Job Summary

You will be passionate about supporting and changing expectations and experiences of people we support, many of whom have experienced significant trauma, exclusion and stigma.

As a Support Worker in homelessness services, you'll be instrumental in empowering individuals affected by homelessness, addiction, challenging mental health and trauma. You'll provide compassionate, person-centred support, guiding them towards securing safe and stable housing and developing tools to manage their challenges. Your role is vital in helping people access essential resources, build resilience, and ultimately live a life free from harm and abuse.

As part of our Team, you will be at the forefront of supporting people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. You will work collaboratively with partner agencies in a supportive environment. The role involves providing both practical and emotional support, helping individuals to secure accommodation, access benefits, and connect with a wide range of health, wellbeing, and advocacy services.

Our team builds strong professional relationships with local authorities, support providers, and other external partners to ensure our support is coordinated and effective. You will adopt a harm reduction approach, providing advice and become Naloxone trained as needed.

Reporting to the Outreach Service Leads and, you will blend active community connection with direct support worker duties. Alongside leading community integration initiatives, you will at times carry a caseload and step in to provide flexible, cover-based key worker support (including sickness cover) when needed ensuring consistent, relational care across the team.

Shift Pattern-Monday-Friday 9-5. There will be a requirement to work one weekend in 7 and an additional late shift midweek.

Key Responsibilities

• Community Connection & Mapping: Proactively identify, map, and build strong relationships with North Lanarkshire community groups, adult education providers, hobby clubs, recovery networks, and local courses to expand opportunities for supported individuals.
• Overcoming Integration Barriers: Work 1-to-1 alongside individuals to identify personal interests and systematically dismantle physical, emotional, or social barriers stopping them from accessing local community spaces (e.g., attending initial classes together, arranging travel, or building confidence).
• Flexible Support Worker Integration: Serve as an active member of the core Outreach Team, at times holding a small dedicated caseload and stepping in to provide direct housing and practical support, including team sickness and leave cover, to maintain continuity of care.
• Relational Outreach: Meet people where they are physically in their local neighborhoods, as well as emotionally and socially to build trusting, non-judgmental relationships that encourage social re-engagement.
• Multi-Agency & Partnership Collaboration: Partner effectively with internal outreach staff, local housing teams, NHS Lanarkshire, third-sector organisations, and community anchors to ensure smooth, holistic support pathways.
• Documentation & Impact Tracking: Maintain clear, accurate records of community connections, individual progress, case notes, and outcome monitoring tools to demonstrate reduced isolation and increased engagement.
• Reflective Practice & Team Contribution: Participate regularly in 1-to-1 supervision, team meetings, group reflective practice, and training sessions to continuously refine our Relationship First approach across North Lanarkshire.

Our Values

• Inclusion & Participation: We include everyone in the services and resources they need, regardless of their circumstances and ensure each person's voice and influence are heard and felt in everything that we do.
• Personalised & Creative: Each person we support is an individual with unique circumstances, needs and future potential which requires a uniquely tailored response.
• Warmth & Regard: We see beyond a person's current or past circumstances, recognising their inherent value, worth and potential as human beings.
• Partnership & Collaboration: We know we need to work positively with others to deliver a truly inclusive and personalised approach, improve our response and add value to the experience of the people we support.
• Supportive & Ambitious: We encourage and support ambition, building on strengths to foster hope for the people we support as well as deliver growth and development for staff and volunteers.

Core Competencies

• Planning and Organising: Create and manage personalised support plans for people, prioritising tasks and managing resources effectively to help them achieve their goals.

• Monitor progress against established goals and adjust support plans as needed to ensure the best possible outcomes.

• Maintain accurate and detailed records of your contacts using our Netsuite platform throughout your shift.

• Resilience: Advance despite adversity, responding to challenging and difficult situations with a calm, professional, and composed approach.

• Handle sensitive decisions with compassion and due regard for others, maintaining a positive and proactive attitude.

• Motivation: Act with care and compassion, demonstrating a clear commitment to the role and its importance in empowering individuals to live independently.

• Bring hope through your words and actions, helping to build trust and change public perception of the causes of rough sleeping.

• Problem Solving: Carefully analyse problems, breaking them down into parts to find practical, person-centred solutions.

• Innovate and be creative to find solutions that are a perfect fit for someone, irrespective of their background of the problem they are facing.

• When someone isn't at their best, quickly recognise that there may be an underlying issue and find ways to respond with care.

• Teamwork: Work with colleagues in a supportive and collaborative way, fostering team togetherness and a positive, problem-solving vibe.

• Be a reliable member of the team, participating actively in group meetings and sharing insights to improve our service continuously.

• Foster positive relationships with our partners to ensure our support is coordinated and effective.

• Communication & Digital Enablement: Communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders, including service users, partners, and other colleagues, adapting your communication style to be clear, empathetic, and respectful.

• Encourage the participation and inclusion of the people you support by exploring choices and options with them in an accessible way.

• Embrace and champion digital inclusion, helping clients, staff, and volunteers to connect, understand, and use digital tools safely. You will use our G-Suite, Chromebook, and smartphone to facilitate this.

• Play an active role in our social media strategy by helping to create blogs, videos, and posts to change society's misconceptions about homelessness.

Person Specification