Rough Sleeper Outreach Worker

At Swindon Borough Council, we want our town to be the best it can be. Our ambitious vision is supported by realistic transformation programmes, with the people of Swindon at their heart. Because that’s who we’re doing it for – the communities and businesses that make our town great. As part of the Council, you’ll support a friendly local authority making decisions with real impact. It’s all for better public services. Better processes. And a better quality of life, for everyone. Join us, and Swindon will be better with you.

You are an enthusiastic, compassionate and motivated individual ready to take on the role of Rough Sleeper Outreach Worker.

Being an outreach worker means helping to find bespoke solutions for some of our most vulnerable and complex residents.

We believe that what we do will make a real and lasting difference and always go the extra mile and work with dedication and commitment. We work together internally and externally to ensure the best outcomes for the people we support.

Your next role

This is an exciting opportunity to help deliver a new service targeted at supporting those who are sleeping rough.

Starting early in the morning, you will seek out and support people who have been rough sleeping. You will employ a strength-based approach and will be creative and able to think of new solutions for people who may have struggled in previous accommodation. Supported by our in house teams and by our external partners, you will be the first contact for people who are going through challenging and difficult times.

You will work to give clients choices and information and provide an enabling service so that they can access appropriate services, minimise harm and overcome barriers. You will need to help identify the complex needs of often highly vulnerable clients, which may include, substance misuse, alcohol dependence, mental health issues, offending, and violent or anti-social behaviour. You will need to create dynamic risk assessments with a flexible and creative approach.

The successful candidate will be provided with training but will preferably already have some experience of working with people with multiple complex needs. We particularly invite applications from those who have lived experience. Applicants will need to be IT literate and have the ability to make on the spot decisions and be ready to sometimes deal with challenging situations.

You will work mainly Monday-Friday starting at 6:30am but may on occasion be asked to work flexibly during afternoons and evenings to support the team or a particular client.

The role requires the successful candidate to cover a distance of up to 10 miles per day, visiting central and rural locations.

You must be fluent in the English language (as a requirement of Part 7 of the Immigration Act “for the effective performance of a customer-facing role”).

Your next package

Please see our Rewards and Benefits offer for more details.

For Swindon to thrive in the future, we need to lay the foundations now. It’s why our regeneration and transformation programmes are already underway. So, you’ll be joining us at an exciting time on our journey. We’ll look to you to share your knowledge, influence decisions and drive real, positive change. With your contributions, we’ll achieve our vision of a prosperous, re-vitalised Swindon by 2030 together. And you’ll be proud to say it was made better with you.

Your next steps

Read the role profile and select the Apply button where you will be redirected to the Swindon Borough Council website to complete our online application process. Clicking the ‘Apply’ button on this job website is not an application, you must register on the Swindon Borough Council website in order to be considered for the role.

Potential applicants are sometimes put off if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. We think individual experience, skills and passion make all the difference, so if you are a registered practitioner and meet the majority of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.

For further information about the role, please contact Chelsie Eddolls, Rough Sleeper Team Manager, at CEddolls@swindon.gov.uk

If you are experiencing technical issues submitting your application please email resourcing@swindon.gov.uk