Responding to a greater, and more bespoke, need for youth and family homelessness support, Simon Community NI has announced a recruitment drive to find the right individuals to join its Belfast-based accommodation and support services.
Offering 11 vacancies across a number of entry-level and experienced positions, the charity is recruiting for project assistant, support worker and team leader positions in addition to newly created roles in operational management, wellbeing support and youth activities. Also included in the menu of opportunities is an exciting Children in Need funded position for a children’s play and learning co-ordinator role based at the charity’s Falls Road family accommodation project.
Speaking about the growth and development of services, Karen McAlister, Head of Young Person’s and Family Services at Simon, commented:
The pandemic has shown us more than ever that social factors like isolation, relationships, finances and living arrangements can have profound impacts on mental health, aspirations and opportunities. If we are looking at realistically ending homelessness in Northern Ireland, then we must break the cycle at the earliest stage possible and that means young people and children.
Entry level positions on offer will provide recruits with the chance to join the charity and receive the training needed to professionally grow and developing within a rewarding sector. Meanwhile, more specialist roles are looking to capture the interest of those with qualifications, or experience, in areas of nursing, youth work, social work, psychology, teaching and occupational therapy.
McAlister further detailed:
For someone thinking of youth and family homelessness as a career, now is an exciting and dynamic time to get involved. I look forward to welcoming the right individuals to my team and eagerly await to see how their mixture of talent, skills, passion and experience will ensure that homelessness is not a reality for the next generation of adults in Northern Ireland.
Providing a range of employee perks, Northern Ireland’s leading homelessness charity, who recently were awarded Excellence in Health & Wellbeing at this year’s Belfast Telegraph Workplace Awards, promises new recruits a competitive salary, first-class training, with many courses accredited, a comprehensive employee health & wellbeing package, generous annual leave allowance and much more.
Speaking about opportunities at the charity, Robin Arbuthnot, Director of HR and Organisational Development, explained:
More than simply highlighting the importance of a home, COVID-19 has shone the limelight on the vital role homelessness services and staff play in supporting marginalised people in our society. As a result, I now believe that more individuals view Simon Community as an employer of choice and a career that provides an element of security in such times. With our commitment to training and development, the charity is truly a place that caters for all experience levels, be it an individual looking to begin an exciting career or a professional looking to take a step up on the career ladder.
Applications close on 23 October, 5pm with interviews expected to take place in early November. To learn more about the roles on offer and to apply, visit www.simoncommunity.org/jobs or speak to a member of the HR team on 028 9023 2282.