Support Worker

We have an exciting opportunity for a Support Worker to play a vital role in providing support at First Base Day Centre.

Position: Support Worker (Internal Job Title: Case Worker)
Location: Brighton
Salary: £27,910 per annum, pro rata
Hours: 37 hours per week (Monday – Friday)
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: Wednesday 26 November 2025 at 23:59
Interview Date: Friday 5 December 2025

About:

As a Support Worker you will be working for a people-led organisation whose mission and values is to inspire change across Sussex.

About the Project

First Base is a Day Centre in Brighton which provides an essential frontline service to people experiencing homelessness. We provide a range of services for clients, including: support to access accommodation; access to health and substance misuse services; managing benefit claims; and support to access to financial services.

About the Role

As a Support Worker you will provide structured support to a caseload of clients who are experiencing homelessness, working collaboratively with a range of partners in health, homelessness, housing and social care.

You will be skilled at forming supportive relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds, and be able to work in a goal orientated manner, with the aim of supporting clients into accommodation and bring about engagement and positive change in all areas of their lives. You will be confident working with clients who have experienced trauma, be able to manage risk effectively, and be skilled in deescalating conflict.

The Support Worker will maintain detailed notes and be confident carrying out needs and risk assessments. The Support Worker will also carry out practical tasks, including cooking and laundry and reception duties, that are essential to the daily running of our service.

Key Responsibilities:

• To hold a client caseload and provide ongoing support to clients of First Base.
• To carry out needs assessments, support plans, and risk assessments.
• To provide accurate and informed guidance around local housing policy and law. This will at times involve managing expectations.
• To work collaboratively with staff from other organisations to provide co-ordinated support to clients, communicating clearly and effectively by email, phone, and in person.
• To keep up-to-date and clearly written case work notes and administrative records using the client database system BThink.
• To work on a rota basis to cover the Duty Office, Reception Desk, and Food Service at First Base.

Person Specification:

To be successful in the role of Support Worker you will need to have great communication skills and be committed to the values of BHT Sussex. Some of the key skills and experience you will need to bring with you include:

• Professional experience in working with people who are homeless or inadequately housed.
• Experience in working with people who have multiple and complex needs, and with past experience of trauma.
• Experience of Case Work, Client Needs Assessment, and Support Planning.
• Ability to relate to people at all levels - good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to manage a busy workload and maintain personal resilience.

In return:

In recognition of our commitment to staff, BHT Sussex has been awarded Gold Accreditation from Investors in People. We are also signed up to the Disability Confident employer scheme and have made the Mental Health at Work commitment.

You will also receive a fantastic benefits package including:

• 5.5% stakeholder pension scheme and life assurance scheme
• Medical cash plan with Medicash
• Access to BHT Learning & Development platform
• Free and confidential employee assistance helpline for both personal and work-related concerns
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Free new starter 28-day Network Saver Brighton bus pass
• Generous holiday allowance starting at 27 days per annum pro rata, rising 1 day for each year of service to a maximum of 32 days pro rata
• The opportunity to participate in well-being and fundraising activities throughout the year

BHT Sussex is an equal opportunities employer using a fair and open recruitment process that fully complies with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. We are committed to encouraging equality, equity, inclusion, and diversity within the workplace. As an employer we are committed to promoting and supporting our people’s social, physical and psychological health at work. Please let us know if you require any special arrangements or reasonable adjustments if called for interview. BHT Sussex welcomes applications from individuals with lived experience.

BHT Sussex reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applicants for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

An Enhanced with Adults DBS Check (Disclosure and Barring Service) is required on all successful applicants as a condition of employment for this post.