Housing Support Worker – Independent Living & Wellbeing (Salary: £25029.28 - £25861.56 per annum,

South West based charitable housing association BCHA was founded over 50 years ago with a continuing mission to meet housing need and end homelessness. We aim to achieve this through the building and provision of affordable and secure homes, and by supporting individuals to take control and lead independent, fulfilled lives. Whether we are developing sites or supporting people with housing, learning or living skills, we believe in equality, the importance of every individual and the right to be valued and treated with dignity and respect. Our doors are open to everyone.

You’ll support people who have experienced homelessness, trauma, and crisis–helping them take real steps toward a more stable future. It’s challenging work, but incredibly rewarding, and you’ll be fully supported every step of the way.

Every day, you’ll support people who are rebuilding their lives after homelessness, trauma, or crisis. This isn’t just a job – it's a chance to make a real, lasting difference in someone’s journey toward independence.

At BCHA, we’ve been working for over 50 years to end homelessness and provide safe, secure homes. But more importantly, we support people to regain confidence, stability, and control over their lives – and that’s where you come in.

What you’ll be doing

No two days are the same, but you might be:

·Supporting someone to attend appointments, manage their tenancy, or access vital services

·Helping residents build confidence, routines, and independent living skills

·Working one-to-one with people experiencing mental health challenges, trauma, or substance misuse

·Being a consistent, calm presence during difficult moments

·Creating personalised support plans and helping people move forward at their own pace

·Working alongside external agencies to get the best outcomes for each individual

You’ll be based across our supported houses (6-10 residents), providing outreach-style support and building meaningful, trusting relationships.

About the role

We work using trauma-informed approaches and Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE), meaning we focus on understanding behaviour, building trust, and supporting long-term change – not just managing day-to-day issues.

Some days will be challenging. You'll be supporting people with complex needs and difficult experiences. But you’ll also see real progress – moments where someone takes a step forward because of the support you have given.

What we’re looking for

You don’t need to have worked in homelessness before – we'll train you.

What matters most is who you are:

·Calm, resilient, and able to stay grounded under pressure

·Empathetic and non-judgmental

·A strong communicator who listens as well as speaks

·Organised and able to manage your own workload

·Motivated to help people move forward, even when progress is slow

Experience in support work, housing, or similar settings is helpful – but not essential.

You will need to be able to travel between sites in Plymouth.

What you’ll get

·Full training in trauma-informed practice, mental health, and substance misuse

·A supportive team environment where you’re not doing this alone

·The chance to build a meaningful career in the homelessness and support sector

·Real job satisfaction – seeing the impact of your work everyday

Why join BCHA?

We believe everyone deserves dignity, respect, and the chance to live independently. When you join us, you become part of a team that genuinely cares – about the people we support and about each other.

What do some of our teams say?

“I joined BCHA four years ago as a support worker. I am now an operational manager leading four teams”.

“I love making a difference to some of the city’s most vulnerable people”.

BCHA Safer Recruitment: Safeguarding children and adults is our first priority and we will ensure we follow safer recruitment procedures.

As an employer, we will do everything possible to prevent unsuitable people obtaining employment with BCHA. Our overall aim is to ‘deter unsuitable applicants from applying for roles with children and adults, and we will ensure that all candidates are treated fairly, consistently and in compliance with current legislation.

BCHA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of people, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Closing date: 31/07/2026

Interview Date:5/8/2026

• prioritise the immediate needs of the customers and manage risk;
• provide intensive personalised support and effective case management;
• engage customers in their own recovery and support planning;
• enable customers to access funds and specific support services;
• build professional working relationships and be a good team player;
• have a positive attitude and be solution focused to achieve best outcomes;
• be a resilient, confident, calm, practical & pragmatic person;
• be self-motivated, proactive, empathic and non-judgemental;
• be a good communicator with good listening and questioning skills;
• be organised with good administration and writing skills;
• be able to drive to the different locations in Plymouth.

9am - 5pm

Monday to Friday