Homeless Prevention Outreach Worker

The Service & Team: 

This specialist countywide role sits within the Homeless Prevention Service and focuses on supporting people who are sleeping rough or are at immediate risk of rough sleeping across Cornwall. Working as part of a dedicated outreach and casework team, you will engage with customers who can often be difficult to reach, working alongside key partners such as St Petrocs, Coastline, health services, and other support agencies to help people access accommodation and improve their lives. 

The Role:

• Rough Sleeper Outreach & Engagement- Work directly with rough sleepers across Cornwall, building trusted relationships and supporting people to access accommodation and move away from the streets. 

• Specialist Housing Advice & Casework- Manage a caseload of customers, providing housing advice, homelessness prevention support, and personalised plans to achieve sustainable outcomes. 

• Partnership Working- Work closely with housing providers, support services, health agencies, and voluntary organisations to coordinate support and maximise opportunities for customers. 

• Prevention & Move-On Support- Identify solutions that prevent homelessness, secure accommodation, and help customers sustain housing and avoid returning to rough sleeping. 

• Advocacy & Housing Solutions- Advise on housing rights, welfare benefits, tenancy matters, and available housing options whilst advocating for customers with complex needs. 

• Outreach Visits & Rough Sleeper Counts- Undertake outreach visits across Cornwall and contribute to local and national rough sleeper counts, including occasional evening and night-time work. 

• Record Keeping & Performance- Maintain accurate case records, monitor outcomes, and ensure statutory duties and service standards are met. 

This is a public/customer-facing role, where the statutory English language requirement for public sector workers applies.  

 

This position will be subject to a enhanced criminal record disclosure check.

 

Working Pattern:

• Monday to Friday working pattern with flexibility to meet service needs.
• Hybrid and community-based working across Cornwall.
• Significant travel throughout Cornwall will be required.
• Regular face-to-face engagement with customers, including outreach work in community settings.
• Participation in an out-of-hours rota and occasional evening work, including rough sleeper counts. 

 

What you’ll need to succeed:

• Excellent Communication Skills – Able to engage effectively with vulnerable individuals and build positive relationships.
• Empathy & Resilience – Comfortable working with people experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping, and multiple disadvantages.
• Strong Case Management Skills – Able to manage a varied caseload and achieve positive outcomes.
• Problem-Solving & Initiative – Skilled at identifying practical housing solutions and overcoming barriers.
• Partnership Working – Experience of collaborating with a range of agencies and stakeholders.
• Organisation & Time Management – Able to prioritise competing demands and meet deadlines.
• IT Proficiency – Confident using Microsoft Office and case management systems.
• Knowledge of Housing & Homelessness – Understanding of housing options, homelessness legislation and welfare benefits is desirable. 

Whilst experience in homelessness, outreach, housing, support work, or a related field would be beneficial, we're particularly interested in people who are passionate about supporting rough sleepers, can build strong relationships, and are committed to achieving positive outcomes for some of Cornwall's most vulnerable residents.

 

Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert

 

What you’ll get in return:

Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

 

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

• a competitive salary.
• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions
• a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.
• a national award-winning employee health and well being programme
• Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services

 

Additional Information:

Cornwall Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship or transfer existing sponsorship for this role.

 

The full role profile is attached here

 

We recommend saving a copy of this to refer to if you are invited to an interview.

 

For more information or an informal chat about the role please contact  Nicky Robins (Nicky.Robins@cornwall.gov.uk)

 

Application Process

 

Please attach a supporting statement to your application, you can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as ‘Application’ on the Role 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. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here – The application process_._

 

Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact careers@cornwall.gov.uk if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.

 

Existing employees must apply using their Cornwall Council email address through the Opportunity Marketplace on Oracle.

Cornwall Council deliver services to more than half a million local people and over five million visitors a year. Working here - Cornwall Council

We are happy to talk about flexible working options such as part-time or compressed hours. More examples of our flexible working opportunities can be found here - flexible working options.

Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall. In order to best serve our communities, we are striving to achieve a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities; e.g., race, disability, sex, gender reassignment status, age, religion and sexual orientation. We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.

Cornwall Council is committed to safeguarding and following safer recruitment principles to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, young people and adults at risk. It’s a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping all service users safe from harm.