Street Outreach Worker (Health)NHS

Job summary

Working across Westminster, you will engage with people sleeping rough and those at risk of homelessness, supporting them to access healthcare, housing, benefits, and wider support services.

You will work closely with GPs, housing providers, outreach teams, hospitals, prisons, mental health services, drug and alcohol services, and voluntary organisations to ensure people receive support when they need it most.

Main duties of the job

Carry out street outreach and community engagement.

Support GP registration and access to healthcare.

Assist individuals to access housing, welfare benefits and support services.

Support people following hospital discharge or release from prison.

Build positive relationships and encourage ongoing engagement with services.

Advocate for patients and work collaboratively with partner agencies.

Maintain accurate records and contribute to service monitoring

Job description

Job DescriptionJob TitleStreet Outreach Worker (Health)

EmployerThe Dr Hickey Surgery, Westminster

Reports ToPractice Manager

Clinically Accountable ToOutreach GP Lead

Hours37.5 hours per week

LocationThe Dr Hickey Surgery, Westminster, with regular outreach work across Westminster, including street settings, hostels, day centres, hospitals, temporary accommodation, and partner agency locations.

Job PurposeThe Street Outreach Worker will play a key role in improving access to healthcare and support services for people sleeping rough or experiencing homelessness in Westminster.

The postholder will proactively engage individuals who face barriers to accessing healthcare and mainstream services, helping them access primary care, housing support, welfare benefits, immigration advice, mental health services, substance misuse services, and wider community resources.

Working within a specialist homeless healthcare service, the postholder will build trusting relationships with people who may be socially excluded, reluctant to engage with services, or experiencing multiple disadvantage. The role will focus on reducing health inequalities, improving access to treatment, promoting wellbeing, and helping individuals move towards improved health, stability, and independence.

The Street Outreach Worker will work closely with healthcare professionals, housing providers, homelessness services, hospitals, prisons, social care teams, drug and alcohol services, and voluntary sector organisations to ensure a coordinated and effective response to individuals experiencing rough sleeping and homelessness.

Key ResponsibilitiesOutreach, Engagement and Relationship Building

• Undertake regular outreach across Westminster to identify and engage people sleeping rough.
• Build trusting and respectful relationships with individuals who may have experienced trauma, exclusion, discrimination, or repeated service disengagement.
• Adopt a compassionate, person-centred, and non-judgemental approach in all interactions.
• Engage individuals in streets, parks, transport hubs, hostels, day centres, temporary accommodation, hospitals, and community settings.
• Respond to referrals from healthcare professionals, outreach teams, housing providers, prisons, hostels, and partner agencies.
• Maintain regular contact with individuals to support engagement and reduce the likelihood of disengagement from essential services.
• Support people to identify their own goals and priorities, encouraging independence and informed decision-making wherever possible.

Healthcare Access and Navigation

• Support individuals to register with a GP and access primary healthcare services.
• Facilitate access to physical health services, mental health services, substance misuse treatment, specialist clinics, and community healthcare resources.
• Help individuals understand and navigate healthcare systems.
• Promote health improvement, wellbeing, recovery, and harm reduction approaches.
• Encourage attendance at healthcare appointments and support people to overcome practical barriers.
• Work alongside clinical colleagues to support treatment engagement and continuity of care.
• Support individuals following hospital discharge, particularly where there is a risk of returning to rough sleeping.
• Assist in re-engaging people who have disengaged from healthcare or treatment services.

Housing, Benefits and Immigration Support

• Support individuals to access housing advice, homelessness services, and accommodation pathways.
• Assist with welfare benefit applications including Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Housing Benefit, and other relevant entitlements.
• Support individuals to understand and manage benefit claims and obligations.
• Assist service users to access specialist welfare rights support where required.
• Support individuals to access appropriate immigration advice and specialist immigration services.
• Assist individuals in obtaining identification documents and other paperwork required to access services and entitlements.
• Advocate on behalf of individuals when barriers to accessing support are identified.
• Provide practical assistance to help service users engage with statutory and voluntary sector services.

Partnership and Multi-Agency Working

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with a broad range of partner organisations.
• Work collaboratively with housing providers, homelessness services, healthcare teams, social care services, criminal justice agencies, and voluntary organisations.
• Participate in multi-agency meetings, case reviews, and support planning processes.
• Support the sharing of information appropriately and in accordance with confidentiality and information governance requirements.
• Contribute to coordinated interventions designed to improve health outcomes and reduce rough sleeping.
• Represent the service professionally and positively when working with partner agencies and stakeholders.

Safeguarding and Risk Management

• Identify safeguarding concerns involving adults or children and take appropriate action in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.
• Maintain awareness of risks associated with homelessness, exploitation, abuse, self-neglect, domestic abuse, mental ill health, and substance misuse.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessments when working in community settings.
• Follow lone working, health and safety, and incident reporting procedures.
• Escalate concerns appropriately and seek support when managing complex or high-risk situations.
• Contribute to maintaining a safe environment for service users, colleagues, and partner agencies.

Administration and Service Development

• Maintain accurate, timely, and professional records of contacts, interventions, and outcomes.
• Record activity on relevant systems in accordance with organisational requirements.
• Contribute to data collection, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting processes.
• Support achievement of agreed service objectives and key performance indicators.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with information governance standards.
• Contribute ideas and feedback to support service improvement and development.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the responsibilities of the role.

Professional Development

• Participate in supervision, reflective practice, team meetings, and appraisal processes.
• Attend mandatory and role-specific training.
• Maintain knowledge of homelessness policy, welfare benefits, housing legislation, healthcare access, immigration systems, safeguarding, and related issues.
• Demonstrate commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and trauma-informed practice.
• Act as an ambassador for The Dr Hickey Surgery and its values.

Person SpecificationEssential Criteria

• Experience working with people experiencing homelessness, substance use, mental health challenges, or multiple disadvantage.
• Excellent communication, engagement, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build trust and motivate individuals who may be reluctant to access support.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and use initiative.
• Experience supporting individuals with housing, welfare benefits, immigration matters, or access to statutory services.
• Good IT, administrative, and record-keeping skills.
• Understanding of safeguarding, confidentiality, and professional boundaries.
• Compassionate, non-judgemental, and person-centred approach.
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for vulnerable people.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of outreach or community-based support work.
• Knowledge of homelessness services and housing pathways.
• Knowledge of welfare rights and DWP benefits.
• Experience supporting Universal Credit, PIP, Housing Benefit, and other welfare entitlements.
• Experience within healthcare, housing, social care, homelessness, substance misuse, immigration, criminal justice, or welfare advice services.
• Experience supporting people following hospital discharge or release from prison.
• Knowledge of Westminster homelessness services and local support pathways.
• Relevant qualification in health, housing, social care, welfare rights, community development, or a related field.

Additional Requirements

• Enhanced DBS check (including Adult Barred List).
• Right to work in the UK.
• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional early morning outreach sessions.
• Willingness to work across Westminster in a variety of community settings.
• Commitment to the values and ethos of The Dr Hickey Surgery.

About us

The Dr Hickey Surgery has been providing specialist healthcare for people experiencing homelessness since 1987. We are looking for a compassionate and motivated Street Outreach Worker to help people sleeping rough access healthcare, housing, welfare benefits, treatment, and recovery services.

This is an opportunity to work directly with some of Westminster's most vulnerable residents, helping them overcome barriers, build trust, improve their health, and move towards a more stable future.