management, risk management, etc. monitoring, keeping accurate and complete records throughout.

• Identify and report defects in the buildings, furniture, and equipment to promote a safe working environment in line with Health and Safety, following relevant procedures to remedy all defects. 

• Contribute to the upkeep of services, ensuring young people’s rooms, communal and colleague areas are well maintained, serviced, safe and clean; maintain accurate and complete records. Supporting Young People

• Assisting Young people to achieve positive outcomes including stated support plan goals, liaising with internal and external colleagues/organisations as required.

• Respond to requests and issues from young people, continually assessing housing needs and risks.

• Provide support and guidance for young people as appropriate

• Promote the participation and involvement of young people within and outside the organisation to elevate users’ voice in the delivery of the Z House service.

• Ensure all relevant records (including case-notes, safeguarding, incident, and other logs) are completed for all shifts.

• Providing detailed handover notes for the Young People in the shelter 

Volunteer support 

• To support and provide guidance to volunteers who will sometimes partner you on shift 

• To be the point of contact for volunteers if they need to raise any concerns 

Other  

• You will be one part of a two-person Night Support Team, so communication and detailed recording of information is necessary for the team to deliver a high level of support to young people safely and effectively 

• Ensure all shift tasks and processes are completed satisfactorily, including a comprehensive handover for the Z House Coordinator.

• Safeguard the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk, working within Caring in Bristol’s safeguarding policies, Southwest Child Protection Procedures, and local procedures for safeguarding adults at risk.

• Carry out day-to-day administrative functions to ensure that all records and files are maintained and stored securely in line with the Data Protection legislation. 

• Provide a diverse and culturally sensitive service, ensuring that anti-discriminatory practice and equality of opportunity are promoted within all aspects of Caring in Bristol’s services. The list of tasks is not exclusive, and duties may be varied from time to time, with the job description being subject to review and periodic amendments. 

Personal Specification 

We expect you to meet most of these criteria. However, we don’t expect you to meet every point and welcome applicants with transferrable skills and an ability to apply themselves in a new context.
 

Essential 

• A desire and willingness to learn about the effects that experiencing homelessness have on young people in our city 

• A willingness to learn and uphold Caring in Bristol’s safeguarding Policies and Procedures

• Ability to listen to and communicate effectively with young people.

• Able to record case notes accurately and clearly and safely handle data in line with Caring in Bristol’s GDPR policies

• Ability to remain calm in a crisis with the skills to deal with incidents or urgent situations safely and pragmatically

• Able to work with vulnerable people, operating with sensitivity as well as assertiveness maintaining professional boundaries 

• A high attention to detail for health and safety issues 

• High standards of cleanliness and housekeeping 

• Effective communicator 

Desirable 

• Experience of working with vulnerable young people

• Experience of working with people from overrepresented communities in homelessness statistics such as those who identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, Young people who are experiencing displacement and those who are part of ethnically and culturally diverse communities 

• Experience working in supported accommodation

• Be able to demonstrate understanding of safeguarding principles and practice.

• Experience of working alongside and guiding volunteers with an understanding of how to do this effectively 

• Flexible problem solver, reliable and good at timekeeping 

• Have a willingness to uphold Caring in Bristol’s values and work towards our overall mission

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 

Caring in Bristol believes strongly in equity and respect for every individual. We know there are some demographics under-represented in our workforce, and we are actively seeking ways to create accessible opportunities that expand the diversity of our staff and volunteers. 
 
We welcome applications from everyone who meets the requirements of the Person Specification. Due to the nature of our work, we especially encourage applications from people with lived experience of homelessness.
 
Caring in Bristol is an inclusive workplace that offers flexible working options wherever possible.We are committed to actively supporting the wellbeing of our staff and encourage a healthy work/life balance. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please do let us know in your application form.

Location - Hybrid (based at home or local community) with regular travel in the South of England 

Are you a communications professional looking for an exciting and rewarding new role? Emmaus UK is recruiting for a Regional Communications Officer to help support people on their journey out of homelessness.

About Emmaus

Emmaus (pronounced em-may-us) is a movement of charities that empowers people to overcome homelessness. We provide a stable home and tailored, life-changing support for people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. By focusing on each person’s strengths, we help people rebuild their lives and work towards the future they want to create.

As part of a nationwide network of Emmaus charities, we provide skills, training and work experience to help people achieve their goals and regain independence.

Together, we are ending homelessness one person at a time.

About the role

The Regional Communications Officer role is an exciting and varied opportunity to work with Emmaus communities across the South of the UK, helping to raise their profile and engage supporters.

You will work closely with up to four Emmaus communities to identify their communications needs and deliver a mix of activity to help them achieve their goals. As part of a wider team, you will also share ideas and build on each other’s experience to maximise PR, digital and communications opportunities.

This is a hybrid role, offering the flexibility to work from home or from within an Emmaus community.

Building and maintaining strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders will be key to this role. Regular travel to your allocated communities is essential, typically at least once a week, so we are looking for someone based in or around London. You will also attend quarterly team meetings, usually held in Birmingham, although these may occasionally take place elsewhere in the UK and may require an overnight stay.

This is a part-time role, Monday to Friday, with a minimum of 22.5 hours a week (three days) and the potential for the role to be four days a week (30 hours), to be confirmed at interview.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for someone with a strong communications skillset and at least two years’ experience in a busy communications, public relations or marketing role. While not essential, knowledge of homelessness and the charity sector would be an advantage.

Creativity and passion are essential. You will have a broad range of communications skills, enjoy seeing your ideas come to life and be keen to continue developing your experience within a national homelessness charity.

This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for someone who enjoys working with different people and communities. The successful candidate will be organised, adaptable and able to manage multiple projects, relationships and campaigns.

If you are passionate about making a difference and creating long-lasting impact, this is the perfect time to join Emmaus UK.
 

What we offer

· Salary: £18,696 (3 days)/£24,928 (4 days)

· Working hours: Part-time minimum of 22.5 hours a week (three days), and the potential for the role to be four days a week (30 hours)

· Contract: Permanent

· Pension: Stakeholder pension with employer contribution

· Annual leave: 25 days + Bank Holidays + 3 concessionary days leave

· Training & development: Individually tailored induction. Ongoing training and development

· Volunteering: 2 days allowance each year

· Employee assistance: A 24/7 employee assistance scheme is available

· Flexible working: Options available, subject to the requirements of the role

· Life assurance: Death in service lump sum of 3 x salary

To apply

To apply for this role, please complete our application form and equal opportunities monitoring form and email them to us, our email address is in the application pack.

Please ensure you refer to the job description and person specification when completing your application form. CVs and posted applications will not be accepted.

The closing date for applications is Monday 11 May 2026.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview via Microsoft Teams during the week commencing Monday, 18 May 2026. As part of the interview process, candidates will also be asked to complete a set of tasks.

If you would like to arrange an informal discussion about the role, please email us, our email address is in the application pack.

Equal Opportunities

Emmaus UK is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a working environment free from discrimination. We actively promote an inclusive culture and aim to create a workplace where people from diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas and experiences work together.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, marital status or parental responsibilities.

To ensure fairness and consistency in selecting the best candidate, all applications are anonymised until the interview stage is confirmed. This means shortlisting is based solely on the relevance and suitability of experience.

Do you have experience in supporting vulnerable adults and empowering them to move forward with their journey?

Walking With the Wounded (WWTW) supports those who have served in the British Armed Forces and their families, specialising in developing pathways to independence.

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Veterans Liaison and Officer (VLSO) to join a team providing support to ex-armed forces personnel.  You will be home-based, with a caseload spread across Hertfordshire and occasionally adjoining counties.

We are looking for a dedicated individual who will empower ex-service personnel to regain their independence after a period of Mental Health (MH) Crisis, supporting them to thrive and contribute to our communities.  This role will join a team of existing VLSOs across the  East of England as part of a wider collaborative team within NHS England’s Op Courage - the Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing service, and will work with other service charities and local support services. You will be home based with daily travel around your local region to support your clients and build relationships in the community, whilst working as part of the wider regional WWTW and NHS clinical teams.

We are looking for a highly motivated self-starter with prior experience of working with vulnerable adults; an individual who can work independently to set priorities that accurately reflect the client’s needs.  Your role will be to work with clients in the community (or their homes), facilitating intense support and analysing individual needs to create a support plan that will break down barriers to a successful stabilisation, whilst navigating their mental health pathway.

In return, we will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate and develop your skills and career as a Veterans Liaison and Support Officer in a supportive, inclusive environment. In this role, no two days are the same and every day will bring new challenges. Internal training will be provided, and we encourage our staff to develop their own personal and professional skills. 

For an informal discussion please contact Anne Germany 07935-065716.