Entry level jobs for the Housing and Homelessness sector

Trainee Accountant

Salary£25,000 per annum

LocationLondon/Hybrid

Weekly Hours35

The Vacancy

Job Title: Trainee Accountant

Location: London/Hybrid

Salary: £25,000 per annum

Weekly Hours: 35

Reference: YMC1121643

Are you looking to launch your career in finance and gain hands-on experience while studying towards a professional qualification? Join YMCA England & Wales as a Trainee Accountant and take the first step in a rewarding and progressive finance career.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is motivated, detail-oriented, and passionate about building a future in accounting. As our Trainee Accountant, you’ll be part of a supportive and experienced Finance Team, working closely with the Management Accountant to gain valuable experience in preparing management accounts, analysing financial data, processing transactions, and supporting year-end audits.

You will be fully supported as you work towards your AAT qualification, gaining real-world experience that complements your studies and provides a solid foundation for future progression—whether into management accounting, financial analysis, or other specialist finance roles.

What You’ll Do:

• Assist in the preparation of monthly management accounts for YMCA Retail.
• Process accruals, prepayments, fixed assets and depreciation journals.
• Analyse financial performance and liaise with teams across the organisation.
• Support budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Contribute to audit preparation and respond to internal and external queries.
• Get involved in broader reporting, including manpower reports and charity surveys.

What We’re Looking For:

• Good GCSEs (including Maths and English).
• A genuine interest in finance and accounting.
• Willingness to study towards an AAT qualification (with support from us).
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and communication skills.
• A collaborative, proactive mindset.

Why YMCA?
YMCA England & Wales is part of the world’s largest youth charity. We support communities across the country and provide services that make a real difference in people’s lives. Joining our team means being part of a mission-driven organisation that values diversity, integrity, and professional growth.

Whether you're a school leaver, career changer, or already studying AAT, this role is a fantastic opportunity to develop practical experience while contributing to meaningful work.

Ready to Start Your Accounting Career?
Apply now and grow with us at YMCA.

Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check.

Are you committed to helping end homelessness and ensuring people with mental health conditions live life to the full? If you are creative, willing to be hands on and enjoy working with a wide range of tasks we want to hear from you.

Barons Court Project is seeking a Project Worker to join our friendly team at our Day Centre in Hammersmith and Fulham. This role is hands on but gives great variety. We split our work into three areas, Body, Mind and Spirit. Body - The practical services including showers, laundry, meals, clothing and more ensure we care for our guest's physical being. Mind - our one to one work including assisting guests with benefits forms, housing applications, CV Writing etc. Spirit - Activities around well-being including art, women's group, sports and physical activity, trips out and more. 

You will work with a team of staff and volunteers to deliver these services which are designed to ensure we care for the whole person. 

If you want to make a difference then this is the role for you, we want to hear from you.

About the role:

As a Project Worker Complex Needs in our ELMS Service, you will have the rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of individuals living with paranoid schizophrenia and other complex needs. Your role will be diverse and impactful, working directly with residents to provide essential support through key working, daily shift delivery, and client recording. You’ll also liaise with mental health professionals, helping coordinate appointments and advocating for residents when needed, ensuring they receive the care and attention they deserve.

You will support clients through structured key working and carry out comprehensive assessments, including risk assessments and goal setting, all while promoting Single Homeless Project’s values and practices. By implementing holistic support strategies, you will empower residents to manage their diagnosis and address their emotional, practical, and housing management needs. The role also includes supporting clients through engaging social activities such as a lunch club, bowling, and an allotment group, creating opportunities for connection and growth. As you guide residents on their journey toward independent living, your work will be pivotal in helping them build the skills and confidence needed to lead fulfilling, healthy lives.

The rota runs over Mon-Sun and some weekends are required. You will also be required to do light household chores and travel between the houses on the project.

About you:

• A working knowledge of severe and enduring mental ill-health, and the interventions and effective approaches to supporting individuals experiencing such conditions.
• Self-motivation and the ability to work under pressure and manage time effectively, prioritising different areas of work according to need.
• The ability to coach someone to undertake a range of practical tasks relating to living independently.
• A Person-Centred support approach and the ability to create collaborative support plans, build rapport, and foster collaboration with residents.

About us:

Single Homeless Project is a London-wide charity. Our vision is of a society where everyone has a place to call home and the chance to live a fulfilling life.

We help single Londoners by preventing homelessness, providing support and accommodation, promoting wellbeing, enhancing opportunity, and being a voice for change. From supporting people in crisis to helping people take the final steps towards independence and employment, we make a difference to 12,000 lives every year across all 32 boroughs.

We offer you more than a job; we offer you a chance to be part of a compassionate, driven team that's committed to making a real difference in people's lives. You'll have the opportunity to lead, co-create, and inspire change while enjoying a collaborative, growth-oriented environment.

Join us in creating a brighter, more hopeful future for individuals in need. 

37.5 hours per week / permanent / working Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm with the requirement of working one late shift per week, one shift at the weekend per month and be part of ‘on-call rota’

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Are you a person-centred leader who thrives on getting the best results possible, leading a dynamic team to encourage positive change for young people?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Deputy Supported Housing Manager to join our team at Worthing Foyer.

Worthing Foyer is a 29-bed medium-low supported accommodation for young people between the ages of 16-25 that is staffed 24/7. We adopt a trauma informed and psychologically informed approach to supporting our residents to help them build essential life skills, identify their goals and work towards aspirations so that they can move on to enjoy fully independent futures. We have a dedicated team of Support Workers, Night Support Workers and additional Bank Workers who provide support, guidance, and signposting around areas such as housing, budgeting, living skills, jobs and relationship building. Situated in the centre of Worthing, the project has strong links with and contributes to the local community.

In delivering the role, you will report to the Supported Housing Manager and be responsible for:

Service Provision: Supporting the Supported Housing Manager with the daily operations of the services so that they meet the requirements of the service specification including compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and Ofsted regulations. Oversee the residents’ referral, interview and induction processes for all beds and ensure the Occupancy Agreements and House Rules are fully understood. Ensure the quality of accommodation that is provided, liaising with the Housing and Property Services team to complete estate inspections and health and safety risk assessments, and to turn around voids and organise repairs in line with organisational targets and statutory obligations. With the Supported Housing Manager ensure effective income collection for all beds, working closely with the Rents team to create a rent payment culture.

Leadership and People Management: Directly line manage team members, ensuring their service delivery, working culture and personal development mirror best practice. Ensuring the team is adequately trained and empowered to work effectively and creatively with our young people to enable them to achieve their aspirations and ambitions, whilst ensuring they are supported within safe and consistent boundaries.

General: Be a member of the ‘on call’ rota to provide out of hours management support to projects in the wider locality. Reflect Psychologically Informed Environments (PIEs), Trauma Informed approaches and restorative practices.

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate.

You will already have experience working in supported housing, or similar services for young people and/or adults at risk, as well as managing and/or supervising a team. You will have working knowledge of Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and Ofsted, along with working knowledge of Trauma Informed Care and Psychologically Informed Environments. You will have good communication and facilitation skills and the ability to successfully manage challenging situations whilst remaining calm and solution focused. In addition, you will have experience of overseeing safeguarding procedures for young people or adults at risk in residential settings, and knowledge of how to maintain professional boundaries.

We're looking for a proactive, organised and customer-focused Talent Partner to join our Human Resources team located at our Head Office in Islington.

£29,784.50 per annum, working 35 hours per week.

Want to feel like you're making a difference? You'll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
• Fully paid induction programme and further training
• ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
• Online wellbeing resources
• A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
• Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution

This role supports the organisation in providing a customer-focused, accurate and proactive administration service across Recruitment, HR and Learning and Development. You'll work closely with the team to streamline and improve processes, and ensure efficient service delivery.

This is a fixed term contract from 26th August 2025 to 1st April 2026.

The starting salary for this role is £29,784.51, increasing to £30,784.51 after successfully passing the probation period.

This is a hybrid role with a minimum two days working in the office.

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

For a full job description, please visit our website.

About you:

• Organised, responsive, and customer focused
• Strong communicator with a collaborative mindset
• Detail-oriented, adaptable, and resilient under pressure
• Team Player who shares workload and learning with the team and builds a positive team culture
• Decisive and able to prioritise and manage multiple tasks
• Keen interest in HR and L&D career development

What you'll bring:

Essential:

• Experience in recruitment or Learning and Development environments
• Strong administrative and IT skills and experience
• Confident in delivering training and attending recruitment events
• Excellent communication and customer service

Desirable:

• Familiarity with iTrent and Learning Pool

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

• We focus on Excellence and innovation.
• We are Caring and Compassionate.
• We are Inclusive and Trusted.
• We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role. We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date. We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

37.5 hours per week / permanent / working onsite on a seven-day rolling rota, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays on a four-on-four off shift pattern.

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Horsham Y Centre provides 24-hour supported housing services offering medium levels of housing-related support for young people aged 16-25 with 50 bedspaces and shared communal facilities. We adopt a trauma informed and psychologically informed approach to supporting our residents to help them build essential life skills, identify their goals and work towards aspirations so that they can move on to enjoy fully independent futures. We have a dedicated team of Support Workers, Night Workers and additional Bank Workers who provide support, guidance, and signposting around areas such as housing, budgeting, living skills, jobs, relationship building and wellbeing. Situated in the middle of Horsham, the service has strong links with and contributes to the local community.

We are looking for a Housing Night Worker to join our Horsham Y team. Main areas of responsibilities are:

Safety and security

• Provide a friendly and professional front-of-house welcome to residents, visitors and staff, and ensure the building is safe, secure quiet and welcoming 
• Maximise the wellbeing of residents and visitors by ensuring adherence to health and safety protocols and house rules, all within the terms of tenancy agreements
• Assess and monitor the risks presented by residents to ensure they can keep themselves safe and, where possible, continue their development
• Record all incidents and accidents and share appropriately with the wider team, your manager and, if necessary, the central safeguarding team 

Engagement with residents

• Welcome residents home and provide informal and responsive support so they can articulate their aspirations and ambitions and acquire the skills they need to live independent and fulfilling lives
• Ensure resident’s views, aspirations, concerns, and ideas are sought so they can play an active role in influencing the services they receive
• Proactively promote the services on offer and ensure residents are encouraged to engage with those services
• Contribute to, or support, evening groupwork activities so that residents can access tailored solutions that meet their needs, wishes and aspirations

Administration and housekeeping

• Undertake tasks as directed, including but not limited to: inputting data, assessments, reviews, case notes onto our client database and entering new residents details/closing ex-resident records
• Completing health and safety/compliance checks, and recording estate inspectors and room checks
• Adding maintenance requests to our property services system

General

• Work as part of a team, on a rota four on four off shift pattern, alongside another Housing Night Worker, ensuring young people at the service have non-judgemental, objective at night, along with taking responsibility for personal safety during periods of lone working
• Contribute to a great working environment, with a calm, yet assertive manner, being able to handle potentially difficult situations
• Participate in relevant continuing professional development and utilise Reflective Practice Supervision as part of leading psychologically informed practice 

There will be times when lone working will be a requirement for this role, but you will get to know the team and service, along with an induction and training prior to starting on a rota. Please download the job profile for full role details.

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate.

This is a dynamic and varied role; you will be passionate about being involved in the support and growth of young people.

Experience and knowledge

• Experience of working in a customer facing environment, remaining calm and solution-focused when dealing with challenging behaviour
• Basic understanding of the support needs of young people and/or adults at risks
• Understanding of the impact of trauma on others, and the ability to work with a strengths-based approach with people who may be in distress
• Demonstrated confidence and competence in recording notes/actions in service log, incident forms and Health and Safety check lists
• Basic knowledge of good safeguarding procedures in relation to young people and/or vulnerable adults, and the ability to maintain professional boundaries (training provided)

Skills and abilities 

• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing for appropriate record keeping (vital for handover to colleagues working day shifts)
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain strong relationships
• Ability to work lone work, work autonomously, and use own initiative, as well as being part of a team
• IT skills, including proficiency in MS Office 365 package, as well as healthy and safety and client management systems (training on YMCA DLG systems provided)
• Ability to de-escalate volatile situations and manage challenging behaviour appropriately

7.5 hours per week – term-time only / £33,795 per annum pro rata / permanent / one day per week - any day Monday to Thursday, excluding Friday / the role will commence at the beginning of September 2025.

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Established in 1996, Dialogue School Counselling is a BACP accredited school counselling service covering Sussex and Surrey.

We are recruiting for qualified counsellor or therapist with experience of working with children and young people to join our team and deliver our service at Shoreham College from September 2025. Shoreham College is an independent day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 16, and we have been providing the college counselling service here since 2017.

We are seeking candidates who are passionate about making a difference to lives of the children and young people they work with. You'll have a keen interest in and experience of working with children and young people of primary and secondary age.

Key responsibilities

·You will provide an ethical, professional counselling service at Shoreham College

·Run a suitable appointment system flexible to the needs of the school, offering students appropriate assessments and counselling appointments

·Manage the tight time boundaries of the role and the often complex and varied workload

·You will establish good professional working relationships with key school staff. This will include discussion of referrals, waiting lists and appointments, managing a session timetable within the school day and agreeing a process for students coming to and from sessions

·Carry out initial clinical and risk assessments and establish appropriate referral pathways with other services where appropriate. Continually assess risk throughout each student’s counselling

·You will be required to undertake assessments with parents/carers and counselling sessions, complete all associated admin and attend regular clinical supervision and line management meetings

·Follow YMCA Dialogue safeguarding procedures; to know who the School’s Designated Safeguarding Officer/s is and how to contact them when a safeguarding concern arises

·Work at all times within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and maintain individual membership of the BACP (or other professional body such as HCPC)

Qualifications, knowledge, and experience

• You will have counselling or psychotherapy qualification minimum Level 4 and ideally Level 6, with 2 years’ post qualifying experience in individual counselling or therapy with children preferred, to include working with risk issues
• You will have a BACP Membership; BACP Registered or Accredited. Or other professional body e.g. HCPC
• You will also have a sound understanding of child protection and vulnerable adult safeguarding issues, policies, and procedures
• You will be confident in identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns and have experience of working in a school setting
• You will have a keen interest in working with children and will be familiar with using creative therapeutic approaches, along with experience of working in a school setting
• You will have a professional, flexible attitude with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to manage your time well

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We have embarked on our 10-year strategy for ending homelessness. We know it is not inevitable. We know together we can end it.

We are now recruiting the team that will deliver Crisis at Christmas 2025. This unique project mobilises a huge volunteering effort to provide warmth, companionship and vital services in temporary centres across London to people facing homelessness.

Vacancies: We are hiring for three vacancies

Contract: Fixed Term Contact – starting 16 September 2025 until January/February 2026 (as required

Hours: 35 hours per week (some rota’d working to cover weekends and bank holidays over Christmas period)

Location: Canning Town Warehouse, Unit 4 SEGRO Park, London E16 4ES - three days per week onsite. Additional days and locations across London will be required during the Christmas period when our sites are operational.

About the role

We are looking for three new Project Assistants to support the delivery of a range of services our guests need to have a safe and happy Christmas. From healthcare and catering to advice and wellbeing services such as arts and crafts and salon, our services can make a real difference. You will support with the recruitment and management of Crisis at Christmas volunteers and external partners to help deliver services, ensuring teams have all the information and equipment they need. This is a varied role including processing volunteer applications, creating comms materials, managing and communicating schedules, organising training, organising and setting up kit, ensuring our teams of specialists have the equipment and materials they need as well as getting stuck in and helping out directly once our centres open.

This is great role to kickstart your career in the charity sector, as well as in project management or events roles.

About you

To be successful in this role you will have…

• Experience of providing administrative support and general office duties in a busy events or project-based environment
• Excellent spoken and written skills to communicate effectively and confidently with a wide range of audiences
• Ability to prioritise tasks and work to tight deadlines in ambiguous or challenging situations
• Good attention to detail to ensure accuracy in tasks
• Experience of customer service and ability to deal with high volumes of enquiries via phone and email in a professional and friendly manner
• Proficient IT skills and the ability to use data in order to work effectively and collaboratively
• A positive and proactive mindset, coupled with a strong willingness to contribute to and support the success of the project

You may have experience running events or working on busy projects or have experience in a busy customer service or administration environment. You should have an interest in the charity or homelessness sector and a commitment to Crisis’ purpose and values.

Please see the full Job Pack linked below, for a full list of requirements for this role. We realise that long lists of criteria can be daunting, and you may not want to apply for a role unless you feel 100% qualified. However, if you feel you have relevant examples to answer the screening questions, we encourage you to apply.

We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds.

Working at Crisis

Our values, Bold, Impactful, Collaborative and Equitable, are at the heart of everything we do as we continue in our mission to end homelessness.

Our staff, members and volunteers are vital to getting the right government policies in place, providing breakthrough services, and building a supportive community. We’ll lead by example to nurture a positive and ambitious workplace guided by ending homelessness.

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:

• A competitive salary. Please note our salaries are fixed to counter inequity and we do not negotiate at offer stage.
• Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy.
• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%
• 28 days’ annual leave (pro rata) which increases with service to 31 days and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay.
• Wellbeing Leave to be used flexibly
• And more! (Full list of benefits available on website)

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career.

When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.

How do I apply?

Please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below. Our shortlisting process is anonymised as part of our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We do not ask for CVs, instead we ask you complete the work history section and answer the screening questions for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively. At least two members of staff score all applications.

Closing date: Wednesday 16 July 2025 23:59

Interview process: Competency-based interview + written task.

Interview date and location: Interviews will be held on the 29th – 31st July at our Canning Town office, however an online option may also be possible

AI in Job Applications

We understand some candidates use AI tools when applying. Whilst we welcome the use of technology to support clear communication and structure, we want to learn more about you, so please ensure that your application reflects your own skills, knowledge and experiences

Accessibility

We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email our Talent Acquisition team to discuss how we can help.

Registered Charity Numbers: E&W1082947, SC040094

37.5 hours per week / permanent / working onsite on a seven-day rolling rota, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

YMCA Hastings provides medium-low supported accommodation for a total of 47 young people at risk of homelessness, aged 16 to 25, and care experienced young people under the age of 18. We have a dedicated team of Support Workers, Night Workers and additional Bank Workers who provide support, guidance, and signposting around areas such as housing, budgeting, living skills, jobs and relationship building. Situated just of the seafront, the project has strong links with and contributes to the local community.

We are looking for a Supported Housing Support Worker to join our Hastings Foyer team. Main areas of responsibilities are:

Housing

• Coach young people to manage their occupancy agreement and adhere to house rules, in preparation for independent living. 
• Promote a credit culture, encouraging young people to keep up to date with all payments for rent.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of housing and welfare benefits for young people and be well-informed on significant changes to housing law.
• Deal effectively with non-compliance issues, such as non-payment of rent or damage to room, using restorative practices and working collaboratively with the rest of the team.

Coaching and Engagement

• Coach young people so they can articulate their aspirations and ambitions and take the lead in acquiring the skills they need to live independent and fulfilling lives.
• Ensure young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own personal development, to engage with the services on offer and build strong networks and connections within the local community. 
• Ensure consistent standards of safeguarding and Trauma Informed Practice when supporting young people, observing our safeguarding procedures, and keeping yourself and residents safe by respecting professional boundaries.
• Maintain client records on In-Form (client database) detailing the young person’s journey in relation to their strengths and needs, any risks, and any outcomes (to monitor service performance). 

General 

• Work as part of a team, on a rota shift pattern, ensuring young people at the service have non-judgemental, objective, and supportive staff during the day/evening, along with taking responsibility for personal safety during periods of lone working
• Contribute to a great working environment, with a calm, yet assertive manner, being able to handle potentially difficult situations.
• Participate in relevant continuing professional development and utilise Reflective Practice Supervision as part of leading psychologically informed practice. 

There will be times when lone working will be a requirement for this role, but you will get to know the team and service, along with an induction and training prior to starting on a rota. Please download the job profile for full role details.

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate. 

This is a dynamic and varied role; you will be passionate about being involved in the support and growth of young people.

Experience and Knowledge

• Experience relating to housing, support work, and/or working with young people at risk
• Experience of working proactively with a caseload of young people with multiple and complex needs to enable them to achieve independent living. 
• Knowledge of statutory and voluntary resources available to young people with multiple and complex needs.
• Knowledge of good safeguarding procedures in relation to young people and the ability to maintain effective professional boundaries.
• Demonstrated confidence and competence in recording notes/actions in service log, incident forms and health and safety check lists.

Skills and Abilities 

• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing for appropriate recording of a resident’s progression, and to evidence outcomes achieved.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with all stakeholders, including signposting and advocating for clients as necessary. 
• Ability to work autonomously, and use own initiative, as well as being part of a team.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills, good IT, and keyboard skills.
• Ability to de-escalate volatile situations and manage challenging behaviour appropriately.

We are looking for a female candidate to fulfil this role (Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010)

Come and join us

The GROW Traineeship gives people with lived experience of homelessness and/or other related disadvantages (including but not limited to; contact with the criminal justice system, mental ill-health or substance use) access to paid employment, training and personal development opportunities. The traineeship lasts for up to 12 months, and each GROW receives personalised training and support to help remove some of the barriers that may have prevented gaining meaningful employment.

We are looking for people who are passionate about using their own experiences to help make change for people in London experiencing bad housing and homelessness.

About Shelter

A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent. We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

About the role

As a GROW Trainee, you will play an essential role in delivering Shelter’s purpose to defend the right to a safe home in East London. Our GROW Trainee will learn how to provide advice and advocacy to people experiencing the housing emergency and work alongside a team of advisors, solicitors, support workers and managers who work together to give communities easier access to support and advice. The successful candidate will be given extensive training, support, and supervision to support them to achieve this. They will also have access to a flexible personal budget to help in your own personal and professional development.

The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to community hub priorities and be involved in systems change work in the area.

The GROW trainee programme includes opportunities to get involved in developing services in London and across Shelter at a national level, using your experiences to influence our local strategic aims.

About you

We are looking for people who have experience of overcoming personal challenges and barriers and who are passionate about using their own life experiences to help make positive change for others. Good communication skills and the ability to make people feel heard will also be essential. Basic computer skills, e.g. word processing, the internet and email would be useful, but support can be provided. Above all, we need people with a real desire to develop personally and learn new skills.

Please note

This role is ring-fenced for those with lived experience of multiple disadvantage.  

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme. Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free of harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies. Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs sent by external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.