SPECIALIST WOMENS OUTREACH WORKER – Changing Lives, Wolverhampton

About us

Changing Lives is a nationwide charity helping people facing the most challenging of circumstances to make positive change - for good. We believe that everyone deserves a safe home, a rewarding job and a life free from addiction or abuse. We know that given the right support, anyone can change their life for the better.

Our services across the country help thousands of people each year who are experiencing a wide range of complicated challenges, including homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, unemployment, involvement with the criminal justice system, sexual exploitation and domestic abuse. By focusing on their strengths, potential and opportunities, we support the people we work with to overcome their problems and live safe, successful, independent lives.

Our charity is powered by over 600 passionate colleagues who bring a diverse and inclusive environment for our colleagues to grow. We are proud to say that many have actual lived experience of the challenges faced by those we support. We are looking for committed and compassionate professionals to join our team, who share our enthusiasm for changing lives.

About the Service - Women and Children's Services

We run services and dedicated women’s centres for those who are at risk or struggling with challenging circumstances, including women in the criminal justice system and those with experience of trauma, selling sex or sexual exploitation.

We understand that women and girls have experiences which are different to men and can experience vulnerabilities that are specific to their gender. Childhood abuse and domestic abuse are common features in the lives of the women we support which impact on their health and wellbeing. Underpinning all our services is an in-depth understanding of trauma and a focus on recovery, resilience and community integration.

About the Job

WHIRS specialist women’s outreach is a new role within Changing Lives that has been funded to provide specialist women focused support on the WHIRS project (Wolverhampton Homeless Integrated Recovery Service).

The Specialist Women's Outreach Worker will provide intensive, trauma-informed outreach and tenancy sustainment support to women who are experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping, at risk of homelessness, or struggling to maintain accommodation following a history of rough sleeping.

Working within the WHIRS multidisciplinary team, the candidate will adopt an assertive outreach approach, taking responsibility for engaging women who may face significant barriers to accessing services. The role will focus on building trusting relationships, improving safety and wellbeing, reducing rough sleeping, supporting recovery from substance misuse, and helping women sustain tenancies and achieve long-term housing stability. The service recognises that women experiencing homelessness often face additional barriers and multiple disadvantages including trauma, domestic abuse, exploitation, mental ill-health, substance misuse and social exclusion

Due to the nature of this role, applications are invited from women only. This exemption is claimed under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010, where sex is a genuine occupational requirement.

A full UK driving licence is essential for this role.