Support Worker - Rapid Response Team
| Posting date: | 11 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £33,472 per year |
| Additional salary information: | We contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5% and offer 29 days annual leave. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 February 2026 |
| Location: | London, UK |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Thames Reach |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | SWRRT - 0226 |
Summary
Role: Support Worker – Rapid Response Team
Salary £33,472 per annum
Contract: Fixed term until 30 September 2026
Hours: 37.5 per week
Location: Across London
Closing date: 22/02/2026
Interview date: 04/03/2026
Whatever your experience of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – personal or professional – when you join the Thames Reach team as a Support Worker we will make the best use of all your understanding, compassion and commitment
About us…
Thames Reach runs projects and services that help to end homelessness in and around London. We work directly with homeless people on the streets and in hostels. We work to prevent vulnerable people from becoming homeless. We help formerly homeless people get their lives back on track. We help people find work and access training and volunteering opportunities.
Is our mission easy? No, but we never give up on people. Last year we helped more than 15,000 people.
Is our work rewarding? Yes, in every sense. We’re listed as one of the top 100 Best Workplaces in the UK. There’s no better place to develop or transfer your skills and build a fulfilling career.
About this role…
We are looking for a Support Worker to join the Rapid Response Team.
The Rapid Response Outreach Team responds to reports of rough sleeping every night of the year, across London and work flexibly to reach London’s most vulnerable.
We aim to quickly find realistic accommodation options for everyone we find sleeping on the streets. The team also delivers a service across the Transport for London network, responding to referrals and proactively looking for people sleeping rough across the network and supporting them to find a route away from the streets.
We will not accept applications where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to assist with completing the competency questions.
You will:
.Attend to Streetlink referrals in a patch of multiple boroughs – on your own or paired up with a colleague – and search for rough sleepers. Shift times are 8pm – 4am and you will be on foot/public transport or in a rental car.
.Engage with rough sleepers assertively and compassionately, assessing their housing and other support needs and recording all of this on a database.
.Attempt to find a safe space for them to stay for the night. Where no accommodation is available, refer clients to appropriate local services for ongoing support with resolving their homelessness.
.Meticulously plan a shift that balances efficiency and the need to attend to the most urgent referrals.
.Record all work and complete handovers and any other admin associated to the role
.Attend team meetings and trainings, both online and in person
You will have:
.A strong desire to find and assist vulnerable rough sleepers. We are out 365 nights a year in all weather – a robust disposition and sense of adventure are essential to enjoying the role.
.Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work independently
.The ability to rapidly build rapport with people, even when they may be wary of services
.Strong teamworking skills, especially considering that your colleagues will be dispersed
.Experience in using databases, email and other apps on your phone
We are listed in the top 100 UK Best Workplaces 2023 in the UK. As part of a commitment to our employees we offer:
.Generous holiday allowance – 29 days per year plus 8 public holidays (pro rata).
.Pension – we contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5%.
.Excellent development opportunities – career progression, regular supervision and appraisals, and learning programmes to support your career with Thames Reach.
.Wellbeing support – our 24/7 employee assistance programme and opportunities for TOIL.
.Life assurance – four times your annual salary and critical illness cover.
.Other benefits including a blue light discount card, interest free season ticket and cycle to work loans.
Thames Reach is committed to achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value, respect, and celebrate diversity. We welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their history of homelessness, sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religious belief.
To apply visit our website and complete our application form.
For further information please contact, Anneke Ziemen, Service Manager at Anneke.Ziemen@thamesreach.org.uk
Thames Reach is committed to safeguarding. Applicants must be willing to undergo pre-employment screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not exclude you from applying but you will be asked to provide further details as most posts are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Salary £33,472 per annum
Contract: Fixed term until 30 September 2026
Hours: 37.5 per week
Location: Across London
Closing date: 22/02/2026
Interview date: 04/03/2026
Whatever your experience of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – personal or professional – when you join the Thames Reach team as a Support Worker we will make the best use of all your understanding, compassion and commitment
About us…
Thames Reach runs projects and services that help to end homelessness in and around London. We work directly with homeless people on the streets and in hostels. We work to prevent vulnerable people from becoming homeless. We help formerly homeless people get their lives back on track. We help people find work and access training and volunteering opportunities.
Is our mission easy? No, but we never give up on people. Last year we helped more than 15,000 people.
Is our work rewarding? Yes, in every sense. We’re listed as one of the top 100 Best Workplaces in the UK. There’s no better place to develop or transfer your skills and build a fulfilling career.
About this role…
We are looking for a Support Worker to join the Rapid Response Team.
The Rapid Response Outreach Team responds to reports of rough sleeping every night of the year, across London and work flexibly to reach London’s most vulnerable.
We aim to quickly find realistic accommodation options for everyone we find sleeping on the streets. The team also delivers a service across the Transport for London network, responding to referrals and proactively looking for people sleeping rough across the network and supporting them to find a route away from the streets.
We will not accept applications where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to assist with completing the competency questions.
You will:
.Attend to Streetlink referrals in a patch of multiple boroughs – on your own or paired up with a colleague – and search for rough sleepers. Shift times are 8pm – 4am and you will be on foot/public transport or in a rental car.
.Engage with rough sleepers assertively and compassionately, assessing their housing and other support needs and recording all of this on a database.
.Attempt to find a safe space for them to stay for the night. Where no accommodation is available, refer clients to appropriate local services for ongoing support with resolving their homelessness.
.Meticulously plan a shift that balances efficiency and the need to attend to the most urgent referrals.
.Record all work and complete handovers and any other admin associated to the role
.Attend team meetings and trainings, both online and in person
You will have:
.A strong desire to find and assist vulnerable rough sleepers. We are out 365 nights a year in all weather – a robust disposition and sense of adventure are essential to enjoying the role.
.Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work independently
.The ability to rapidly build rapport with people, even when they may be wary of services
.Strong teamworking skills, especially considering that your colleagues will be dispersed
.Experience in using databases, email and other apps on your phone
We are listed in the top 100 UK Best Workplaces 2023 in the UK. As part of a commitment to our employees we offer:
.Generous holiday allowance – 29 days per year plus 8 public holidays (pro rata).
.Pension – we contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5%.
.Excellent development opportunities – career progression, regular supervision and appraisals, and learning programmes to support your career with Thames Reach.
.Wellbeing support – our 24/7 employee assistance programme and opportunities for TOIL.
.Life assurance – four times your annual salary and critical illness cover.
.Other benefits including a blue light discount card, interest free season ticket and cycle to work loans.
Thames Reach is committed to achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value, respect, and celebrate diversity. We welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their history of homelessness, sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religious belief.
To apply visit our website and complete our application form.
For further information please contact, Anneke Ziemen, Service Manager at Anneke.Ziemen@thamesreach.org.uk
Thames Reach is committed to safeguarding. Applicants must be willing to undergo pre-employment screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not exclude you from applying but you will be asked to provide further details as most posts are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.