If you’re looking for a career with real heart and real potential, there’s no better place to start than Look Ahead. Supporting vulnerable people across London and the South East, we’re now launching our first ever Apprenticeship scheme – and are seeking people to join us.
This is a great opportunity to start a career in social care – getting paid while building key experience and skills. Over a set 12-month period, you’ll combine hands-on learning with formal, college-based NVQ training. At the end of this time, if you complete your apprenticeship we’ll talk about how you can carry on working with us.
If you’re over 18 and interested, have a look round this site – and find out more about what we’ve got to offer.
Join us, and you’ll work as part of a team to make a real, lasting difference to our customers’ lives. You’ll deliver services that meet their assessed needs, promoting social inclusion and independent living – treating everyone as an individual, and encouraging them to make the most of their skills and choices.
During your apprenticeship, you can work with any of the above client groups. Click on a client group to find out more.
Mental illness is a major cause of people losing their homes. We provide vital support to people with mental health issues – ending the spiral of social exclusion and homelessness for once and for all. We offer residential care, floating support and outreach services, all of which provide flexible, tailored and practical assistance. Our customers are encouraged to access appropriate training, employment and leisure activities – and are helped to develop essential daily living skills.
People with learning disabilities have a wide spectrum of needs - and we offer a range of services to meet them all. Our outreach services provide support to people in their own homes - we also operate accommodation schemes with 24-hour support. Our customers are assisted to manage their own homes and tenancies, and are encouraged to grow in confidence, build independent living skills, access employment and training opportunities, and develop brighter futures.
Tackling homelessness continues to be one of our core activities. Our four hostels in central London provide temporary accommodation and support services to over 430 homeless people - many of whom have a history of rough sleeping, and have been excluded from other services because of their chaotic lifestyles. We don’t just give them a temporary roof over their heads, but aim to deliver longer-term solutions – helping them access medical care, training and employment, and enabling them to live more independently in the future.
We provide services to young people with a variety of needs. Some are leaving care or homeless – others are teenage parents, substance users or have mental health issues. Whatever their background, we provide them with expert and personally-tailored support. This may be delivered in their own homes, or through our supported housing projects – these are staffed 24 hours a day, and provide a secure environment in which to learn life skills and pursue training, education and employment opportunities.
We provide wide-ranging services to families with housing and support needs – these families come from all kinds of backgrounds, and have an equally diverse range of needs. As well as working with homeless families, we also provide support to single parents, and to women and children escaping from domestic violence. Our support workers help each family to deal individually with their problems, and to move forward with their lives.
Click on the names above to find out why they chose to work at Look Ahead, and what their roles involve on a typical day.
Before I joined Look Ahead, I was a pub manager – but eventually, I wanted more conventional working hours. That’s what led to me joining Look Ahead, and I’m really glad I did. My role’s very varied, and there’s never a dull moment – I work with vulnerable young people seeking medical treatment or counselling for a range of different issues. I also help them find work, housing and make their way through the benefits maze, generally empowering them to live independently. As a result, young people get opportunities they could never have dreamed of without our intervention. This is a massively rewarding role in a great organisation. If you’ve got some life experience, plenty of common sense and an open mind, you could do really well.
I left my law degree after a year, because I wanted to do something more moral. After this, I worked in the probation service, and then with a small charity. While I enjoyed charity work, I wanted to work in a larger and more ambitious organisation, which had more resources and could make a greater impact. Then a friend told me about Look Ahead – and I joined them. Today, I work in a house with six homeless people, three men and three women. My role’s all about building confidence, developing skills and improving lives – I connect clients with other agencies, including drug and alcohol charities, and ultimately help them to live more independently. There’s a massive amount of variety in terms of the work, and it’s hugely rewarding – which is why I want to develop my long-term career in this area.
The caring profession has always interested me, and I was keen to move into it when I came to this country from Zimbabwe. I started working for Look Ahead when an agency placed me here in a temping role – after that, they offered me the job on a permanent basis. I work in a supported living project, which is home to five service users who have Learning Disabilities – I’m also a Job Coach, which means that I help to get them back into work. It’s all about helping vulnerable people to live as independently as possible, making the most of their skills and achieve their goals. I find my job very satisfying, both personally and professionally. And because Look Ahead supports professional development, I’ve been able to gain certificates and qualifications that will be helpful in my future career.
Have you got the qualities, skills and personality we’re looking for? Answer the following questions, and see for yourself…
Applications Closed
If you require any further information about our Apprenticeship scheme, please contact us on 020 7937 1166 or Email apprenticeships@lookahead.org.uk
The Human Resources Department
Look Ahead Housing & Care Ltd
1 Derry Street
London
W8 5HY
