Social Worker - Social Housing (Rental Housing Projects)

Job Summary

The Social Worker – Social Housing (Rental Housing Projects) provides professional social work intervention to individuals and households residing in rental and supported social housing projects.

The role supports tenants to achieve housing stability, improved well-being and greater independence, recognising that successful housing extends beyond securing accommodation to sustaining the tenancy and enabling individuals to thrive within their homes and communities.

The Social Worker adopts an integrated casework, group work and community work approach, working closely with housing operations teams, community partners and other stakeholders to identify risks to housing sustainability and provide timely, targeted interventions.

The role includes psychosocial assessment and case management, housing sustainability assessment, group work facilitation, programme development and evaluation, community engagement, crisis and safeguarding intervention, and multi-agency collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Psychosocial Assessment & Case Management

Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments to identify tenants’ strengths, needs, risks and protective factors.

Develop person-centred intervention and support plans together with tenants.

Provide individual and family casework interventions appropriate to presenting needs.

Support tenants experiencing issues relating to financial hardship, employment, physical and psychological well-being, family relationships, social isolation, communal living and other factors that may affect housing sustainability.

Conduct home visits, office-based sessions and community-based engagements as required.

Monitor progress and review intervention plans regularly.

Facilitate referrals and link tenants to appropriate social, healthcare, financial, employment and community resources.

Maintain accurate, timely and professional case documentation in accordance with organisational and professional practice standards.

Housing Sustainability & Risk-Informed Practice

Assess factors that may affect a tenant’s ability to sustain housing across physical well-being, psychological well-being, social connections and support, dignified and safe living environment, and empowerment, financial stability and purposeful living.

Administer relevant housing sustainability, psychosocial and needs assessment tools where applicable.

Identify early indicators of housing instability such as rental arrears, repeated disputes, social isolation, poor home conditions, difficulties with communal living, declining functioning or repeated tenancy concerns.

Develop targeted intervention plans based on assessed risks, strengths, goals, preferences and readiness for change.

Work collaboratively with Client Engagement / Operations staff to distinguish between issues requiring social work intervention and matters relating primarily to tenancy administration or enforcement.

Support appropriate transitions, tenancy renewals, right-siting and housing exits where social work assessment is required.

Group Work Facilitation

Plan, develop and facilitate social work groups and structured group interventions based on identified tenant needs.

Apply group work principles including group formation, contracting, facilitation, management of group dynamics, participant engagement and termination.

Facilitate psychoeducational, developmental, support or skills-based groups in areas such as emotional well-being and resilience; social connection and community belonging; communal living and conflict management; financial capability; employment and life skills; healthy living and self-care; independent living skills; digital literacy; and empowerment, goal-setting and purposeful living.

Adapt group interventions to the needs, functioning and learning abilities of participants.

Manage group dynamics and respond appropriately to emerging safeguarding or individual support needs.

Document group work interventions and participant outcomes.

Programme Design, Implementation & Evaluation

Identify programme needs through case trends, tenant feedback, risk assessments, community observations and service data.

Design and develop programmes and structured interventions that address identified social and housing sustainability needs.

Develop programme objectives, target populations, intervention approaches, activity plans and intended outcomes.

Work collaboratively with colleagues, programme staff, volunteers and external partners to implement programmes.

Facilitate programmes directly where professional social work input is required.

Ensure programmes are inclusive, person-centred, strengths-based and responsive to the needs of the tenant population.

Develop appropriate programme monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including process and outcome indicators.

Collect and review data such as attendance, participant feedback, pre/post measures, goal attainment and relevant housing sustainability indicators.

Evaluate programme effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

Use evaluation findings, practice observations and available evidence to refine or redesign interventions.

Contribute to reports, presentations, programme reviews and service development recommendations.

Community Work & Tenant Engagement

Develop initiatives that strengthen mutual support, social connection and community participation among tenants.

Conduct outreach and engage tenants who may be socially isolated, disengaged or reluctant to seek formal support.

Facilitate tenant participation in identifying community needs and developing local solutions.

Support tenant-led initiatives, interest groups, peer support and volunteering opportunities.

Build community assets and connect tenants to resources within the wider neighbourhood.

Support community-building activities that promote respectful communal living, inclusion, belonging and shared responsibility.

Identify emerging community trends or systemic issues affecting the tenant population and raise these for