As a member of our Outreach Team, you'll have the opportunity to make a real, lasting difference in people's lives. Theres something incredibly rewarding about finding someone when theyre at their most vulnerableand being the person who can offer a kind word, something to eat, and a safe place to go. Its about showing compassion and offering hope at a time when its needed most. Youll be a familiar, friendly face to those sleeping rough, providing vital support directly on the streets. This is a hands-on role that requires empathy, resilience, and a genuine passion for helping people with complex needs. Youll need to be proactive and motivated, with strong interpersonal and communication skills, and physically fitthis role involves lots of walking, often in all weathers. Working in a trauma-informed way is essential, and flexibility is key as the role and organisational needs evolve. Please note, the role involves early starts at 5am and requires a clean, valid UK driving licence and access to a car. KEY TASKS To be friendly and approachable and provide outreach support to those who are homeless in Bedford. To be able to keep calm and de-escalate any challenging behaviour Work alongside Bedford Borough Council to find housing solutions for those who are rough sleeping and/or homeless. Input and maintain accurate records for people you are case working, using SMARTs Client Management System. Support and encourage individuals to access specialist support, where desired, e.g. GP treatment and advice, Mental Health support, drug and alcohol support, harm reduction advice. Book and remind service users of their appointments. To support with the continual development of the service To support with incident response to urgent situations related to service users in the building, including responding to risk, e.g. anti- social behaviour, mental health concerns, etc. To build strong relationships with other organisations to support the delivery of outreach. Ensure safeguarding concerns are raised at the earliest opportunity through the appropriate channels. Manage and organise your own diary and conflicting priorities. Establish and maintain good working relationships with SMARTs external partners. Develop working relationships with other local community groups. Be flexible in your approach and support other sites when needed and requested. Provide support to individuals who remain rough sleeping (through individual circumstances) to ensure safety and encourage access to support services. ABOUT YOU Were looking for someone whos comfortable working in a small, fast-paced charity environmentsomeone who understands the challenges of limited resources and wears a can do attitude with pride. Youll need to be self-motivated, adaptable, and able to juggle multiple, sometimes competing, priorities without losing focus. Strong communication and organisational skills are a must. Youll have a compassionate, empathetic approach and a solid understanding (or a willingness to learn) about the complex challenges faced by people who are homeless or rough sleeping. Experience in support work would be great, especially if youve worked in a trauma-informed way or have ideas for creative ways to encourage engagementbut if you havent, and youre open to learning, wed still love to hear from you. Youll need to be resilient, patient, and ready to work with people who may struggle to engage with services like ours. The ability to build trust and rapport is key, as is keeping accurate records and using our database to log updates and outcomes. This role involves a lot of walking, often outdoors and in all weathers, so a good level of physical fitness is essential. YOUR BENEFITS 27 days Annual Leave (rising to 30 after 3 years) Bank Holidays (pro rata) Generous Pension scheme (after successfully completing a probation period) Excellent Development and Growth Opportunities Access to a Charity Worker Discount scheme Access the company health and wellbeing service including support with mental health, legal advice and more Access to an online GP service We require all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This job description will be supplemented by annual objectives which will be developed in conjunction with the post holder. ADZN1_UKTJ