Housing Support Officer - Separated Migrant Young

We’re looking for a Housing Support Officer to work with separated migrant young people, supporting them to transition to adult life in the UK and feel fully supported, equipped, and confident of their independent living skills and sustainable capability to flourish. You will be part of a growing team helping to foster a supportive community of friends across nationalities through weekly gathered activities, such as football, cricket, and dinners, and welcome each person into a place they can call home, encouraging them to make it their own.

Housing is a key element of our support for young people. You will welcome each person into a place they can call home, encouraging them to decorate their rooms and explore their local area. These houses, shared with other young people, offer comfort and stability throughout what can be a challenging period of asylum claims and settling into the UK.

We help each young person to develop their confidence and competence in English. This can involve you helping them to enrol and encouraging consistent positive engagement with college. We also offer additional ESOL gathered classes for those who are not in college or desire extra support. Outings to the beach, bowling, climbing, go-karting, and more are a highlight of our work, allowing each young person to find hobbies they love, grow in their skills, and enjoy themselves!

• Hours:
  
  37.5 hours per week (part-time, flexible and on-call working options are available)
• Location:
  
  Based from The Shakey, Gateshead, NE8 3RR
  with travel to other hubs and dispersed properties
• Salary: £30,150 pro rata, plus on-call rates.

Final date to receive applications: 17:00 on 25th March 2026. Interviews will be conducted during w/c 30th March or 6th April depending on your availability

We started our first workshop in January 2012. A few people from a local church had been getting to know homeless people in Durham. We were struck that people were being written off due to their situation, yet they clearly had skills, ambitions, and something to offer.

We started sessions in woodwork, landscaping and decorating to try and find a positive way of engaging with people and building community and routine. Anyone was welcome. As we gave people opportunities, we saw them start to build more stability for themselves. This was noticed by referrers such as probation and hostels, who sent more and more people our way.

14 years later, Handcrafted engages over 500 people annually, with 80 in daily training sessions and 100+ residents in supported housing. Our team provides essential support, helping people meet immediate needs and build self-confidence, skills, and independence through strengths-based work.

As demand grows, we continue to expand and focus on those with high needs. We work with a wide range of people and have built strong partnerships, including with Durham’s Young People’s Service, with feedback being overwhelmingly positive:
Handcrafted are an amazing organisation that have supported a lot of our care leavers. It has been great to see so many of our young people get involved and be excited to attend their workshops. It has helped many of them develop skills, create opportunities, and meet lots of new people.

- Aimee, Social Services

Over the years our mission remains clear: to connect with the excluded people in society and offer opportunities that can empower them to turn their own lives around – learning and growing through creative projects and being part of a supportive community.