The Boaz Trust - Lead Support Worker – Refugee Homelessness Prevention Project

The Boaz Trust provides accommodation and support for people who are facing homelessness and destitution because of their insecure, unclear, or recently changed immigration status.

The Lead Support Worker will play a crucial role in overseeing the delivery of personcentred, housing-focused support to individuals who have recently been granted refugee status in Greater Manchester. It is a brand new role within an urgently needed new project.

The role will primarily work with individuals who have been assessed as having no Priority Need under the Homelessness Reduction Act and are rough sleeping, at risk of rough sleeping or living in off-the-streets accommodation. A key outcome of this work is to see people equipped and empowered to establish and sustain successful tenancies, including accessing appropriate support in line with their individual circumstance (e.g. local deposit schemes or in-kind support). As well as overseeing and providing individual support, the Lead Support Worker will develop positive links with accommodation providers e.g. private landlords, to maximise pathways out of homelessness, which may involve exploring options outside of Greater Manchester.

Reporting directly to the Head of Support Services, the Lead Support Worker will provide line management to a Support Worker within the same project, while also integrating within the  wider support team.

The Boaz Trust are looking for someone who can foster positive relationships and effective partnerships across a range of agencies, including local authorities, voluntary organisations in the homeless and refugee sectors and community groups. The Lead Support Worker will have the opportunity to work alongside other Boaz colleagues to develop and deliver training for people working in a range of voluntary, community and faith-based organisations to increase understanding of realistic routes out of homelessness for people who have recently been granted refugee status.

This role is a fixed term post (ending on 31 March 2025), and The Boaz Trust are therefore looking for someone who has highly relevant experience and knowledge and is capable of working independently. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in providing proactive housing support, including property searches, house visits, tenancy readiness work and budgeting support. The role holder will have excellent time management skills and will be able to make effective use of their time as they provide face to face support, as well as completing case notes and other required documentation, whilst being flexible enough to accommodate changes in plans and priorities and support others to do the same.

This role involves working with people who are often in very precarious situations, and The Boaz Trust are therefore looking for a Lead Support Worker who has high emotional intelligence, great communication skills, and an understanding of the journeys that refugees may have undertaken.

Panel interview (preferably in person): 23 or 24 April 2024.

Apply here