Work and Life Skills Support Officer

Work and Life Skills Support Officer
Part-time 25 hours per week, 5 hours per day Monday-Friday 9.30am-2.30pm
Salary £25,880.00 pro rata per annum
7% employer pension contribution, 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays

ABOUT LAUNCHPAD
Launchpad provides vital information and support for vulnerable individuals, couples
and families in Reading who do not have a stable place to live or are at risk of losing
their home. It was founded as a soup kitchen in 1979 by students at the University of
Reading, the charity now provides a holistic service that works in three ways – we
prevent homelessness, provide homes and rebuild lives. We are now seeking a
Floating Support Officer to join our team within Reading.

THIS ROLE
Key Responsibilities
Client Engagement and Support
•

Build positive relationships with clients, encouraging participation in centre
activities, courses and events.

•

Motivate and support clients to increase their confidence, independence and
social connections within the community.

•

Conduct assessments to identify clients' skills, interests, support
requirements, aspirations and SMART goals.

•

Regularly review client progress, adapting support plans and objectives to
meet changing needs and circumstances.

•

Advocate for clients when appropriate, ensuring their needs, views and
aspirations are represented when accessing services and opportunities.

Activity and Programme Delivery

•

Coordinate and administer a diverse programme of in-house and externally
delivered activities, ensuring they meet the varied needs of clients.

•

Lead and facilitate group sessions, workshops and activities, creating an
inclusive environment that promotes learning, wellbeing and personal
development.

•

Support the development of programmes that incorporate life skills, wellbeing,
educational and vocational opportunities to help clients achieve greater
independence.

•

Gather participant feedback to assist with the monitoring, evaluation and
scheduling of courses and activities.

•

Work collaboratively with clients to identify and shape future training and
activity programmes based on their needs and interests.

Partnership Working
•

Work closely with partner agencies, support workers and external
professionals to ensure clients receive appropriate support, referrals and
opportunities.

•

Liaise with relevant stakeholders to monitor client progress against agreed
action plans and outcomes, identifying issues and implementing appropriate
changes.

•

Signpost and refer clients to suitable internal and external services where
necessary to achieve positive outcomes.

Administration and Coordination
•

Act as the first point of contact for enquiries and referrals, providing
information and guidance to clients, colleagues and partner organisations.

•

Maintain accurate records of attendance, course completion and client
outcomes, ensuring information is updated on relevant systems, including
InForm.

•

Verify course attendance records and collaborate with tutors to confirm
successful completion of learning programmes.

•

Collate and maintain session plans, learning resources and promotional
materials, contributing ideas and improvements where appropriate.

•

Develop and maintain a monthly activities calendar in collaboration with the
Learning and Skills Coordinator (LSC), promoting opportunities to maximise
engagement and participation.

•

Prepare and distribute course information, resources, handouts and event
communications to participants, trainers and venue contacts as required.

•

Communicate updates, new opportunities and developments relating to
activities and services using a variety of communication methods.

•

Contribute ideas for promotional campaigns, communications and local
publicity opportunities.

Volunteer and Student Support
•

Support volunteers to assist with the delivery of activities and services.

•

Provide ongoing support and guidance to volunteers, tutors and student
placements.

•

Foster a collaborative team environment that values the contribution of
volunteers and students in enhancing service delivery.

Quality and Continuous Improvement
•

Monitor programme effectiveness and client outcomes, identifying areas for
improvement.

•

Gather and analyse client feedback to ensure services remain responsive to
community needs.

•

Support continuous service development through innovation, collaboration
and best practice.

We are looking for a candidate who is:
•

Professional, approachable, confident and empathetic whilst maintaining
appropriate boundaries

•

Resilient to deal with challenging people and maintain motivation levels

•

Experienced in multi-agency working and managing a caseload of clients

•

Experienced in dealing with clients with mental health issues, substance
misuse issues, or working with offenders.

Interviews will take place w/c 27th July 2026
Launchpad reserves the right to modify, withdraw, or close this job posting at any
time without prior notice.
Whilst appointments will always be made on the merits of the application and
performance in the selection process, Launchpad is committed to achieving greater
diversity, inclusion and equity in our workforce – and actively encourages and
welcomes applications regardless of sex, gender, race, age, sexuality, beliefs or
disability. If you require any adjustments to the application, recruitment or selection
procedure, please contact our HR team.

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