Stepping Stone Projects Jobs | 3 Live Vacancies

Who Stepping Stone Projects are

Stepping Stone Projects is a homelessness charity based in Heywood, near Rochdale, in Greater Manchester. It was founded in 1984 in partnership with Rochdale Council to provide accommodation and support for vulnerable people at risk of homelessness, and is registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee (charity number 1004375, company number 2647645). It is governed by a voluntary board of trustees, and its services are commissioned and funded mainly by local authorities across the region. The charity's stated belief is that everyone has the right to good-quality accommodation and the support needed to reach their own level of independence.

Accommodation and support services

Since the 1980s the organisation has diversified well beyond Rochdale and now provides over 700 homes and support to more than 1,200 people across the North West. The model is short-term, stable accommodation combined with either on-site or floating support, helping people gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to secure and keep their own home. Services include 24/7 supported accommodation projects for young people aged 16 to 25 (including care leavers and young asylum seekers), Ofsted-regulated supported accommodation for young people, dispersed housing services, generic supported housing for single adults, family services, floating support in people's own homes, and night concierge cover at accommodation sites. Named schemes on the website include Spa Mill in Burnley, Spenser Street in Padiham, Stamford Villa (13 self-contained furnished flats with a part-time housing officer) and Rockley House for single adults with low-level tenancy support needs. A Central Referral Team handles all referrals and self-referrals.

Where they work and who they support

Operations span Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Current and recent vacancies reference Preston, Leyland, Chorley and Morecambe (Central Lancashire Dispersed Housing Service), a 24/7 young people's project in Preston, Wigan and Leigh, Trafford, Burnley, Padiham, Hyndburn and the Heywood head office. Client groups include single homeless adults, young people and care leavers, young families, asylum seekers and people with no recourse to public funds, and people leaving prison or working with probation. The charity also runs a national "Together We Can End Homelessness" campaign.

What it is like to work there

Stepping Stone holds the Investors in People Gold award and describes its culture through the PRIDE values: professional, respectful, inclusive, dynamic and excellent. The published benefits package includes 23 days' annual leave rising by one day per year of service to 28 (plus bank holidays), the option to buy extra leave, enhanced company sick pay after four months, an employer-paid healthcare cash plan, life insurance, a pension scheme, an employee assistance programme, salary-sacrifice schemes (cycle to work and electric car), retail discounts, long-service awards, an annual colleague conference and awards, a referral scheme, mentoring through the Charity Mentoring Network and a credit-union partnership. Colleague stories on the careers site describe apprenticeships leading to permanent roles and internal promotion. Frontline posts require an enhanced DBS check and often a driving licence; CV-only applications via job boards are not accepted.

Typical roles

• Supported Housing Worker and Young People's Housing & Support Worker
• Night Concierge Officer and Concierge Officer
• Housing Management Officer and Housing Officer
• Central Referral Team (CRT) Officer, floating support and resettlement workers
• Assistant Operations Manager and other operational management posts

Jobs are advertised at careers.stepping-stone.org.uk (powered by hireful). Head office: 2 The Quadrant, Green Lane, Heywood, OL10 1NG; telephone 01706 353000; email central@stepping-stone.org.uk.