Project Support Worker - UR4 Driving

The Upper Room (TUR) works with a wide range of financially and socially disadvantaged groups. 

This includes homeless people, those with long-term mental health conditions, asylum-seekers, refugees and ex-offenders – helping them to improve their lives and become productive members of society.

Central to our offering is our UR4Driving programme, which supports people recently out of prison with free driving lessons in exchange for community volunteering. Gaining a driving licence greatly enhances their future employability prospects and helps break the cycle of re-offending. We also run a free meals service for homeless people, which this year will produce c. 40,000 home-cooked hot meals for people who cannot afford to provide for themselves. Additionally, our UR4Jobs project focusses on both client wellbeing and breaking down the many barriers to employment faced by disadvantaged people every day.

The Role

Is supporting, enabling and coaching clients to be successful participants in our UR4Driving programme. From initial client onboarding, through their theory test stages, their volunteering and ultimately their driving lessons you will be their No. 1 support. Sometimes the role is about building their confidence, sometimes it’s about helping them to prepare for a new life where they can re-engage with their communities and families, but it’s always about being by their side through the journey. The role requires ongoing updating of our case-management system and production of a variety of reports – for which full training will be given.

We run this service mainly out of our W12 offices, but also run satellite operations in South London, and occasionally elsewhere. Some travel between sites will be required, which will be fully expensed.

About You

Ideally you have some lived experience of the justice system; however you gained that knowledge, it will be highly useful in this role. You are organised, familiar with basic IT systems such as Microsoft Office and email and will need to learn how to use our own case-management system too. You are passionate about supporting people who may well think there’s no point in trying to help themselves. You are comfortable with regular communication – both telephone-based and face to face – but also understand the importance of documenting conversations so there is always a record of how your clients are progressing.

We welcome applications from a variety of experiences, as we will provide the training you need day-by-day to succeed in the role. This is a great starting role which has opportunities for progression in the long term

Salary starting rate is £13.15 per hour ( London Living Wage )