Specialist support workers jobs

Are you passionate about making a positive impact on people’s lives? Do you thrive on providing empathetic and meaningful support to those facing challenges? If yes, come join the team! 

About the role:

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and compassionate individual to join our team as a Floating Support Worker, where you’ll play a key role in providing empowering, person-centred support to individuals across Westminster. As part of a dynamic and diverse team, you will work with clients from a variety of backgrounds, offering tailored support that helps them sustain their tenancies, improve their wellbeing, and work towards achieving their personal goals. Your day to day responsibilities will include delivering psychologically informed support, ensuring clients are actively engaged in their journey, and working collaboratively to ensure holistic and meaningful outcomes. The impact you’ll have will be significant, helping individuals thrive in their own homes and build lasting resilience.

The Westminster Floating Support Service, funded by the Westminster Council, offers vital housing related support that enables individuals to maintain independent living, regardless of their tenancy type. Our service is built on respect for each person’s unique cultural, religious, and personal identity, ensuring that everyone’s dignity is upheld. You will be part of a comprehensive network of professionals, working in partnership to offer seamless support. At Single Homeless Project (SHP), we believe in continuous professional growth, providing all staff with ongoing learning opportunities through an extensive in house training programme. This role not only offers the chance to make a direct, positive impact on people’s lives but also provides a clear pathway for career development within a supportive and forward-thinking organisation.

About you:

• Experience of supporting clients to carry out tasks such as budgeting, calculating benefit entitlements and understanding rent arrears and housing options.
• Experience of working in a client-centred support service working with clients presenting significant levels of need and risk, with an ability to devise and deliver on action plans through high quality risk management and needs assessment.
• A demonstrable level of experience and understanding of the range of approaches appropriate to working with multi disadvantages such as substance misuse, mental and physical ill health, dual diagnosis, challenging behaviour, risk of homelessness, offending, antisocial behaviour, social isolation, domestic violence, gang-related issues, young parents, leaving care and learning disabilities.
• The ability to work within a strengths and recovery-based model and engage and motivate people to move towards an appropriate level of independence and inclusion.
• The ability to be self-motivating and manage time effectively, prioritising different areas of work according to need to ensure deadlines are met while maintaining work of a high standard.

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. 

Important info:

Applications will be reviewed and suitable candidates invited to interview from 15th July Online via Microsoft Teams. We reserve the right to close the advert early if a suitable candidate is identified, therefore please submit your application at your earliest convenience. 

This post will require an Enhanced DBS check to be processed (by SHP) for the successful applicant.

Please note applications are reviewed for AI use in application questions.

Treasures Foundation offers accommodation and outreach to vulnerable women who have backgrounds of addiction, trauma, mental health and the criminal justice system. We provide housing and support until women can make the transition into their own homes, with some long-arm support extending beyond this period.

The Area Manager will work alongside the COO and CEO to help develop and manage the existing service as well as a new detox provision. Duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Providing guidance to Specialist Support Manager, Project workers and Volunteers to support their professional development, ensuring that the service is run professionally, efficiently and effectively.

· Fostering a holistic approach to supporting staffs needs, through supervision and appraisals.

· Seeking and highlighting opportunities for change at project/ organisational level

· Creating and developing a group programme which meets the needs of the women and aims of the project, such as effective communication and conflict resolution

· Planning and managing the staff rota and Out of Hours emergency on call rota, required to meet the needs of the service

· Reviewing and auditing the service on a continual basis, ensuring that it meets both the needs of the residents and quality standards.

· Ensuring the safety of the houses by managing challenging behaviour, through conflict resolution and following procedures

· Fostering good working relationships with key stakeholders

· Overseeing the individual tailored programmes created by project staff. 

· Helping to build and develop relationships with outside organisations in order to promote the work of Treasures and identify opportunities to achieve the best outcomes for residents.

· Adhering to relevant policies and procedures

·         Ensure staff update data base system and log reports

· Updating trustees quarterly on the service by providing a written report

Person Specification

Essential

· Experience managing supported living or residential care (ideally mental health focused)

· Knowledge of working with individuals with complex or challenging behaviours

· Comfortable supporting and leading staff teams

· Strong communication and organisational skills

· Someone proactive, confident, and committed to high standards of care and support

This post is subject to an Enhanced Level with a Barred List DBS check, although we do not discriminate, and we actively welcome applications from those with lived experience of the Criminal Justice System and/or in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Job Title: Floating Support Worker

Location: Warwickshire
Salary: £25,857.12 per annum
Contract type: Full Time, Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Floating Support Worker to provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and their children living in our dispersed refuge accommodation in Warwickshire. This service will provide emergency accommodation across Warwickshire with high-quality domestic abuse support, ‘by-and-for’ services for survivors of domestic abuse and their children. 

The post holder will provide high quality support and safety planning to survivors and their children who are fleeing domestic abuse. This includes enabling survivors to access housing, welfare, benefits and legal advice.  A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that survivors are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment in accordance with Refuge’s philosophical principles.

The Floating Support Worker (FSW) will carry a caseload of survivors of domestic abuse to enable them to provide a more holistic and intensive support package. They will work closely with survivors from the point of crisis through to move on from the emergency accommodation. FSWs will work in partnership with both statutory and voluntary sector partners to ensure that the whole range of survivors’ needs are met.

As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 14 July 2025

Interview Date: 23 July 2025

Refuge is the UK’s largest provider of specialist services, and we are proud to be a leader in our field and an employer of choice, with leading edge systems for supervision, quality management and development. 

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

BACKGROUND

Ashiana is a ‘by and for’ women's led BME VAWG service with 30 years’ experience in delivering a holistic range of specialist services to South Asian, Turkish and Middle Eastern women affected by VAWG.

OUR SERVICES

Ashiana runs three refuges with a total of 29 bedspaces; specifically for women aged 16-35 fleeing forced marriage. This multi award winning project is the only service of its kind in the UK and is highly innovative in terms of addressing an area of significant need not met in other refuge provision. Within these refuges we designate a number of bedspaces for women with no recourse to public funds. We offer an advice and support service to women and girls who are experiencing VAWG, enabling them to make informed decisions and exit violent relationships. We provide a legal service supporting women with no recourse to public funds to help resolve their immigration status.

Counselling is offered for women and girls affected by VAWG. The counselling service works from an integrative stance, with the focus of providing a holistic service whereby we also work alongside other services and provide specialist domestic violence group work. The emphasis of therapeutic work with our clients is from a trauma informed model.

We also deliver an education programme for young people in secondary schools in East London aimed at preventing domestic violence and enabling young people experiencing domestic violence to access appropriate services. The prevention service includes delivering a whole school approach in schools to young people as well as group work to women and girls across North East London boroughs as well as community engagement activities and delivery. We deliver a range of awareness raising workshops for young people in the community and training on domestic violence for professionals in the voluntary and statutory sector.

PRIMARY TASK

The post is instrumental in overseeing the delivery of a comprehensive package of services and care for women in our refuges. To provide a safe environment and a service that is appropriate to the needs of young BME women particularly those from South Asian, Turkish and Middle Eastern communities and to support ex-clients following resettlement.

The post holder will have a caseload of clients and be responsible for providing advice, advocacy, casework and support to women and girls, advocating on behalf of these women and making others aware of their particular needs. The post-holder is required to demonstrate sensitivity and an awareness of the culture and needs of  minoritised communities in all aspects of their duties and responsibilities.

Please see the attached the full job description

The Role:

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Specialist Trainer: Domestic Abuse, Gender-Based Violence, and Trauma Informed Working to deliver training to a variety of different audiences. You will be delivering training on an ad-hoc basis, in a range of settings including corporate clients, public sector workers, and other charities.

We are seeking trainers with both frontline and training experience, who can deliver this type of content in compassionate, articulate and accessible ways both in person and online. Rise for Change is dedicated to creating learning spaces that are safe for all folks, in content and delivery style. 

Rise for Change is the training arm of Hope After Harm and currently provides domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and trauma-informed working training programmes for non-specialist professionals, however, we are aiming to expand our training offer to cover other areas of gender-based violence. Uniquely created by our subject matter experts, our training directly addresses the need for intersectional, and trauma informed training on gender-based violence for professionals in all sectors. We actively promote self-reflection, critical thinking and survivor voice to affect sustainable, inclusive change for survivors. Our aim is to empower participants, no matter their professional role, to be able to respond safely and appropriately to survivors both within the workplace and in the wider scope of their lives.

Hope After Harm

Hope After Harm is an established, registered charity aimed at empowering adults and young people recover from harm and trauma. We want to see a society where everyone feels safe and can thrive, regardless of who they are and where they come from. Through support, advocacy and education we enable people to rebuild their lives and reclaim their future. And we inspire others to do the same, creating safer, more inclusive communities.  We have a proven track record of service delivery across Thames Valley and beyond, with our digital and training programmes supporting professionals and survivors globally.

This is what a Specialist Trainer will do:

• Deliver specialist training about domestic abuse, gender-based violence and trauma informed working to a range of clients, primarily online with some face-to-face sessions.
• Ensure that the way they work is aligned with the values of our team.
• Respect and value the diversity of the community in which the training will be delivered and recognise the needs and concerns of a diverse range of clients, ensuring the service is accessible to all.
• Respect and uphold the value and necessity of intersectionality within domestic abuse and sexual violence prevention and safeguarding, across all areas of work.
• Treat all participants with respect and care, positively representing Rise for Change and Hope After Harm in every interaction.
• Encourage feedback from participants for each session delivered to support with the continued development of Rise for Change training programmes.
• Undertake any training and continued professional development required for the role.
• Uphold GDPR and confidentiality of any data and content whilst in this role.
• Complete any necessary admin, as required as part of the session delivery.

This is what you will bring as a Specialist Trainer:

• A strong knowledge of domestic abuse and other forms of gender-based violence, it’s impacts and working from a trauma-informed perspective.
• Experience as a highly skilled trainer, with the ability to engage people through both in person and remote delivery.
• Preferably, frontline experience of supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
• Understanding of supporting survivors in various settings (e.g. the workforce, as a manager, as a professional with a safeguarding role).
• An empathetic, caring approach to training- to you, learning is not just about providing information but ensuring a holistic approach to the learning environment.
• Skilled user of technology with high literacy of key presenting programmes, video platforms and databases.
• Have a good understanding of the nuances of culture, race, sexual orientation and gender identity within domestic abuse and sexual violence, and be committed to intersectional ways of working.
• Knowledge of adult learning techniques and safeguarding procedures.
• Have excellent communication, negotiation and advisory skills, both written and verbal when interacting with a range of agencies and individuals.
• Places the survivor at the centre of all that you do.

For this role you will need:

• To be free from any criminal conviction which would conflict with the responsibilities of the post; you may be required to have a DBS Enhanced disclosure.
• To be able to deal with all information on a confidential basis and understand data protection requirements.
• To have Citizenship of the UK or have entitlement to work in the UK
• Sign a declaration that you are self-employed and responsible for all your tax and other liabilities. 

You will be provided with training in delivery of Rise for Change’s existing and future programmes.

Hope After Harm is committed to equality and diversity. While not a requirement for application, we do strongly encourage those of black and ethnic minority background, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA+ community to apply for this role.

Hope After Harm is an equal opportunities employer; the aim of our policy is to ensure no job applicant, employee or worker is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religious belief, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or disability.  We do not disbar applicants with criminal convictions and are mindful of the requirements of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974.

We have an exciting opportunity for two case workers to join the Safer Space Plus Project working 37.5 hours per week.

Do you want to join a committed and inspiring team? Do you want to help make a real difference every day?

Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on safety and customer service and care?

If yes, then we'd love to hear from you

What we offer:

At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:

• Flexible working options including hybrid working
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday & options to buy or sell annual leave
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
• Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About the role:

This role is based in our Old Street office with the flexibility of hybrid working.

As a Children & Young People's Caseworker, you will:

• Conduct needs and risk assessments, providing tailored support.
• Offer one-on-one support to children and young people affected by domestic abuse.
• Manage a caseload of 12-15 young people, ensuring their safety.
• Continuously review and act on risk assessments.
• Involve children and young people in decision-making.
• Collaborate with statutory partners and attend relevant meetings.
• Advocate for the diverse needs of children and young people.

You will need to have the following essential skills:

• Experience working with vulnerable children.
• Able to complete risk assessment
• Understanding of safeguarding issues.
• Knowledge of domestic abuse & it's impact.
• Ability to work in partnership with multiple agencies.
• Good organisational and crisis management skills.
• Strong communication and IT skills.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

About Us:

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.

As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.

If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.

Day Care Officer – Day Care Centres 

Age UK Camden Day Care Centres are looking to recruit a Day Care Officer to cover  20 hours a week in shifts (4 x 5 hours) across our two Day Care Centres. 

There is a need to be flexible to be able to cover all days Monday to Friday and days are subject to change based on the rota. 

We are also looking to recruit a Day Care Officer on a 25 hour week for maternity cover on a fixed term contract starting on the 1st September 2025 for 39 weeks. 

Our Centres provide a wide range of activities as well as being a specialist Day Care Centres caring for older people with complex needs. The Day Care Centres also provide a hot lunch and a range of special events. We have a dedicated, specialist team supporting people with care needs, including those living with mild - moderate dementia and complex needs. 

The successful candidates will: 

• Have shared responsibility in the team for the implementation of a comprehensive service of care and support for service users 

• Act as a key worker for individual clients

• Deliver holistic and person centred wellbeing services which provide service users with social interaction and support to maintain their personal interests. 

Salary: Starting at SCP 4 £25,209.19 pa incl. London Weighting for 35 hpw - pro rata for part time which is £14,405.25 for 20 hours per week and £18,006.56 pa for a 25 hour week) 

(Staff work across both centres so need to be able to travel to Kings Cross and Hampstead.  Shifts range in times across the day and you must be able to work all the various shifts) 

Contract Type: Permanent 

Closing date: Monday 21st July 2025 - 5pm 

Interview date: TBC 

To Apply and for more information please click on the link below: 

Job Openings 

Please state on your application which role/s you are interested in. 

As part of the application process you will be asked to submit a completed application form demonstrating how you meet the shortlisting criteria in the Person Specification. Please also complete and return the criminal convictions declaration form. 

Age UK Camden is an Equal Opportunities and London Living Wage Employer.  Registered Charity No. 293446 

Day Care Officer – Day Care Centres 

Age UK Camden Day Care Centres are looking to recruit a Day Care Officer to cover  20 hours a week in shifts (4 x 5 hours) across our two Day Care Centres. 

There is a need to be flexible to be able to cover all days Monday to Friday and days are subject to change based on the rota. 

We are also looking to recruit a Day Care Officer on a 25 hour week for maternity cover on a fixed term contract starting on the 1st September 2025 for 39 weeks. 

Our Centres provide a wide range of activities as well as being a specialist Day Care Centres caring for older people with complex needs. The Day Care Centres also provide a hot lunch and a range of special events. We have a dedicated, specialist team supporting people with care needs, including those living with mild - moderate dementia and complex needs. 

The successful candidates will: 

• Have shared responsibility in the team for the implementation of a comprehensive service of care and support for service users 

• Act as a key worker for individual clients

• Deliver holistic and person centred wellbeing services which provide service users with social interaction and support to maintain their personal interests. 

Salary: Starting at SCP 4 £25,209.19 pa incl. London Weighting for 35 hpw - pro rata for part time which is £14,405.25 for 20 hours per week and £18,006.56 pa for a 25 hour week) 

(Staff work across both centres so need to be able to travel to Kings Cross and Hampstead.  Shifts range in times across the day and you must be able to work all the various shifts) 

Contract Type: Permanent 

Closing date: Monday 21st July 2025 - 5pm 

Interview date: TBC 

To Apply and for more information please click on the link below: 

Job Openings 

Please state on your application which role/s you are interested in. 

As part of the application process you will be asked to submit a completed application form demonstrating how you meet the shortlisting criteria in the Person Specification. Please also complete and return the criminal convictions declaration form. 

Age UK Camden is an Equal Opportunities and London Living Wage Employer.  Registered Charity No. 293446 

Our Recovery Worker will be an integral part of the 121 floating support service which is an integrated, coordinated and holistic service aiming to support individuals with mental health needs within the community.

You will have a case load of clients to manage their health and wellbeing, maintain independence and identify strengths, goals and aspirations.

Your focus will be reducing social isolation and building social networks of support and signposting clients to local community resources. You will help the team in promoting an environment where service users are experts by their experience.

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. 

Important info:

Closing Date: Sunday 20th July at Midnight

Interviews: Tuesday 29th July at our ELMS service in Leyton 

This post will require an Enhanced DBS check to be processed (by SHP) for the successful applicant. 

Please note applications are reviewed for AI use in application questions.

The Creighton Centre is a well-established local charity based in Hammersmith & Fulham, dedicated to supporting older, disabled, and vulnerable adults. Through a wide range of services, we aim to reduce social isolation and disadvantage by offering practical support, meaningful connections, and emotional wellbeing.

We are currently seeking a compassionate, proactive, and engaging Project Worker to join our Learning Disability Outreach (LDO) team.

You will work directly with adults who have learning disabilities, supporting them to lead more independent, connected, and fulfilling lives. The role involves a mix of 1:1 support, group work, advocacy, casework, and mentoring, as well as helping to deliver a timetable of social activities and workshops.

You will also play a key part in volunteer coordination, helping to ensure a warm and supportive environment for everyone involved.

Empathy, excellent communication skills, and a genuine interest in people are essential.

What We're Looking For

We’re looking for someone who has:

Experience working with people with learning disabilities or in a similar support or community-based setting

A flexible, team-oriented attitude

Confidence leading group activities and supporting individuals

An interest in community development and inclusive practice

A passion for gardening or the outdoors would be a welcome bonus, as the role may involve supporting participants in a small community garden.

To find out more or discuss your experience, please contact:

Joe Robins - Learning Disability Outreach Coordinator - 075878 18591

£25,630 - £30,490 per annum, depending on experience

35 hours per week

Based at HMP Birmingham

Job Ref: 1562

Cranstoun is an independent charity and leading provider of specialist treatment, harm reduction and recovery services to those affected by drug and alcohol use. This is an exciting opportunity to become a Key Worker within our high performing psychosocial drug and alcohol service in HMP Birmingham.

We provide a range of services for those affected by drugs and alcohol. Our skilled and compassionate team work closely with people who use our services to change and save lives. We combine proven expertise in treatment and recovery with innovative approaches and actively involve those we help in improving the design of the services we provide.

You will be based in our psychosocial team working with adult males (over 18 years old). You will be responsible for delivering a range of elements of our substance use work including case management, assessments, care planning, the delivery of one-to-one interventions to include harm reduction and motivational work, group work, and engagement support as well as other associated duties. You need to be committed to supporting people who use our services to make positive changes in order to prepare them for release into the community, and you will arrange continuity of care. You will work in collaboration with the clinical team and integrated working is a key element of this role. You will work within the prison setting and contribute towards the wider prison drug strategy.

Having experience of supporting people with complex health needs including substance use, you will bring knowledge and commitment to deliver drug and alcohol treatment. You will have a non-judgemental attitude and a desire to support the lives of people who use our services to be healthier and safer by delivering a high-quality service.

Experience of working with drug and alcohol use is essential. You will be a competent communicator, with the ability to work independently and be comfortable and enthusiastic, both with the highlighted client group and working in partnership with other service providers. Previous experience or knowledge of working with individuals on opiate replacement treatment, and/or involved in the criminal justice system will be advantageous.

To download an application pack, please visit the website via the apply button.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept CVs.

Closing date: 27 July 2025.

We are an inclusive employer, committed to promoting equality and diversity in all areas of our work.

We are recruiting for a Refuge Worker to join our team in Southwark; the scope on this job involves….

Job Title: Refuge Worker

Location: Southwark
Salary: £28,857.12 per annum
Contract type: Full-time, Permanent

Hours: 37.5

We are looking for a Refuge Worker to provide specialist, high-quality support to women and children escaping domestic abuse. Based in Southwark, London, this role involves delivering practical and emotional support to survivors, ensuring their safety, and helping them rebuild their lives. Working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, you will create a safe and welcoming environment in line with Refuge’s values and commitment to ending violence against women and girls.

As a Refuge Worker, you will support women through crisis, providing keywork sessions, safety planning, and advocacy. You will assist with accessing housing, welfare, legal support, and other essential services while maintaining accurate case records. You will also play a vital role in ensuring the effective operation of the refuge, managing referrals, and working collaboratively with partner agencies. The ideal candidate will be a compassionate and resilient individual with strong communication and organisational skills. While experience in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector is beneficial, we also welcome applications from those with transferable skills and a commitment to supporting survivors. Above all, we value individuals who are dedicated to making a difference, thrive in an inclusive environment, and are committed to their own personal development while supporting others.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause while developing valuable frontline support and advocacy experience. Refuge offers ongoing training, professional development, and a comprehensive benefits package, ensuring that our staff are valued and supported in their roles. If you are passionate about empowering survivors and want to be part of a dedicated, compassionate organisation, we encourage you to apply.

Closing date: 9.00am on 15 July 2025

Interview date: 22 & 23 July 2025

Benefits

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

Job Purpose

This role sits within our crisis alternative service, Safe Space, which is a core and out of hours service providing a safe and welcoming space for people who are feeling distressed and experiencing crisis. Our aim of the service is to keep individuals well in the community and prevent readmission into hospital. The service operates 365 days a year from 14:00-22:00pm across all of our boroughs.

Staff within the service will provide person-centred, practical and emotional support, face to face or via telephone or virtual on a one-to-one basis to individuals experiencing mental health crisis or preventing crisis.

The objectives of the service include:

• To improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing mental health and social crisis in HFEH.
• To proactively work with keeping people well in the community to reduce re-admitters into hospitals by working with WL NHS teams (e.g. discharge, LPS, CATT, MINT and SPA)
• To provide a true alternative to A&E via a non-clinical drop-in service to support clients
• To provide support to clients accessing the service- for instance: signposting, de-escalation and crisis recovery planning.
• To contribute to an improvement in individual mental wellbeing.
• To remain a source of independent support for all clients.
• To treat service users with respect, dignity and personalised support
• To raise awareness of mental health services available with the goal to improve long term mental health and reduce social isolation
• To increase self-management skills of those accessing the service
• To reduce the use of police, ambulance and statutory mental health services whilst experiencing crisis via a drop-in service.
• To reduce the use of statutory crisis services by people experiencing mental ill health without positive outcomes for the individual.

The Role

The role of the support workers will be to support the rest of the team in delivering interventions on a one-to-one. The role will also involve triaging and assessing all clients accessing the service, signposting and delivering collaborative self-management plans with clients to improve mental wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing a person centred and recovery orientated approach in all aspects of the roles and responsibilities.
• Promoting people’ rights and responsibilities
• Considering each person as an individual
• Working collaboratively with clients to understand their needs and developing flexible and realistic crisis support packages/person centred plans
• Understanding of safety planning
• Experience with de-escalation, recognising and mitigating risks.
• Experience of working with challenging behaviour
• Listening to clients and encouraging positive steps towards self-management of crisis and recovery
• Good time keeping skills – Essential
• To attend all mandatory training including safeguarding and GDPR
• To work autonomously in a fast-paced environment and under pressure
• Providing advice, information, practical and emotional support to clients
• Proactively recognising the indicators of deteriorating mental health and facilitate appropriate action, whilst liaising with relevant agencies e.g. CATT, Emergency Duty Teams, CMHTS, etc
• Engaging with clients to show empathy, inspire hope and promote recovery
• Establishing supportive, empowering and respectful relationships with clients and carers/ family
• Maintaining accurate records, detailing interventions
• Ensuring that outcomes, outputs and impact are recorded
• Providing administrative support to the team
• Attend reflective practice, clinical supervision, peer supervision and line management supervision
• Create and maintain good working relationships with partner agencies
• Follow workplans and actively participate in training and development
• Provide and manage resources for clients and staff

Person Specification

• Minimum of 1 year working in mental health services and with clients experiencing mental health distress and crisis
• Experience of managing challenging behaviour and dealing with clients with complex needs
• Experience of managing safeguarding risks and understanding legal requirements for safeguarding adults and children
• Evidence of continual professional development
• Understanding of the Recovery Model in mental health
• Understanding of the principles of trauma informed care
• Understanding of suicide prevention and safety planning
• Understanding of the relationship between mental health and social issues and how these issues may impact on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
• Understanding of relevant legislation and policies
• Experience of working with vulnerable individuals
• Creative and flexible approach to working with individuals
• Ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations in a calm manner and de-escalate challenging situations
• Awareness of issues in mental health service provision
• A good understanding of mental health conditions
• Experience of working with vulnerable individuals
• Creative and flexible approach to working with individuals
• Ability to deal with stressful and difficult situations in a calm manner and de-escalate challenging situations
• Ability to prioritise and manage workload
• Ability to involve clients and carers in all aspects of work
• Empathy and non-judgemental approach
• Good communication skills
• Capacity to work within an agreed shift pattern
• Experience of delivering information and advice (housing, benefits, debt etc)
• Experience of non-clinical, therapeutic interventions like psychoeducation
• Good IT skills including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, with proven ability to input and extract information and produce reports
• Car driver with sole ownership of a vehicle and willingness to travel to locations would be desirable.
• Ability to work out of hours and on weekends