About Outward

For 50 years, Outward has been providing high-quality support and care services to vulnerable people across London, predominantly in North and East London. Established by families seeking alternatives to institutional care, we’ve grown into a respected provider of person-centred support for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs and complex needs. We support over 1,000 people across nine boroughs, guided by our core values: engage, enable and empower, and we work in partnership with individuals and their families to promote choice, control and inclusion.

Outward is proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer. This means we are committed to paying the Real Living Wage – not just the government minimum or national living wage – to our frontline Support Workers and other eligible staff. We recognise the value of the work our teams do, and we are committed to ensuring fair pay that reflects the true cost of living. The Real Living Wage is updated annually by the Living Wage Foundation, and Outward remains committed to aligning our pay accordingly.

About the Role

We are looking for dedicated, enthusiastic and compassionate Support Workers to join our supported living services. You will support adults with autism and learning disabilities who live either independently in their own flats or in shared accommodation.

This is a hands-on role where you will spend your time supporting people with everyday life activities, from developing essential life skills and accessing the community, to personal care and wellbeing.

No previous professional care experience is required. If you have personal experience of care or simply a strong desire to support others, we’ll provide you with training, including in Positive Behavior Support (PBS).

This role includes working evenings, weekends and bank holidays, on a Rota basis.

Your Responsibilities:

Supporting people we work with (People We Support)

• Deliver high-quality care and support to individuals in line with their support plans and risk assessments
• Enable people to access the community, develop independence, and pursue interests and goals
• Support with daily living, including personal care, meal preparation, budgeting and household tasks
• Act as a keyworker, maintaining regular contact and building meaningful relationships
• Encourage participation in planning services, recruitment and feedback opportunities
• Uphold dignity, respect and choice in all support activities

Financial and contractual responsibility

• Follow all financial procedures and policies, including appropriate use of petty cash
• Ensure value for money in all purchases and day-to-day activities
• Support the people we support to manage their finances responsibly and securely
• Promptly report any concerns regarding financial safety or signs of financial abuse to your line manager
• Record support hours accurately and notify your manager if any planned support is not delivered
• Encourage and support participation of the people we support in recruitment and service development
• Take personal responsibility for keeping your knowledge and skills up to date

Service delivery

• Ensure delivery of safe, high-quality, person-centered support—this may include lone working
• Follow support plans, risk assessments, and organisational policies and procedures at all times
• Monitor and report any changes in the needs or wellbeing of the people you support
• Maintain up-to-date, accurate records and complete all documentation to a high standard
• Inform your manager of any concerns, risks, or gaps in care, and escalate where necessary
• Provide both direct and indirect care across multiple services if required
• Be available to work flexibly, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays, as part of a rota
• Carry out personal care tasks safely and appropriately, and guide others in best practice where required
• Develop positive working relationships with families and external professionals
• Attend and complete all essential training and apply learning in your daily practice

Positive Behavior Support (PBS)

• Promote and embed a PBS approach that focuses on improving quality of life, inclusion and participation
• Use proactive strategies to understand and meet the needs of individuals who may display behaviors of concern
• Work in partnership with individuals, families, and professionals to implement PBS plans
• Take part in reflective practice and training to continuously improve your understanding of PBS
• Help create a supportive environment that reduces distress and promotes wellbeing

Teamwork and safeguarding

• Work collaboratively with colleagues, families, and professionals to deliver joined-up care
• Support the induction of new team members, apprentices and volunteers
• Attend team meetings and contribute to service improvements
• Understand and follow all safeguarding procedures and respond appropriately to incidents or concerns
• Promote the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone in the service and report health and safety issues promptly
• Act as an ambassador for Outward and uphold our values in every interaction

This job specification is not an exhaustive list. You are expected to undertake any other duties as may be reasonably requested of you by your line manager.

Essential

• Right to Work in the UK. Please note: Outward will not provide visa sponsorship.
• A genuine passion for supporting vulnerable adults to live independently
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to build trusting relationships with the people we support
• Willingness to support people with personal care
• Resilience and emotional maturity, especially when working with behaviors of concern
• Good written and IT skills for maintaining support records
• Willingness to work flexibly including weekends, evenings and bank holidays
• Commitment to safeguarding and following support plans
• Willingness to undertake training and apply learning in practice
• Staff must have access to a smartphone capable of receiving SMS messages and installing authentication apps for secure systems access
• A values-driven approach aligned with Outward’s mission

Desirable

• Experience supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, or complex needs (including unpaid or personal experience)
• Familiarity with Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) or willingness to learn
• NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Health and Social Care (or working towards)
• Understanding of person-centred planning and support planning tools

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk and expect all staff to share this commitment. If the post you apply for involves working with or having access to adults at risk and/or their records, we will require an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Services. This will be fully subsidised by Outward.

How to Apply

If you think you have the necessary skills and experience for this role please send your CV and a covering letter. In your covering letter, outline your motivation for applying, how your skills align with the role, and highlight relevant achievements.

The closing date for all applications is open-ended. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. It would be great to hear from you.

We value everything our staff do for the people we support, so we provide a great benefits package:

• 25 days Annual Leave excluding Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Comprehensive Learning & Development Programme

• Cycle-to-Work Scheme
• Death in Service Benefit
• Health Assured – Employee Assistance Programme
• Eye care Vouchers
• Flu Jab Reimbursement
• Pension Scheme
• Purchase Additional Annual Leave
• Refer-a-Friend Scheme

Diversity and Safeguarding at Outward:

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Outward applies its Equal Opportunities Policy at all stages of recruitment and selection. Shortlisting, interviewing and selection is carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age or trade union membership.

As an employer, who aspire to become Disability Confident Committed, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. Please indicate clearly at the beginning of your supporting statement if you have a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010), and you wish to be considered for an Offer Of an Interview (OOI) Please note that the OOI is available to disabled candidates only. Regrettably, any false declaration of disability in order to secure an interview will impact on your overall application.