Islington Homeless Health Peer Advocacy (HHPA) Caseworker

Groundswell

SW9, London (Hybrid)

£30,750 Pro Rata (£15,375)

Part-time (2.5 days a week)

Contract (Fixed term (subject to funding), we currently have funding for two years)

Housing and Homelessness

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Job description

Help transform access to healthcare for people experiencing homelessness in Islington

Thank you for your interest in joining Groundswell.

We're looking for someone who believes everyone should be able to access healthcare with dignity, whatever their circumstances.

As our new Homeless Health Peer Advocacy (HHPA) Caseworker in Islington, you'll play a key role in establishing an exciting new service that helps people experiencing homelessness get the healthcare they need while bringing local health, housing and homelessness services together around the people who need them most.

Every day you'll build trusted relationships, remove barriers to healthcare and support people to take greater control of their health and wellbeing. Whether you're accompanying someone to a health appointment, helping them understand their treatment, supporting a safe hospital discharge or working alongside local partners to coordinate care, you'll see the difference your work makes.

At Groundswell, we believe lasting change happens through relationships. We work alongside people rather than doing things for them, building confidence, creating opportunities and supporting people to become active participants in their own health.

This is an opportunity to help shape a new service from the beginning, working as part of an ambitious partnership that's committed to reducing health inequalities and creating a more joined-up, compassionate system for people experiencing homelessness in Islington.

If you're passionate about tackling health inequalities, enjoy building relationships, and want to be part of a values-led organisation where lived experience is at the heart of everything we do, we'd love to hear from you.

About Groundswell

For 30 years we've worked alongside people with lived experience to develop practical solutions that improve health, reduce inequalities and create opportunities for lasting change. We believe that people who have experienced homelessness are experts in the barriers they face and should play a central role in designing services and shaping the systems that affect them. 

Today, Groundswell delivers peer-led services, helping thousands of people each year access healthcare, improve their wellbeing and influence the systems that affect their lives. As Islington HHPA Caseworker, you'll join a supportive organisation that believes lasting change happens through relationships, partnership and involving people with lived experience at all levels. 

Our Vision

Our vision is for a society which is fair, inclusive and equal.

We need equitable access to a healthier life and a better future for anyone with experience of homelessness.

Our Mission

Our mission is to bring people together to:

Amplify voices of people with lived experience to create solutions to homelessness and health inequalities.

Stand in solidarity and champion their rights, to create positive change.

Our Strategy

We co-produced our strategy with staff and volunteers with experience of homelessness. We’re proud to have remained true to our values of participation and co-production.

Stronger Voices, Healthier Lives, Better Futures, Greater Together

People with experience of homelessness must inform the solutions – because they understand the problems people face.

At every stage, we will hear, unite and amplify more voices of people with lived experience to speak out. Through participation we will build a stronger, more inclusive community to create change – through our organisation, in services, our sectors and wider society, locally and nationally.

Homelessness is a health emergency.

We will work to end health inequalities for people who have or are experiencing homelessness through advocacy, practical support, information and by influencing people, policy and services.

Everyone deserves a better, more hopeful life and future.

Lived experience of homelessness can lead to barriers that impact people’s life chances.

Recognising the potential in everyone, we will provide more opportunities and support for people with experience of homelessness to progress if, and when, they are ready.

We can’t achieve our goals alone – we are more impactful when we pull together.

We will become more effective and sustainable, building on our culture of relationships, compassion and transparency, and working closely with partners to learn, share and create change.

How Homeless Health Peer Advocacy Works

HHPA helps people experiencing homelessness overcome the barriers that prevent them accessing healthcare.

Many people face significant challenges navigating health services. Appointments can be difficult to book and attend, treatment can be confusing, and previous experiences of stigma, trauma or exclusion can make healthcare feel inaccessible. Without the right support, people often delay seeking help until their health has deteriorated.

"I need someone with me that I know that I can trust. I wouldn't do things like that on my own."

HHPA Client

HHPA provides practical, person-centred support that helps people access the care they need while building the confidence to manage their own health. Rather than providing one-off interventions, HHPA works alongside people over time, developing trusted relationships, responding flexibly to changing needs and supporting people to become more confident and independent.

The service combines the expertise of skilled Caseworkers with the unique insight of trained volunteer Peer Advocates who have lived experience of homelessness. Together they provide one-to-one advocacy, practical support and health promotion to help people:

register with healthcare services
prepare for and attend appointments
understand treatment and care plans
navigate hospital admission and discharge

access wider health and wellbeing services

make informed decisions about their health

become increasingly confident in managing their own health.

Alongside one-to-one support, HHPA delivers peer-led health promotion in hostels, day centres, outreach settings and other community spaces. Through informal conversations and group activities, Peer Advocates share accessible information about physical health, mental health and wellbeing, encourage preventative healthcare, identify unmet health needs and help people access support earlier. These conversations often provide the first step towards engaging with healthcare, creating trusted pathways into ongoing advocacy and reducing the need for crisis intervention.

This relational, peer-led approach improves individual health outcomes while strengthening partnerships across health, housing and homelessness services, helping more people access coordinated, person-centred care. 

Delivering HHPA in Islington

Groundswell has been commissioned by Islington Council to deliver a new borough-wide Homeless Health Peer Advocacy (HHPA) service.

The service supports people who are sleeping rough or living in hostels, supported accommodation and temporary housing to access healthcare earlier, stay engaged with treatment and receive coordinated support across local services.

Working alongside Single Homelessness Project (SHP), Thames Reach, the Islington Health Outreach Team (IHOT), Whittington Health NHS Trust, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, Islington GP Federation, Change Grow Live, Islington Council and local accommodation providers, the service delivers outreach, in-reach, health advocacy, healthcare accompaniment, hospital discharge support and health promotion for people experiencing homelessness across Islington. Alongside supporting individuals, the service also strengthens local partnerships, improves referral pathways and identifies opportunities to make the health and homelessness system work better for people experiencing homelessness.

"Groundswell are the stitches that keep homeless and health professionals working together."

Partner organisation

As the Islington HHPA Caseworker, you'll play a key role in establishing this new service and helping it become a trusted part of Islington's health and homelessness system. You'll manage a varied caseload, working alongside people experiencing homelessness to improve access to healthcare, coordinate support and help them achieve the health outcomes that matter to them. Every day is different, but throughout your work you'll work alongside people, collaborate with local partners and help create a service that enables people to access healthcare with dignity, confidence and choice.

Role Description

Through outreach, health advocacy and partnership working, you'll support people experiencing homelessness to access healthcare, stay engaged with treatment and build the confidence to manage their own health. Alongside direct support, you'll help strengthen partnerships and improve local pathways into care.

Key Responsibilities

Outreach and Engagement:

Undertake outreach with SHP, Thames Reach and the Islington Health Outreach Team (IHOT).

Deliver in-reach sessions within hostels, supported accommodation and temporary housing.

Respond to referrals and identify people who would benefit from the service.

Build trusting relationships through persistent, compassionate engagement.

Complete holistic assessments and develop person-centred support plans.

Health Advocacy and Casework:

Manage a caseload of people experiencing homelessness with multiple and complex health needs, providing practical, person-centred support to improve access to healthcare and long-term health outcomes.

You will support people to:

Access physical health, mental health, dental, sexual health, optometry and substance use services.

Arrange, prepare for and attend healthcare appointments.

Understand their treatment, care plans and available support.

Communicate effectively with healthcare professionals and advocate where barriers arise.

Build the confidence and skills to manage their own healthcare independently over time.

Promote preventative healthcare, including screening, vaccinations and long-term condition management where appropriate.

Deliver informal health promotion and accessible health information in hostels and community settings.

Encourage people to seek support earlier and become active participants in managing their own health and wellbeing.

You'll tailor your support to each individual, recognising the impact of homelessness, trauma and social exclusion on health and wellbeing.

Hospital Admission and Discharge

Support people before, during and after hospital admission.

Advocate with hospital teams.

Contribute to discharge planning.

Help prevent discharge to rough sleeping.

Provide follow-up support to maintain engagement with healthcare.

Partnership Working

Develop strong working relationships across Islington's health, housing and homelessness system to ensure people experiencing homelessness receive coordinated, person-centred support.

You will:

Attend multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings, case conferences and other partnership forums.

Coordinate care for people with multiple and complex needs.

Develop and maintain effective referral pathways with partner organisations.

Share information appropriately to support safe, coordinated care.

Promote collaborative, person-centred working across the partnership.

Champion the value of peer-led health advocacy and lived experience.

Identify opportunities to strengthen partnerships and improve access to healthcare across the borough.

Safeguarding and Professional Practice

Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns.

Assess and manage risk.

Maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality.

Follow Groundswell's safeguarding, health and safety and lone working procedures.

Participate in supervision, reflective practice and training.

Recording and Service Development

Maintain accurate records using Salesforce.

Monitor outcomes and report on service activity.

Contribute case studies and learning.

Share insights to improve services and local partnership working.

Support the development of the Islington HHPA service.

General Responsibilities

You will:

Work in line with Groundswell's values and policies.

Promote equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Deliver trauma-informed, strengths-based and person-centred practice.

Work flexibly across community settings in Islington.

Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role.

What Success Looks Like

In your first year you will have:

Built trusted relationships with people experiencing homelessness.

Helped more people access and engage with healthcare.

Worked effectively alongside Peer Advocates and local partners.

Supported safer hospital admissions and discharges.

Delivered high-quality, person-centred health advocacy.

Helped establish Groundswell's HHPA service as a trusted part of Islington's health and homelessness system.

Person Specification

At Groundswell, we know that excellent Caseworkers come from many different backgrounds. You may have gained your experience through paid work, volunteering, community organising, supporting people experiencing homelessness or other forms of social exclusion, or through your own lived experience. We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds who are committed to improving people's lives.

We're looking for someone who shares our values, enjoys building relationships and wants to help create a health and homelessness system that works better for everyone.

What We're Looking For

A) Core Requirements:

We're looking for someone who can demonstrate the following:

Experience of supporting people facing homelessness, multiple disadvantage or other forms of social exclusion through advocacy, casework, health navigation or other person-centred support.
The ability to build trusting relationships with people who may have experienced trauma, exclusion or negative experiences of services.
Excellent communication and partnership working skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across health, housing and voluntary sector organisations.
Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage a varied caseload, prioritise competing demands and maintain accurate records.
Sound judgement when managing risk, safeguarding concerns and complex situations.
A commitment to Groundswell's values, including lived experience leadership, equity, participation, compassion and collaboration.

B) Knowledge and Experience:

The successful candidate is likely to have knowledge or experience of:

Essential

Health inequalities experienced by people facing homelessness and multiple disadvantage.
Trauma-informed, strengths-based and person-centred approaches.
Safeguarding, professional boundaries and confidentiality.
Working collaboratively with other organisations to support people with complex needs.
Microsoft Word and Outlook

Desirable

Health advocacy, care navigation or homelessness services.
Outreach or assertive engagement.
Hospital admission and discharge support.
NHS, housing or adult social care systems.
Coordinating volunteers or people with lived experience.
Salesforce or another case management system.

C) Personal Qualities:

We're looking for someone who is:

Compassionate, respectful and non-judgemental.
Calm and resilient when working in complex or challenging situations.
Curious, reflective and committed to continuous learning.
Flexible and adaptable, recognising that no two days—and no two people—are the same.
Passionate about improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities.

We'd Particularly Welcome Applications from People Who Have:

Lived experience of homelessness or another form of social exclusion.

Experience of working in partnership with local communities.

Experience of co-production or supporting people with lived experience to shape services.

A commitment to using lived experience to influence systems and improve outcomes.

Our Commitment to Inclusive Recruitment:

Groundswell is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We actively encourage applications from people with lived experience of homelessness, migration, the criminal justice system, mental ill health, substance use or other forms of social exclusion.

We recognise that no one candidate will meet every requirement. If you believe you have the skills, values and potential to succeed in this role, we'd encourage you to apply.

Why Join Groundswell

Meaningful Work

"Without someone beside them, many of my clients simply wouldn't attend. It isn't just support—it's the difference between care happening or not happening at all."

Groundswell Peer Advocate

Working at Groundswell is about making a genuine difference. It's rewarding work where you'll see the impact of what you do, both in people's lives and in the way local services work together.

A Supportive Team

We're a values-led organisation where compassion, collaboration and lived experience shape everything we do. You'll be part of a friendly, supportive team that values reflection, learning and mutual support. Through regular supervision, reflective practice and close working with colleagues and partners, you'll have the support you need to do challenging work well.

Learn and Grow

We're committed to helping our people develop. You'll have opportunities to deepen your expertise in homelessness, health inequalities and trauma-informed practice, build your understanding of health, housing and social care systems, and contribute to the development of a new service. Whether you're looking to broaden your skills or progress your career, we'll support your learning every step of the way.

Benefits

We offer a range of benefits to support your wellbeing and work-life balance, including:

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays.

5% employer pension contribution.

Flexible and hybrid working, where service delivery allows.

A compressed hours working pattern is available.

Regular reflective practice and high-quality supervision.

Ongoing learning and development opportunities.

A supportive, inclusive and values-led working environment.

Be Part of Something Bigger

Every relationship you build, every barrier you help remove and every person you support to access healthcare has the potential to change a life.

By joining Groundswell, you'll be helping to build a fairer health system—one where everyone, regardless of their housing situation, can access the care they need with dignity, confidence and hope.

If you're looking for a role where your compassion, skills and commitment can make a lasting difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Application and Interview Process

Please let us know if you would like to request any accommodations or adjustments throughout the application and interview process. We will be very happy to support these wherever possible to give all applicants the best opportunity to showcase their skills and experience.

We encourage our candidates to draw from their personal and professional experiences, skills, knowledge and passion for our work in their applications, as we believe this will be the best representation of why you are the right fit for the role. While we acknowledge that Generative AI can be a useful tool when used selectively, we do not believe it can replace the authenticity each individual can bring to their application. Therefore, we ask you to consider carefully any use of Generative AI throughout the application process. 