Overview
Rough Sleeping Outreach Worker – PO13HL, United Kingdom
Job Category: Housing
Region / Division: UK Region
Location: Rough Sleeping Hub, Portsmouth
Working Hours: 37
We have 1 permanent role & 1 Fixed Term Contract/Secondment for 2 years available – please clearly state in your application which role you are applying for.
About Portsmouth City Council
Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.
We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.
Job introduction
We are looking for a Rough Sleeping Outreach Worker to join our Housing Needs, Advice & Support team, working directly with customers to help deal with housing issues and prevent homelessness in the city. This is a full-time role based at the Rough Sleeping Hub in Portsmouth.
Your new role
The Rough Sleeping Outreach team providers a vital service in Portsmouth to support and engage with people who may have become homeless and have resorted to sleeping rough in the city. The Outreach team goes out at different times of day, including early in the morning, to look for people sleeping rough and to help them away from the streets. The team’s priority is to seek to engage with rough sleepers and check their immediate health and wellbeing, gather information about their situation, and provide further advice, support and signposting to appropriate services in the city – including Portsmouth City Council’s Rough Sleeping Hub in Queen Street.
People who have slept rough might find it hard to trust others because of negative experiences; it’s crucial to build up trust and get to know people individually. Rough Sleeping Outreach Workers will therefore take a person-centred and trauma-informed approach to working with any individuals who may be rough sleeping, and make use of the strong partnerships with other organisations in Portsmouth to help them access accommodation and support, such as physical and mental health services, drug and alcohol services, legal support and advocacy.
Reporting to the Senior Rough Sleeping Outreach Worker, you will be part of a small team which will provide the Rough Sleeping Outreach service within the city. The team will manage a caseload of clients who are known to be sleeping rough in Portsmouth. These cases are likely to require a range of interventions as part of a tailored package of support which could include assisting with benefit claims, GP registrations, exploring housing options and engaging in recovery support for addiction.
Please see the full job profile for all duties of this role!
Who is the person?
Somebody who:
- Ideally has experience working with vulnerable and homeless people, or households with housing problems, and a desire to work to resolve these issues.
- Has an awareness of the Equality Act 2010 and the Care Act 2014, and of adult safeguarding principles and procedures
- An awareness of relevant housing legislation such as the Housing Act 1996, Homelessness Act 2002 and Homeless Reduction Act 2017 would be beneficial for this role
- Is able to advocate for customers by developing positive relationships with other agencies (ie mental health services, probation, substance misuse services) and be the single point of contact if required
- Is confident in making risks assessments in relation to customers’ circumstances, including identifying potential safeguarding concerns, to ensure a safe working environment at all times
- Is able to listen to people and not rush to conclusions or judgements before fully understanding what is needed or wanted by a customer.
- Has tact and diplomacy; the ability to deal with sensitive and confidential issues that may require a variety of responses. The right person will be able to manage challenging situations whilst remaining professional and objective;
- Possesses negotiating and advocacy skills
- Able to work on their own initiative and who can be proactive, and solution focused.
- Able to work well within a highly functioning team, supporting your peers and supervisor to manage a caseload of clients
- Is emotionally resilient and able to deal with the impact of being exposed to customers’ difficult circumstances.
- Can maintain accurate records of all clients who you come into contact with to enable concise data collection
- Has the ability to communicate clearly to colleagues, partners and customers, verbally and in writing
- Is competent in the use of IT to manage and monitor a small team’s caseload effectively, recording information appropriately on the required management information system. Basic ICT skills, including the use of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Outlook and other Office 365 applications such as SharePoint.
- Is able to work flexibly as part of a rota, which will include shifts on some weekends and bank holidays, some early mornings and some evenings.
- Is willing and able to travel to meet customers in a variety of locations as needed within the Portsmouth city area, and at times when public transport may be limited; a valid driving licence and access to a car are therefore desirable for this role.
Please see the full job profile for more!
Our recruitment process
Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants’ page: Support for applicants – Careers portal
You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the ‘Who is the Person’ points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.
Interviews 23rd/24th February 2026.
If you are applying as a secondment, please ensure that you have your line managers permission before applying, and please state this in your application.
We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion – Careers portal
Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.
You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.
Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career’s portal homepage: Careers Portal – Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
