Age UK East London
Hospital to Home Outreach Worker
The closing date is 06 December 2026

Job summary
The hospital to home service works collaboratively with hospitals to support people when they are discharged from hospital to return home. As a Hospital to Home Outreach Worker you will provide temporary practical and emotional support to service users within their home and make sure they understand the care and treatment choices available to them. The service is time limited, usually up to 4 or 6 weeks, to adjust and settle back in their homes.

AUKEL: Our vision, values and strategy
Vision: We want East London to be a place where people age well, and where older people live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives.
Strategy: We have launched an ambitious new five-year strategy which was informed by the voices of older people in East London. Older people told us as part of our strategy consultation that they want to: Be independent, Be connected, Be informed and Be heard. All our service delivery ambitions are clustered under these four headings.
Values: The way we do things is as important as what we do. We use the values agreed below, to frame our whole organisational approach.
Kind, Accountable, Collaborative, Flexible, Inclusive

Age UK East London is committed to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), we recognise it as central both to our service delivery and to 'our people'.

Main duties of the job

• Assess the needs of service users either in hospital before discharge, or in their homes, and understand what barriers and enablers there might be to moving home.
• Aid the discharge process and improve patient experience through tasks such as: key cutting, co-ordinating with colleagues for the setup of the home environment, checking heating, electric and gas is functional prior to discharge, allowing access to the property for cleaning/repairs.
• Provide or arrange the practical and emotional support needed to enable service users to move home and/or remain safely at home.
• Be vigilant and make referrals/signpost for additional needs that our wider team, or partners can support, e.g. for benefit checks, energy advice, carers support, befriending.
• Help maximise service user independence by adopting an enabling approach. Develop a listening and caring relationship with the service user and their families/carers.
• Provide domestic practical support within the home such as: light cleaning, washing, changing bed sheets etc. Prepare and service drinks and simple meals with or for the service user ensuring nutritional needs are met.
• Accompany service user outside the home e.g. hospital or GP appointments etc. Support customers with other tasks e.g. making telephone calls on their behalf, reading and responding to correspondence, completing simple forms, training will be provided, as directed by the customer etc.

Key Tasks

• Ensure services provided by AUKEL in the community are safe and person centred. Report safeguarding concerns, in accordance with AUKEL safeguarding procedures. Work within AUKEL's expectations of professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• Provide cover in the case of sickness and annual leave periods of colleagues.
• Support service user reviews, ensuring all visiting information is uploaded on to AUKEL's organisational case management system.
• Meet with volunteers to provide support and guidance.
• Work with a range of professionals including supporting health and social care professionals with patient discharge, and liaising with hospital health and social care professionals, e.g. Social Workers, to facilitate smooth supported discharge. Handypeople & contractors.

Administration

• Input all records, reviews, and visiting information to service users case notes in a timely manner to maintain up-to-date and accurate records on AUKEL's case management system, currently Charity Log/Call-round App.
• Report all no access failed visits, or changes in service users condition or circumstances in accordance with AUKEL's policies and procedures.
• Ensure service user comment sheets are completed. Support the return of customer comment sheets and general feedback in respect of your own service users.

Quality

• Ensure services provided in the community are delivered in line with the Care Quality Commission principles.
• Deliver all work in line with AUKEL quality mark standards.
• Commit to undertaking the Care Certificate, if not already held or in possession of NVQ level 2.
• Complete essential training as required by AUKEL to provide safe services.

Liaison

• Work in collaboration with other agencies providing support within the customer's home.
• Work under the direction of the service manager and project officer/s.
• Represent AUKEL and participate in appropriate external meetings and events to remain aware of local, regional, and national issues affecting quality and compliance affecting care and home support services.

General

• Meet regularly with your line manager for support, supervision, and appraisal. Attend team and staff meetings as required.
• Undertake any other duties within the competence of the post holder as may be required from time to time for the continued smooth running of AUKEL. Complete any training which is required to fulfil the role.
• Carry out the duties of the post in accordance with AUKEL policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities, Mental Capacity, Deprivation of Liberty, Food Hygiene, Health & Safety, Confidentiality, Complaints, GDPR, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults etc.

Functional Links
The post holder reports to the manager. Close working with NHS health & social care professionals. Close working with external partner agencies e.g. Age UK Redbridge, Barking & Havering, and Age UK Waltham Forest. Close working with AUKEL internal departments e.g. information and advice, advocacy, Take Home & Settle service.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential: Experience of one-to-one work with vulnerable service users, including those with multiple issues and needs either through paid or unpaid position.
Desirable: Care Certificate or CQF Diploma NVQ Level 2, or equivalent, in Health & Social Care. Experience of working collaboratively with external partners.

Experience
Essential:

• Understanding and commitment to empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
• Understanding the principles of confidentiality in practice.
• Understanding of safeguarding and when to raise a concern.
• Understanding of stigma and discrimination, and the impact this has on peoples lives.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Good English verbal and written communication skills.
• Good planning and organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to prioritise and manage time and resources in a competent manner.
• IT skills to the level of being able to use Word, email, internet, mobile phone apps and logging information on AUKEL's CRM.
• Can demonstrate AUKEL values (accountable, kind, flexible, inclusive, collaborative) in the way the service is delivered.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of local services available to adults and their carers.
• Understanding of hospital discharge procedures.
• Ability to speak community languages e.g. Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, Turkish etc.
• Able to use Charity Log, CRM used by AUKEL. Training will be provided as necessary.
• Ability to drive with use of own vehicle, mileage and essential car users will be paid.

Additional info

• This post is subject to the relevant check through the Disclosure & Barring Service.
• Flexibility in working hours to meet organisational needs.
• The role requires daily travel across East London.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details
Employer name: Age UK East London
Address: The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1FR, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/eastlondon/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Hospital to Home Service Manager, Laura Rosemund, laura.rosemund@ageukeastlondon.org.uk

Details
Date posted: 10 November 2026
Pay scheme: Other
Salary: £25,977 to £29,159 a year, plus 5% pension contribution and various benefits
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: B0657-26-0010
Job locations: The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1FR, United Kingdom; Homerton Hospital, Homerton Row, London, E9 6SR, United Kingdom

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