Support Worker 16 plus supported Accommodation

Job Overview

We are seeking a dedicated, compassionate, and safeguarding-focused Support Worker to join our team in providing high-quality supported accommodation for young people aged 16 and over.

In this vital role, you will play a key part in empowering young people to develop independence, confidence, resilience, and essential life skills within a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment. You will work alongside young people to promote their wellbeing, personal development, education, employment, and preparation for independent living.

Safeguarding is at the heart of this role. The successful candidate will be expected to understand their responsibility for promoting the safety and welfare of young people, recognising potential safeguarding concerns, responding appropriately to risks, and reporting concerns promptly in accordance with organisational policies and statutory requirements.

You will be expected to maintain appropriate professional boundaries, remain alert to risks such as exploitation, abuse, neglect, bullying, substance misuse, peer-on-peer harm, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, and missing episodes, and ensure that any concerns are appropriately recorded, escalated, and shared with the relevant professionals.

This is a paid position offering an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in young people's lives while developing your professional skills and experience in supported accommodation and safeguarding.

Responsibilities
Supporting Young People
Build positive, trusting, and professional relationships with young people, providing guidance, encouragement, and appropriate support to promote independence and personal development.
Support young people with daily routines, household tasks, appointments, budgeting, personal development, and preparation for independent living.
Follow and contribute to individual Support Plans, risk assessments, pathway plans, and other relevant plans, ensuring support is delivered in accordance with identified needs and agreed outcomes.
Support young people to access education, employment, training, healthcare, community activities, and other appropriate services.
Encourage young people to develop practical life skills, confidence, resilience, decision-making skills, and positive relationships.
Recognise changes in a young person's presentation, behaviour, emotional wellbeing, relationships, or circumstances that may indicate an emerging risk or safeguarding concern.
Safeguarding and Risk Management
Promote and safeguard the welfare of all young people in accordance with organisational safeguarding procedures and relevant legislation and guidance.
Remain vigilant to indicators of abuse, neglect, exploitation, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, trafficking, bullying, self-harm, substance misuse, domestic abuse, radicalisation, and other safeguarding risks.
Recognise and appropriately respond to concerns relating to county lines, gangs, peer-on-peer abuse, online exploitation, inappropriate relationships, and other contextual safeguarding risks.
Report safeguarding concerns immediately through the appropriate internal and external safeguarding channels and escalate concerns where necessary.
Follow established procedures for missing episodes, unauthorised absences, return-home discussions/interviews, incidents, allegations, disclosures, and significant events.
Respond appropriately when a young person makes a disclosure, ensuring that information is recorded accurately and promptly and that concerns are escalated to the appropriate person or agency.
Maintain professional boundaries with young people and ensure that all interactions remain appropriate, respectful, and consistent with safeguarding expectations.
Never use inappropriate physical intervention, threatening behaviour, discriminatory language, coercion, or any practice that could compromise the dignity or safety of a young person.
Maintain appropriate confidentiality while understanding that safeguarding concerns must be shared with relevant professionals where necessary to protect a young person.
Contribute to effective multi-agency working with social workers, local authorities, education providers, health professionals, police, safeguarding teams, and other relevant agencies.
Follow all safeguarding, health and safety, emergency, incident reporting, whistleblowing, and risk-management procedures.
Immediately report any concerns regarding the conduct of colleagues, visitors, professionals, or other individuals where a young person's safety or welfare may be affected.
Recording and Communication
Maintain accurate, factual, contemporaneous records of support provided, young people's progress, incidents, safeguarding concerns, appointments, significant events, and other relevant information.
Ensure records are completed in accordance with organisational requirements and within specified timescales.
Communicate effectively with colleagues, managers, families where appropriate, social care professionals, and other agencies involved in supporting the young person.
Ensure safeguarding information is shared appropriately and securely on a need-to-know basis.
Contribute to reviews of support plans and risk assessments and identify when amendments may be required due to changes in a young person's circumstances or level of risk.
Skills and Experience
Experience working with children, young people, care leavers, or young adults in a caring, support, social care, or related environment is highly desirable.
A sound understanding of safeguarding and the protection of children and young people.
Ability to recognise signs and indicators of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other safeguarding concerns.
Understanding of professional boundaries and the importance of maintaining safe and appropriate relationships with young people.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage positively with young people while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
Ability to remain calm and respond appropriately to challenging situations, incidents, disclosures, and safeguarding concerns.
Ability to work independently while following organisational policies, procedures, Support Plans, and risk assessments.
Good IT and written communication skills for maintaining accurate records, completing reports, updating support plans, and using relevant recording systems.
Knowledge of child and adolescent development and an understanding of the factors that can affect young people's wellbeing and behaviour.
Ability to work effectively with other professionals and contribute to a multi-agency approach to safeguarding.
Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, dignity, and respect.
Willingness to undertake mandatory safeguarding and other role-specific training and maintain professional knowledge.
Safer Recruitment

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expect all staff to share this commitment.

All appointments will be subject to our safer recruitment procedures and appropriate pre-employment checks. These may include identity verification, right-to-work checks, employment and/or character references, relevant qualification checks, and an enhanced DBS check where applicable, including appropriate checks of the DBS Update Service where relevant.

Candidates will be expected to provide complete and accurate information throughout the recruitment process. Any concerns identified during recruitment will be considered in accordance with our safeguarding and safer recruitment procedures.

Successful candidates will be required to complete relevant safeguarding, professional boundaries, exploitation, missing episodes, incident reporting, and other mandatory training appropriate to their role.

Our Commitment

We are looking for individuals who are not only passionate about supporting young people but who understand that support, safeguarding, and accountability go hand in hand.

You will be expected to promote independence while remaining alert to risk, follow individual Support Plans and risk assessments, maintain accurate records, challenge unsafe practice appropriately, and ensure that concerns about a young person's welfare are never ignored or left unreported.

Join us if you are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and empowering environment where every young person is supported to achieve their potential and develop the skills they need for adulthood and independent living.