Social Care and Housing
We connect mental health services, supported housing providers and social care organisations with experienced support workers and housing professionals – and offer locum and permanent opportunities for people who want to make a genuine difference in the lives of people with mental health needs.
Welcome to Hunter Gatherer Mental Health, your specialist partner for social care and housing recruitment across the UK.
Mental health recovery doesn’t happen only in clinical settings – it happens in the community, in supported housing, in the relationships people build through consistent support. We place support workers, floating support workers, housing support workers and housing officers into the services that make independent living possible for people with mental health difficulties. Whether you’re a provider looking to fill shifts or a support worker looking for your next opportunity, we match on experience and commitment, not just availability.
What is Social Care & Housing?
Social care and housing professionals working in the mental health field support people with mental health difficulties to live independently, maintain stable accommodation, manage their daily lives, and engage with their communities. The work sits at the intersection of health and social care – and is often the difference between someone maintaining their recovery in the community and returning to crisis services.
Support workers, floating support workers and housing support staff are typically not registered clinicians, but they carry a significant professional responsibility. The people they work with are often at their most vulnerable, may have complex histories of trauma, mental health crisis, homelessness or substance misuse, and require consistent, boundaried, compassionate support. Experience in this context matters enormously.
Why Services Choose Hunter Gatherer for Social Care and Housing Recruitment:
- Experience confirmed, not assumed Support workers in mental health settings need more than a caring nature. We confirm relevant experience – mental health, supported housing, complex needs, challenging behaviour – alongside DBS and mandatory training before anyone goes forward.
- Mental health context understood Our consultants work across the mental health sector. We understand the difference between a residential mental health support worker and a floating housing support worker, and we match accordingly.
- Locum and permanent placements Urgent shift cover or a permanent addition to your team – we support both.
Need support attracting top social care and housing talent?
Roles We Recruit For:
- Mental Health Support Workers Working in residential mental health services, supported living homes, community mental health settings and NHS step-down services. Supporting residents with daily living, therapeutic activity, medication prompting, and maintaining a safe and positive environment.
- Floating Support Workers Visiting people in their own homes or tenancies – rather than a fixed site – to provide practical and emotional support with independent living skills, welfare benefits, tenancy sustainment and community engagement. Floating support roles are common within mental health housing schemes and community support services.
- Housing Support Workers Working within supported or sheltered housing schemes specifically for people with mental health needs – managing a small caseload of tenants, providing structured support plans, liaising with mental health teams, and helping residents sustain their tenancies and progress towards greater independence.
- Residential Support Workers Providing 24-hour or shift-based support in residential care settings, group homes or supported living properties for adults with mental health difficulties, learning disabilities, or dual diagnosis.
- Housing Officers / Tenancy Support Officers Supporting the housing management side of supported mental health accommodation – tenancy sign-ups, rent arrears, repairs liaison, tenancy sustainment plans, and working with support teams and local authority housing departments.
- Team Leaders / Senior Support Workers Experienced support staff taking on supervisory or shift-lead responsibilities within residential or housing-based services – supporting junior colleagues, managing risk escalation and maintaining service quality.
Settings We Recruit For:
- Mental health supported accommodation – registered supported housing schemes for adults with serious mental illness
- Supported living services – individually commissioned supported living arrangements for adults with mental health, LD or dual diagnosis needs
- Step-down residential services – transitional services supporting people moving from inpatient care back into the community
- Floating support and community outreach – visiting services in the community, including Housing First, assertive outreach support
- Hostels and short-term accommodation – including mental health-specific hostels and crisis accommodation
- Forensic community and approved premises – support worker roles within forensic discharge and supervision settings
- Charities and voluntary sector providers – third-sector organisations delivering mental health support and housing services
What We Look For:
Every candidate we place holds:
- Enhanced DBS – adults’ barred list as minimum; children’s barred list for any services with under-18s
- Relevant experience working with people with mental health difficulties in a support, residential or housing context
- Current mandatory training including safeguarding adults, manual handling, fire safety and basic first aid
- For floating support and community roles: a full UK driving licence is often required
Mental health-specific training (Mental Health First Aid, relevant condition awareness, de-escalation) and formal qualifications (Level 3 Health and Social Care, NVQ) are desirable for senior and specialist roles but not always required for entry-level support work.
Opportunities in Social Care and Housing:
Social care and housing support work offers varied and meaningful roles across residential, community and outreach settings. Whether you want regular shifts at a specific service, flexible ad hoc work across different providers, or a permanent position building long-term relationships with a consistent client group, we’ll find the right opportunities for your background and availability.
We have active social care and housing requirements across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.
Lets start the search for your next role in Social Care and Housing
Social Care and Housing Pay Rates (2025/26):
Support worker and housing support worker rates vary by setting, responsibility level and employer type. Mental health support workers and floating support workers typically earn £13–£16 per hour, with senior support workers and team leaders earning £15–£19 per hour. Roles requiring specialist competencies – forensic, complex needs, dual diagnosis – or unsocial hours attract the higher end.
Housing officers and tenancy support officers typically earn £15–£22 per hour depending on caseload complexity, qualifications and employer.
Night shifts, weekends and bank holidays attract enhancements above standard day rates. London and high-cost area placements carry a premium above the national average.
Our consultants can advise on current going rates for your role type, experience and region.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do you place social workers as well as support workers? Social workers (qualified, SWE-registered) are covered on a separate dedicated page – see our Social Workers page. This page covers support workers, housing support workers, floating support workers and housing officers who do not require professional registration.
- Is a driving licence required for these roles? For floating support and community outreach roles, a full UK driving licence is typically required. Residential and site-based roles generally don’t require one. We confirm transport requirements for each role upfront.
- Do you place people without previous mental health experience? Most mental health supported housing and residential services require at least some relevant experience with vulnerable adults – whether in mental health, learning disabilities, addictions or homeless services. We’ll advise on what each specific service requires.
- What areas do you cover? We place social care and housing staff across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, Cardiff, Edinburgh and beyond.
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