Young People Support Worker
If you are the successful candidate, you will be joining a very tight-knit and supportive team that works tirelessly to ensure some of the most vulnerable individuals in the borough are well-cared for.
Location: Chester, Cheshire
Salary: £26,436 per annum + sleep in payments
Closing Date: 02 August, 2026
Employment Type: Permanent
Hours per week: 37.5
About the Role
Young People Support Worker (+ Sleep-in Payments) – Chester
Make a real difference to the lives of young people leaving care. As a Young People Support Worker at a service in Chester, you'll support young people aged 16–18 to build the confidence, resilience and practical skills they need to live independently. You'll manage a caseload, deliver personalised support plans, promote wellbeing, and help young people access housing, education, training and employment opportunities.
You will be someone with experience supporting young people or vulnerable groups, strong safeguarding knowledge, and the ability to build trusted relationships. You'll be confident in support planning, risk assessment and multi-agency working, while taking a proactive, strengths-based approach that empowers young people to achieve their goals.
Join a values-led organisation committed to preventing homelessness and unlocking potential. In return, you'll receive excellent training, ongoing development and the opportunity to create lasting positive outcomes every day. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.
Please note that this job opportunity is offered as a full-time (37.5 hours per week), permanent role.
Shift Pattern
A typical week consists of two shifts. Each shift begins at 9:30am and finishes at 11pm, followed by an overnight sleep-in. The shift then resumes at 07:00am and finishes at 12:00pm the following day. This entire period is classed as one shift. Sleep-ins are a requirement of the role and attract an additional payment. Flexibility to work bank holiday is also required in line with the needs of the service.
In this role, you will:
Ensure the safety and wellbeing of clients in the service at all times possible, including using safeguarding and emergency alert procedures where applicable
Carry a caseload of clients for whom you will be the named key worker, and you will also take joint responsibility with your team members for the well-being and day to day support of all clients in the services
Lead on risk and needs assessment and support planning for your key clients and contribute to ongoing needs and risk assessment of other clients in the service
Develop and implement SMART outcomes based support plans for your key clients
Deliver one-to one and group support opportunities within their accommodation and in the local community aimed at increasing resilience in the clients we work with
Proactively work in partnership with multiple agencies including statutory teams, to support the well-being of clients in accordance with data protection and information sharing protocols
Adopt a flexible, reflective and creative approach in your engagement with clients and personalised in your support to them
Involve clients in the decisions made about them and encourage participation in the wider community programme of activities
Support all clients to participate in Education, Training, Employment and Volunteering opportunities as appropriate to the development of their skills, assets and aspirations
Have responsibilities as part of the team for ensuring the health and safety of the environment for clients, staff, visitors and volunteers through regular checks and reporting
Have responsibility as a member of the team for preparing the accommodation for new clients to move into and supporting the client to settle in
Support and facilitate the work of the volunteers who add value to the work that we do
In conjunction with Senior Worker, ensure that regular health and safety inspections are carried out in managed properties. To respond to reported repairs in a timely manner and to review health and safety risk assessments with the senior worker
To interview and assess suitability of referrals to the criteria and objectives of the project
Undertake further duties as commensurate to the role and identified by your line manager
To participate in internal/external meetings and attend Core training events
Demonstrate a commitment to client involvement by advocating client involvement opportunities, for example by actively promoting the Voice of the charity to clients and holding residents meetings
To maintain appropriate young person files and ensure clear and concise written records
About You
When completing your application form please address all the points set out below.
Experience in working with care leavers, young people or other vulnerable groups
Experience of Safeguarding in children and adults and operating safeguarding requirements and procedures
Experience of using Risk Assessments and Support Planning tools
Experience of managing a case load, recording and record keeping
Experience of lone working
Excellent communication skills, literacy, numeracy and IT skills
Commitment to promoting an environment, which has the highest regard for the Health and Safety of others.
High level understanding of professional boundaries and ability to maintain boundaries
An understanding and commitment to working in an assets based way
Commitment to working in a manner, which promotes diversity and equality ensuring that everyone is treated with respect and dignity and no one, suffers from discrimination
Commitment to promoting an environment, which has the highest regard for the Health and Safety of others
High level understanding of professional boundaries and ability to maintain boundaries
Effective collaborative working
Ability to effectively reflect on own practices for ongoing learning and development
Respect for the values and ethos of the charity and its founding partners
What You’ll Receive
Tailored training and development
Flexible working options where suitable
26 days annual leave, rising with service
Family friendly leave policies
Pension scheme with employer contributions up to 7%
Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 GP access
Discounts across retail, travel, food, fitness and more
Cash health plan for you and your family
Death in service benefit
Access to legal and practical support
Safer Recruitment
The charity is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If a role requires it under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, we will carry out the appropriate Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. We only look at information that is relevant to the role, and a criminal record will never be treated as an automatic barrier to employment. All DBS information is handled sensitively, confidentially and in line with the DBS Code of Practice, and we encourage applicants to discuss any concerns with us openly.
About the Organisation
In the 1980s, high unemployment and steep inflation was contributing to a shocking rise in youth homelessness across London. Thousands of young people were sleeping rough every night, with many areas notoriously dubbed “cardboard cities” due to the visible rise in street homelessness. Appalled by the scenes playing out across the capital, a group of people came together to tackle the challenge head on. Led by Cardinal Basil Hume and Mark McGreevy OBE, in 1989 the charity was born.
What began as a single housing project in North London soon expanded across London, Greater Manchester and the North East of England. Today, the charity provides accommodation, prevention and support services to thousands of marginalised young people across the UK each year.
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Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People