Support worker jobs in Barnet, greater london

Senior Young People Support Worker (Islington)

Join us to lead meaningful change, empower young people to thrive, and shape a service where your leadership, compassion and creativity make a real and lasting impact every day.

Location: Islington

Salary: £31,203 per annum

Closing Date: 22 March, 2026

Employment Type: Permanent

Hours per week: 37.5

About the Role

Step into a key leadership role as a Senior Young People Support Worker, where you’ll drive high‑impact, psychologically informed support for young people at risk of homelessness. You’ll lead a team of professionals, guide high‑quality assessments and support plans, and create safe, empowering environments that build confidence, resilience and independence. Every day, you’ll use an asset‑based approach to help clients develop skills and move positively towards sustainable futures.

You’ll take ownership of day‑to‑day service delivery—managing risk, maintaining high safety standards, strengthening partnerships with local agencies and ensuring the accommodation remains welcoming and well maintained. With your inclusive leadership and creative problem‑solving, you’ll connect clients to education, training, employment and volunteering opportunities, while also supporting staff development, supervising volunteers and contributing to the smooth running of the wider Islington pathway. This role is ideal for someone who leads with integrity, collaborates confidently and is motivated by achieving meaningful outcomes.

In this role, you will:

• Lead high‑quality, psychologically informed support for young people, delivering tailored one‑to‑one and group interventions that build resilience and independence.

• Oversee day‑to‑day service delivery, ensuring strong safeguarding practice, effective risk management and a safe, well‑maintained environment.

• Supervise and develop Progression Coaches, volunteers and placements, providing guidance, performance oversight and positive role modelling.

• Build effective partnerships with local agencies and internal teams to strengthen client support pathways and meet contractual outcomes.

• Support clients to access education, training, employment and volunteering opportunities aligned to their goals and strengths.

• Manage key operational tasks including casework quality, financial recording, health and safety checks and participation in the on‑call rota.

About You (What we are looking for from you – Person Specification)

• Experiencing of supervising the work of others.

• An understanding and commitment to working in an assets-based way

• Experience of working with people who have experienced homelessness, poor mental health, substance use or have a history of living in care.

• Experience of using Risk Assessments and Support Planning.

• Good literacy, numeracy and IT skills

• Experience of operating safeguarding requirements and procedures

• Commitment to working in a manner which promotes diversity and equality, ensuring that everyone is treated with respect and dignity and no one suffers from discrimination.

• Commitment to promoting an environment which has the highest regard for the Health and Safety of others.

• Personal and professional integrity

• High level understanding of professional boundaries and ability to maintain boundaries

• Effective collaborative working

• Ability to effectively reflect on own practices for ongoing learning and development

• Respect for the values and ethos of Depaul and its founding partners.

What You’ll Receive

• Tailored training and development
• Flexible working options where suitable
• 26 days annual leave, rising with service
• Family‑friendly leave policies
• Pension scheme with employer contributions up to 7%
• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 GP access
• Discounts across retail, travel, food, fitness and more
• Cash health plan for you and your family
• Death‑in‑service benefit
• Access to legal and practical support

Safer Recruitment

Depaul UK is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If a role requires it under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, we will carry out the appropriate Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. We only look at information that is relevant to the role, and a criminal record will never be treated as an automatic barrier to employment. All DBS information is handled sensitively, confidentially and in line with the DBS Code of Practice, and we encourage applicants to discuss any concerns with us openly.

About Depaul UK

In the 1980s, high unemployment and steep inflation was contributing to a shocking rise in youth homelessness across London. Thousands of young people were sleeping rough every night, with many areas notoriously dubbed “cardboard cities” due to the visible rise in street homelessness. Appalled by the scenes playing out across the capital, a group of people came together to tackle the challenge head on. Led by Cardinal Basil Hume and Mark McGreevy OBE, in 1989 Depaul UK was born.

What began as a single housing project in North London soon expanded across London, Greater Manchester and the North East of England. Today, Depaul UK provides accommodation, prevention and support services to thousands of marginalised young people across the UK each year.

As our name suggests, the work of Depaul UK has been inspired by St. Vincent de Paul – a man who devoted his life to helping vast numbers of people throughout the 17th century. St. Vincent de Paul’s belief in the intrinsic worth of all people and his commitment to taking bold action remain central to our values today. Depaul UK now forms part of a family of Depaul charities around the world. We each focus on the specific challenges in our own countries, but we’re united by our shared values and mission to end homelessness.

Job description

Purpose:

1. To assist in the planning and delivery of individual educational programmes designed to meet the social, learning and developmental needs of each young person.

2. To work with the First Start Manager as a member of a team.

3. To support young people with disabilities and/or on the autism spectrum to access the local community, services, events, education and training.

4. To support young people on the autism spectrum, with associated learning and or physical disabilities to access their own individualised programmes.

5. Support Worker / Drivers - To drive the service members accessing the First Start Service to and from the service premises and to other destinations as required.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

1. To assist in organising and providing a range of stimulating, challenging and interesting educational activities that are relevant to the needs of the individual, meeting their educational, social and developmental needs.

2. To actively participate in the delivery of a high-quality service that adheres to the Tower Project’s policies and procedures.

3. To ensure the service is delivered in consultation and partnership with Service members, Parents/ Carers, Colleges/ Schools and other relevant parties.

4. To provide and/ or receive support, advice and training as appropriate.

5. Support Worker / Drivers - To ensure the safe transportation of service members to and from their required destination. 

6. Support Worker / Driver – To be responsible for documenting mini- bus mileage, vehicle check log sheets and safe handling of vehicle keys.

7. Support Worker / Driver – To be responsible for reporting any vehicle damages to First Start Service Manager. Specific

Duties:

1. To work directly with young people as required by the First Start Manager.

2. To support First Start service members from a person-centered approach, recognising, valuing and seeking to reinforce individual identity by way of responses and informed choices.

3. To assist in the maintenance of monitoring systems, e.g. registers, need to know forms.

4. To assist in identifying additional individual needs and support.

5. To attend and contribute to team meetings and to assist in the exchange of information and show cooperation when working with other staff and partner organisations.

6. To attend training events according to expressed needs and demands.

7. To be responsible for the Health & Safety, the security and the use of the First Start premises, in conjunction with the Service manager.

8. In conjunction with the First Start Manager, prepare timetables, activity plans, programme reports, monitoring data and other appropriate work according to the needs of the post.

9. To actively promote and develop inclusion and equal opportunities.

10. To liaise with and involve service members, parents/ carers and other partner agencies in the planning and delivery of the service.

11. To ensure that the guidelines & framework of relevant legislation, e.g. The Care Act 2014, Valuing People White Paper, Care Standards Act etc., are always implemented and adhered to.

12. To participate and meet regularly for supervision meetings with the First Start Manager or designated Line Manager.

13. To actively promote and develop inclusion and equal opportunities.

14. Support Worker / Drivers - To drive service members to and from the First Start premises and to other destinations as requested by the Service Manager.

15. Support Worker / Drivers - To be responsible for arranging the pickup and drop off and safe use of the minibus.

16. Support Worker / Drivers - To support First Start service members as required by the Service manager and to be available during the service’s operational hours.

17. Undertake other duties as appropriate to the nature of the Post 3

PERSON SPECIFICATION SUPPORTWORKER

Knowledge:

Knowledge and understanding of the development of young people with Autism, challenging behaviour, learning disabilities and / or physical disabilities. To demonstrate an understanding of the causes of social exclusion.

Education/ Qualifications:

An NVQ 2 in Care or equivalent, or willingness to work towards such a qualification.

Essential:

Experience of working with young people with disabilities and specific learning disabilities and or Autism in a similar setting. Experience of working in an inner city multi-racial/ cultural environment.

Experience of liaising with Parents/ Carers.

Good communication skills with parents/ carers, young people and staff. Ability to work as part of a team.

Ability to work with young people who can sometimes present challenging behaviour.

To support, promote and deliver services within the Tower Project’s Equal Opportunities policy.

An NVQ 2 in Care or equivalent, or willingness to work towards such a qualification.

Desirable:

Ability to assist in organising and delivery of a quality programme of activities. Basic computer skills, or a willingness to undertake training as required.

Special Conditions:

The post holder will be expected to undertake any additional training as required

Housing First Support Worker (28 hours per week)

Spitalfields Crypt Trust (SCT) is recruiting a Housing First Support Worker to join our specialist team supporting people who have experienced homelessness and other traumatic events.

In this role, you’ll hold a small caseload (around six residents) and provide tailored, person-centred, trauma-informed support that helps people sustain their tenancies, improve their wellbeing, and work towards recovery on their own terms. You’ll build trusting relationships over time, combining practical housing-related support (such as moving in, budgeting, appointments, maintaining a home and accessing community resources) with strong advocacy to ensure residents can access healthcare, benefits, housing services and specialist support.

You’ll work closely with SCT colleagues and a range of external partners across Tower Hamlets to remove barriers, reduce risk, and prevent eviction. The post includes completing needs and risk assessments, maintaining clear case records (including on In-Form or similar systems), and contributing to reporting and service learning. This is a values-led role for someone who is organised, resilient, and confident working independently with adults facing multiple disadvantage (including addiction, mental ill health, and long-term homelessness).

This is a part-time post (28 hours per week) with a salary up to £32,000 (up to £25,600 pro rata). Enhanced Adult Workforce DBS is required. Benefits include 25 days annual leave (rising to 30) plus bank holidays (pro rata), pension matched up to 5%, BUPA Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing plan, cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan, and training and development opportunities.

Please see the full Job Description attached.