19 Entry level jobs for the Housing and Homelessness sector

37 hours per week / permanent / Monday - Thursday 9am - 5pm; Friday 9am - 4.30pm / Based onsite in Hove, this role also involves regular weekly visits to our properties across Sussex. To support this travel, you will need a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

YMCA DownsLink Group is the leading charity for children and young people across Sussex and Surrey. We offer safe homes, mental health support and trusted advice.

We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe, heard and to shape their own future. We work alongside them to make that happen.

We are here for children and young people, many of whom face multiple challenges and need our support.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections – guide us in all our actions.

We are seeking a proactive, tenant-focused Housing and Compliance Officer to deliver high-quality housing management and property compliance services across our Sussex properties.

Reporting to the Income and Property Manager and working as part of the Asset Management Team, you will play a key role in ensuring our general needs properties are well-managed, compliant with all relevant regulations, and provide safe, secure homes for our residents. This role combines housing management responsibilities with oversight of property compliance, requiring strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to excellent customer service.

The role involves overseeing tenants throughout their housing journey, conducting home visits, managing tenancy matters, coordinating repairs, and ensuring properties remain safe, compliant, and meet the Decent Homes Standard.

You will work closely with tenants, contractors, and internal teams to maintain excellent housing services, manage compliance programmes, address damp and mould cases, and ensure adherence to housing regulations and safety standards.

You will also play a key role in safeguarding tenant safety, monitoring contractor performance, supporting income collection, responding to complaints, and championing tenant voice to drive service improvements.

Key areas of responsibility:

• Housing and tenancy management
• Resident engagement and support
• Repairs and maintenance coordination
• Property compliance and health and safety
• Damp, mould and disrepair case management
• Contractor and supplier management
• Income collection and tenancy enforcement
• Customer service and complaint resolution

Please also download the job profile (below), which includes the full role description and person specification.

This is an excellent opportunity for a housing professional with experience in housing management, property compliance, and health and safety. You'll be passionate about delivering high-quality, customer-focused services that make a tangible difference to people's lives and help ensure residents have safe, secure, and well-maintained homes.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• A minimum of a CIH Level 3 qualification in Housing, Housing Maintenance, Asset Management, Letting and Managing Residential Property, or Housing Practice/Services (desirable)
• We will also consider candidates who can demonstrate significant relevant experience in property compliance, building safety, or health and safety, or who hold a recognised City & Guilds, IOSH, or NEBOSH qualification
• Awareness of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), or a willingness to develop expertise in this area, to support YMCA DLG's commitment to providing safe, compliant, and high-quality homes
• Significant experience within the social housing sector, ideally in housing management, resident engagement, or customer-focused service delivery roles
• Experience working for a Registered Provider, housing association, local authority, or other social housing organisation
• Demonstrable experience of working within a regulated housing environment, delivering housing management and property compliance services while building positive relationships with residents and stakeholders
• Experience supporting tenancy-related processes, including starter and continuation documentation, to help residents sustain successful tenancies
• Experience of working within a psychologically informed environment and applying trauma-informed approaches is desirable; training can be provided
• Strong experience in auditing, data collection, record management, and maintaining accurate housing management systems
• Experience coordinating and monitoring contractors to ensure works are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the required standard
• Proven ability to engage effectively with residents, contractors, local authority departments, partner agencies, and regulatory bodies
• Experience of income collection, tenancy sustainment, and arrears management within a social housing setting
• Good working knowledge of housing legislation and statutory compliance requirements, including fire safety, gas safety, electrical safety, water safety, and resident access arrangements for compliance works
• Ability to identify, promote, and embed best practice across teams and services

CLOSING DATE: Wednesday 16 September at midnight. 

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to provide work permits or visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. 

Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, conducted by an accredited third-party provider. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity checks.

37.5 hours per week / £28,330 per annum / permanent / working Monday - Friday 9am-5pm. 

As a Maintenance Operative, your primary work based will be Hove with regular travel and work required across Brighton and Hove to any of our YMCA DLG sites, with demand varying throughout the year. A full UK driving licence is therefore essential, and a vehicle will be provided.

YMCA DownsLink Group is the leading charity for children and young people across Sussex and Surrey. We offer safe homes, mental health support and trusted advice.

We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe, heard and to shape their own future. We work alongside them to make that happen.

We are here for children and young people, many of whom face multiple challenges and need our support.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections – guide us in all our actions.

Do you take pride in creating safe, welcoming homes that make a real difference in young people’s lives?

Our Maintenance team works across multiple properties to ensure our residents have safe, good‑quality homes. We work closely with service staff to identify and complete repairs, carry out ad hoc cleaning and decoration, ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, and prepare empty homes for new residents.

This role will operate across Brighton & Hove, centred around 2 sites in Hove which provide 24‑hour supported housing for young people aged 16–25. Locally we also manage several larger shared houses (typically 4–8 residents) through our Transitional Housing teams, supporting young people on their journey to independence. In total, the team helps maintain safe homes for approximately 100 residents across the city.

As a Maintenance Operative covering sites across Brighton & Hove, you will take on a hands‑on role combining practical maintenance tasks with caretaking responsibilities. You will help create and maintain safe, welcoming, and psychologically informed accommodation for the people we support.  This is a practical role; undertaking void works, working on and assessing the day‑to‑day compliance of our sites. You will be working closely with housing staff throughout the services.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide a comprehensive maintenance, caretaking, and cleaning service to ensure safe, welcoming, and psychologically informed accommodation.
• Carry out day‑to‑day maintenance across our sites, with occasional support to other housing schemes.
• Complete maintenance, cleaning, repair, and redecoration works within agreed timescales, delegating tasks where appropriate.
• Perform or delegate general caretaking and cleaning duties, including cleaning communal areas, litter‑picking, and waste removal.

If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t match every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We know that skills and potential come in many forms, and your background may offer valuable transferable strengths.

We’re looking for a someone with a positive, flexible attitude and a genuine desire to contribute to young people’s wellbeing.

Experience and Knowledge

We are searching for someone with:

• Strong maintenance experience across a range of trade or repair tasks, including delivering high‑quality maintenance and decorating work
• Experience working in supported housing, residential, or community‑based settings
• Commitment to maintaining high standards of safety, quality, and resident wellbeing
• Good understanding of health & safety requirements and compliance processes
• A proactive, organised approach to workload and prioritisation

Qualifications and Training (Desirable)

It would be beneficial, though not essential, if you have:

• City & Guilds or equivalent qualification in one or more maintenance skill areas
• Manual handling training
• Training in handling bodily fluids
• Boundaries training
• First Aid training

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 20 September 2026 at midnight. If we find the right candidate sooner than expected, we may close the advert early - so early applications are strongly encouraged.

Please note that we are unable to offer a work permit or visa sponsorship for this role; applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. 

Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, conducted by an accredited third-party provider. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity checks.

We're looking for a hardworking and resilient Support Worker to join our Homelessness Service located in Brent. No experience or personal care required, just the right values.

£30,784.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x Pensionable Salary (T&Cs apply)
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card

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.

A Support Worker will help to enable vulnerable people with complex support needs to manage their licences and move towards greater independence within the community by providing a flexible and individually tailored support package.

This role will be based at for Pound Lane, which is a high complex needs 24-hour service with same shift pattern.

The working pattern for this role is: - 5 days a week, working over a seven day pattern, weekends included. Shift pattern 8am-4am and late shift 1.30pm-9.30pm

What you'll do:

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead.

• Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Team Leader / Manager
• Oversee the daily running of the service ensuring all health and safety responsibilities are met
• Raise safeguarding alerts and complete incident reports within specified timeframe
• Undertake initial and continuous assessment of needs and potential risks and agree levels of support and actions
• Create support/action plans for providing appropriate support based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available
• Support customers to undertake domestic tasks wherever possible, including practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills, to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of living standards
• Support customers to move on from the service through their identified move on pathway liaising with our Resettlement Officer and Brent Housing team.

About you:

• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
• Approachable and open behaviour

What you'll bring:

Desirable:

• Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent.

About 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.