Support Worker (Asylum Seeker Project) Contract : Fixed term (1 year) Location: Luton and South Bedfordshire Salary: £23,000-26,000 per annum depending on experience Hours: 37 hours per week – agile working/flexible working pattern, to meet needs of residents We work hard to provide flexibility of hours to benefit both our teams and customers. At Squared we pride ourselves on being a great place to work, where everyone feels fairly treated and enjoys their work in a welcoming and friendly environment. We’re a not-for-profit housing association that has been providing affordable housing in Luton and South Bedfordshire since 1962. We currently have a fantastic opportunity for a support worker (Asylum Seeker Project) to help our hostel customers make the move to independent living. We firmly believe in proactively supporting our customers to improve their lives and we want to coach them to realise their goals, moving from supported housing to an independent way of life. The Role You’ll be working in fast paced Hostel environment, you will carry out assessments with new customers, implement support and risk management plans, conduct regular coaching sessions and support the Service Managers in managing rent accounts and making sure void rooms are turned around quickly ready for new customers needing our support. You will work closely with your own case-load of customers managing their benefits, supporting them to address their responsibilities and engage in the opportunities available to them. You will need to utilise your knowledge, skills and experience to recognise difficult and challenging situations and work with your colleagues to influence and bring about positive change in the individuals we support. There is never a dull moment There will be mandatory training to take part in during your induction, which takes place during the working day as a general rule, so you’ll need to be available for this. The Person The successful candidate will have experience working with vulnerable people within a customer centred environment and, will have an awareness of the social issues and route causes contributing to homelessness. You will have a good understanding of mental health issues, substance misuse and the many other difficulties people who are marginalised from society face. You will be self-motivated, have strong administration skills, excellent communication, be IT literate and a confident decision maker. You will need to be highly organised enabling you to plan and prioritise your work load effectively. Ideally, you will have evidence of community-based work/voluntary work and have experience in social care or housing-related sector. You will have a real passion for supporting and empowering others, with a non-judgemental approach. A full clean UK driving licence with access to your own vehicle for work purposes is preferred. Please note, this role will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. So, if you welcome the challenge, and like to work in a collaborative and authentic way that gets results, we’d love to hear from you. In return we can offer various amazing company perks including 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, access to health plans, discounts and regular rewards.