Reconnection Outreach Worker

Overview

Join Our Team at Change Grow Live: Lead the Way in Transforming Lives in Cambridge

At Change Grow Live, people are our foundation. We’re committed to helping individuals change direction, grow as unique individuals, and live life to its fullest. Our core values of boldness, compassion, and openness guide every choice we make, shaping our approach as we support not only the people who use our services but also our dedicated staff and volunteers.

Our Services

Change Grow Live operates two key services: Drug and Alcohol Services, and our Specialist Outreach Service. The Outreach Service in Cambridge aims to support and empower people affected by homelessness. Our ultimate objective is simple but powerful: to bring individuals experiencing homelessness in Cambridge to an end, reaching a point where our services are no longer required.

The Opportunity: Reconnection Outreach Worker (12 month fixed-term) - Specialist Outreach Service

We’re excited to offer a rare opportunity to join our specialist Outreach team. Whether you are an experienced outreach worker within this sector or someone ready to take the next step in your career, we warmly invite you to apply.

As our reconnection outreach worker, you’ll be pivotal in supporting a specialist team dedicated to improving lives and creating lasting change within Cambridge and beyond.

Location: Cambridge

Full Time Hours: 37.5 per week

*Please note: Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours.

Responsibilities

About the role

• To work closely with the local authority and Streets to Home Partnership to enable individuals experiencing homelessness to reconnect with their district of local connection.
• To create and establish innovative ideas of reconnecting individuals to their local areas through extensive support.
• To establish contact with individuals experiencing homelessness: working within Cambridge City protocols and partnerships to rapidly assist individuals through street outreach shifts at a variety of times and a range of locations in Cambridge City.
• To establish good working relationships with other local authorities and develop an understanding of housing solutions that don’t require a local connection.
• To identify individuals who are experiencing homelessness and provide consistent outreach, support and relationship-building opportunities, recognising that some individuals may require time, trust and a trauma-informed approach to engage with services.
• To maintain accurate and comprehensive client records, shared with appropriate agencies when required.
• To work closely with drug and alcohol services to support people affected by substance use to transition their treatment and recovery support smoothly to areas where they can access appropriate housing assistance and ongoing support.
• To work closely with mental health services to ensure that people are supported to access appropriate care for their mental health and, where needed, transition this support smoothly to areas where they can also access suitable housing-related assistance.
• To work proactively to ensure that clients have access to ongoing healthcare.
• To communicate effectively with individuals experiencing homelessness and complete referrals to accommodation outside of the city if they do not have a local connection.
• To participate in all Bi-Monthly street counts.
• To provide tenancy sustainment support to people who have experienced prolonged homelessness or a street-based lifestyle, helping them to maintain safe and stable accommodation. This may include practical support, advice, and signposting in relation to utilities, welfare benefits, and wider health and wellbeing needs, as well as promoting social inclusion and connection to community support.
• To work closely with the Reconnections Worker at Winter Comfort by sharing intel and casework to form a healthy working relationship with local authorities.
• To maintain effective record keeping within the SOT in accordance with the requirements of commissioners and Change Grow Live.
• To participate in supervision sessions, and handovers.
• To attend and participate in relevant training sessions when required.
• To convene and contribute to multi-Agency meetings / Professionals meeting and Case conferences where appropriate.
• To work closely with all partner services, sharing appropriate information and producing reports to the Homelessness Prevention and Solutions manager at Cambridge City Council.
• To provide key data to the City Council as requested.
• To promote anti-discriminatory practice in ways which are consistent with professional and legislative frameworks and organisational policies.
• Contribute to the development, provision, and review of the service.
• To comply with workplace policies relevant to work practices to ensure a healthy and safe environment is maintained.
• To participate in the ongoing statistical analysis of individuals experiencing homelessness, as part of MHCLG and ongoing monitoring programme aimed to support a reduction in individuals having to experience homelessness in the future.
• To co-ordinate and lead a pro-active solution focussed approach to individuals identified at the Street Life Working Group, with a view to engage them in appropriate services and support them away from street-based lifestyles.
• To undertake assertive outreach work to identify, engage and deliver support interventions to individuals who are actively involved in anti-social street activity.
• To participate in the shared awareness of current client’s street activity and/ or incidents of any anti-social behaviour.
• To ensure the safeguarding of service users is in line with CGL guidelines.

What We’re Looking For

• Punctuality is non-negotiable
• Relevant experience of working with individuals with multiple unmet needs and demonstrate a determined approach to work alongside them to finding solutions.
• In-depth knowledge of one or more of the following is required: Homelessness; Mental health; Criminal Justice System or Substance misuse
• Have a proactive approach to work
• Knowledge of Cambridge City and local homeless legislation.
• An understanding of the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Knowledge of Supported Housing.
• Ability to work calmly with challenging individuals and situations.
• Solution Focused and not problem driven.
• The ability to work with confidence and build trust with individuals that have lost trust in the system.
• Ability/willingness to work in partnership with large number of other agencies including the local authority, police and voluntary sector.
• A commitment to personal development.
• Computer Literacy.
• The ability to work unsocial hours as and when required.
• A commitment to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• A commitment to diversity in the delivery of services.
• To understand the limitations of the service while maintaining resilience, and to support and encourage colleagues and partners during challenging periods, contributing to a positive and constructive service environment.

What we will give to you

• 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays) rising by 1 day for each years’ service “Capped at 30 days”
• Paid ‘Wellness’ hour each week along with a ‘Wellness’ hub and Employee Assist Programme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Several benefits incl. discounts for shopping, cinema, holidays, etc.
• A friendly and supportive team
• Training, career development & progression opportunities

Please note: This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. For applicants with time-limited visas, unfortunately, we are unable to support new visa applications or extensions.

If you have the vision, empathy, and expertise to lead our reconnections process in this exceptional role, we would be delighted to hear from you.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Salary Range (pro rata if part time)

CGL points 23 to 28 (£28,557.79 - £32,802.41)

ILW / OLW /Fringe

N/A - Outside London Weighting Area

If you have any questions or concerns on this opportunity that you would like to talk through please contact us using the below details:

Jamie Hilton | jamie.hilton@cgl.org.uk | 07919174179

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.