Project Worker Complex Needs

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

Company Limited by Guarantee number 1741926 Charity Number 287779 Registered in England as Single Homeless Project

shp Single Homeless Project

Job title: Project Worker Complex Needs

Delegated Authority: Level 8

Team: Muswell Hill Women’s Service

Responsible to: Service Manager

Responsible for: N/A

Job purpose

For women who have experienced homelessness, trauma, abuse and multiple disadvantage, feeling safe enough to trust others and begin rebuilding their lives can take time. This role exists to make that possible.

As a Project Worker, you will build consistent, trusting relationships with women living within our 17-bed Muswell Hill service, creating space for them to feel heard, regain choice and take greater control over what happens next. You will work alongside each woman to understand what matters to her, recognise her strengths and develop support that reflects her experiences, priorities and goals.

Using gender-informed, trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches, you will support women across different areas of their lives, including housing, safety, physical and mental health, substance use, relationships, finances and connection with their communities. You will understand how experiences of violence, abuse and trauma can shape the way women engage with services and will adapt your approach with patience, curiosity and respect.

You will balance compassionate, relationship-based support with effective risk management, safeguarding and housing responsibilities, working closely with colleagues and partner agencies to provide coordinated support around each woman.

At its heart, this role is about helping women build greater safety, stability and confidence. By providing consistent support without judgement and working at each woman’s pace, you will help create the conditions in which recovery, independence and new possibilities can grow.

Key accountabilities

Support, assessment and casework

Build consistent, trusting and professional relationships with women, using gender-informed, trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches.

Work alongside women to identify their strengths, priorities and goals, developing and reviewing person-led support plans that reflect what matters to them.

Provide practical and emotional support across areas including housing, wellbeing, substance use, relationships, finances, social inclusion and independent living.

Use flexible, persistent and creative engagement with women who may find it difficult to trust or engage with services, while maintaining clear and compassionate professional boundaries.

Contribute to referral and assessment processes sensitively, recognising that women may have experienced trauma, abuse or difficult relationships with services.

Coordinate casework effectively, following through agreed actions and maintaining accurate, timely records of women’s circumstances, progress, risks and priorities.

Safety, safeguarding and risk

Work collaboratively with women to identify risks and develop plans that increase safety while respecting individual choice and autonomy.

Recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, incidents and changes in risk, following organisational and statutory procedures.

Understand and respond to risks connected with Violence Against Women and Girls, abuse, exploitation and trauma, working with relevant professionals and multi-agency arrangements where required.

Respond calmly and effectively to crises and challenging situations, using professional judgement and seeking additional support appropriately.

Housing and day-to-day service delivery

Support women to understand their occupancy rights and responsibilities, feel settled within the service and develop the skills and confidence needed to maintain accommodation and move towards greater independence.

Help women maximise their income, access appropriate benefits, manage money and address rent or service charge arrears where required.

Contribute to the effective management of referrals, rooms, voids and accommodation in line with service requirements.

Contribute to the safe and effective day-to-day running of the service, responding flexibly to women’s presenting needs and participating fully in the service rota and handovers.

Complete required room and building checks, reporting and following up repairs, maintenance concerns and other issues affecting the safety or quality of the accommodation.

Partnership working, advocacy and involvement

Build effective relationships with statutory, voluntary and community organisations to ensure women can access coordinated support.

Advocate alongside women where systems or services create barriers, keeping their voice, choices and priorities central to decisions about their support.

Create meaningful opportunities for women to influence the delivery and development of the service through feedback, involvement and co-production.

Support women to access community activities, peer support, education, training, volunteering and other opportunities that reflect their interests and goals and help reduce isolation.

Teamwork, information and safe practice

Work collaboratively with colleagues, sharing relevant information and contributing to consistent approaches to support, safeguarding and risk.

Maintain clear, accurate and timely case records and ensure required performance and service information is completed in line with organisational procedures.

Follow organisational health and safety procedures, including local arrangements for fire safety, lone working, building security and other service risks.

Participate fully in team meetings, reflective practice, supervision, performance reviews and learning opportunities.

Take responsibility for your own development and apply learning to continually strengthen your practice.

Miscellaneous

SHP is at discretion to amend your responsibilities and, in addition to these, you may be required to perform other duties as may be required for the efficient running of the organisation.

To create inclusive working environments and cultures to enable colleagues and clients to feel safe and empowered to achieve their full potential.

Technical and professional know-how needed for position When completing your application, you will be required to address (using examples) some of the points below

Experience and Knowledge

Experience of building trusting professional relationships with people who have experienced homelessness, trauma and multiple disadvantage.

Experience of supporting people to identify their own goals, build on their strengths and make meaningful changes in their lives.

Understanding of gender-informed and trauma-informed practice, including how women’s experiences of abuse, violence, inequality and trauma can affect safety, trust and engagement with support.

Experience of recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns, risk and changing circumstances, including within challenging or crisis situations.

Experience of working with statutory, voluntary and community organisations to coordinate support and advocate effectively for people accessing services.

Knowledge of housing, welfare benefits and financial support relevant to helping people maintain accommodation and strengthen financial resilience.

Skills and Abilities

Ability to build compassionate, non-judgemental relationships while maintaining clear and consistent professional boundaries.

Ability to take a strengths-based and person-led approach, respecting women’s choices and working alongside them at their own pace.