Engagement Worker – Rough Sleepers Service

Are you a results-driven individual with experience of supporting vulnerable people or those with complex needs and who are, or have been, rough sleeping? Join us as an Engagement Worker and you’ll be a key player in helping to tackle rough sleeping on and around the railways through a new strategic partnership between Shelter and Network Rail 

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.

Shelter Birmingham is a dynamic city centre hub offering a holistic integrated advice and support service to the diverse residents of the city. We provide specialist advice and support to over 4,000 clients a year and are committed to delivering more of what we do to the people who need us most. A new strategic partnership between Shelter and Network Rail aimed at tackling rough sleeping on and around the railways has resulted in us creating this brand new role.

About the Role
You'll be working to an assertive outreach model that places the emphasis on engagement, maintaining contact and relationship building in community settings. Your challenge? To build relationships with, and support a caseload of clients who are currently entrenched rough sleepers to move away from the streets into settled secure accommodation and to access the support they need to remain off the streets. Together, you'll develop co-produced, outcome focused support plans that reflect each participant's personal strengths and goals. We'll also count on you to co-ordinate interventions provided by other agencies to ensure that the right support is offered at the right time to enable each recipient to progress on their journey to recovery.

About you
Whilst not essential, you will ideally have lived experience of homelessness or related issues, helping you to support vulnerable individuals or those with complex needs who are, or have been, homeless or rough sleeping, to exercise choice and control in their lives. As well as a structured, calm and well organised approach, you will be forward thinking and flexible. What's more, you are familiar with working in a safeguarding framework and are not afraid to introduce new ideas, methods and processes to working practices when appropriate. Knowledge of relevant Birmingham based services would be useful, but is not essential.

Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave (pro rata), 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.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

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 from 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 promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities),gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We also encourage applications from people, who have been homeless or have been at risk of homelessness. We are facing diverse problems, so need diverse people to tackle them.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.