Floating Support Worker

Harpsouthend; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading homelessness charity in Southend-on-Sea seeks a Floating Support Worker to provide essential support for individuals facing homelessness. In this role, you will build empowering relationships, manage a diverse caseload, and collaborate with various services to improve the lives of clients experiencing complex needs. The ideal candidate has experience supporting vulnerable populations, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Experience in supporting individuals with homelessness or complex needs.
• Ability to work independently in community settings.
• Comfortable working flexibly, including mornings and evenings.

Responsibilities

• Provide housing-related support to various accommodations.
• Build trusting relationships using trauma-informed principles.
• Manage a dynamic caseload of clients.

Skills

Experience in supporting people with complex needs

Confident using trauma-informed approaches

Skilled at de-escalation and grounding techniques

Strong organisation and record-keeping skills

Compassionate and patient

Job description

Salary: £27,054 rising to £29,357 per annum

Contract type: Fixed Term 12 months

Apply by: 20/01/2026

See all benefits:

Are you passionate about supporting people out of homelessness?

We are looking for people who bring a range of skills to the organisation to help us meet our mission.

HARP is Southend-on-Sea’s leading homelessness charity and every year we work with around 1,000 local people to help them overcome or avoid homelessness.

It is an exciting time to be joining HARP. The organisation has undergone significant change and growth over the past twelve months and we have ambitious plans for the future which will continue to transform lives.

About The Role

Ref: FSW1

As a Floating Support Worker, you will:

Provide flexible, housing-related support to people living in a variety of accommodation types.

• Build safe,trustingand empowering relationships using trauma-informed principles.
• Complete sensitive and client-led assessments, co-producing meaningful and achievable support plans.
• Help clients understand and manage tenancy responsibilities, reducing risk and promoting independence.
• Work collaboratively with landlords, local authority teams, mental health services, substance use providers and other partners.
• Support people to build confidence, routines and connections through training,educationand community involvement.
• Maintainaccurate, strengths-based case notes and ensure effective, compassionate safeguarding practice.
• Manage a dynamic caseload of up to around 30 clients, adapting support to meet changing needs.

We’relooking for someone who is:

• Experienced in supporting people with complex needs, such as trauma, homelessness, substance use or mental/physical health challenges.
• Confident using trauma-informed approaches and creating psychological safety.
• Skilled at de-escalation, grounding techniques and helping individuals regulate emotions.
• Able to work independently in the community, with strong organisation and record-keeping skills.
• Compassionate, patient, reflective and committed to equality,diversityand inclusion.
• Comfortable providing gentle, practical guidance around tenancy management, homesafetyand wellbeing.
• Willing to work flexibly, including occasional evenings,weekendsand bank holidays.

At HARP, we are committed to fostering a workplace that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and where every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered. We believe that equity is essential to creating an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, socioeconomic background, or other characteristics, have access to equal opportunities for employment, advancement, and success.

We are dedicated to ensuring that our hiring, promotion, and compensation practices are fair, transparent, and free from bias. We actively seek to identify and eliminate barriers to employment and professional growth for underrepresented groups, and we embrace diverse perspectives as a source of strength, innovation, and growth.
Our commitment to equity means that we provide ongoing training and support to ensure that all employees can thrive in their roles and contribute meaningfully to our mission. We continually assess our policies, programs, and culture to ensure we are meeting the needs of all our staff and fostering an environment of trust, collaboration, and accountability.

By embedding equity in our workplace, we aim to create a culture where differences are not just respected but celebrated, and where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. We believe that when everyone has an equal chance to succeed, we all benefit.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please fill out the application form below. You’ll need to confirm your right to work, fill out your contact details, attach your CV and Covering letter and fill our a short equality, diversity and inclusion questionnaire. You can save and resume your application at any time.

Job application form

• Right to work
• Data protection
• CV and covering letter
• Equality, diversity and inclusion

Right to work and processing your application

The following individuals do not need a visa for the UK, but do still have to prove their right to work before employment can commence:British Citizens (but not a British Overseas Citizen, British National (Overseas) or British Protected Person.EU/EEA/Swiss nationals’ resident in the UK by or before 31 December 2020, holding status via the EU Settlement SchemeNon-EEA nationals with Indefinite Leave to Remain/Settlement in the UKYou will need to produce documents from List A in order to provide evidence of your right to work before you can be employed.

Are you currently eligible to work in the United Kingdom? *

Yes