Social Worker - Social Housing (Rental Housing Projects)

Job Summary

The Social Worker – Social Housing (Rental Housing Projects) provides professional social work intervention to individuals and households residing in rental and supported social housing projects.

The role supports tenants to achieve housing stability, improved well-being and greater independence, recognising that successful housing extends beyond securing accommodation to sustaining the tenancy and enabling individuals to thrive within their homes and communities.

The Social Worker adopts an integrated casework, group work and community work approach, working closely with housing operations teams, community partners and other stakeholders to identify risks to housing sustainability and provide timely, targeted interventions.

The role includes psychosocial assessment and case management, housing sustainability assessment, group work facilitation, programme development and evaluation, community engagement, crisis and safeguarding intervention, and multi-agency collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Psychosocial Assessment & Case Management

• Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments to identify tenants’ strengths, needs, risks and protective factors.
• Develop person-centred intervention and support plans together with tenants.
• Provide individual and family casework interventions appropriate to presenting needs.
• Support tenants experiencing issues relating to financial hardship, employment, physical and psychological well-being, family relationships, social isolation, communal living and other factors that may affect housing sustainability.
• Conduct home visits, office-based sessions and community-based engagements as required.
• Monitor progress and review intervention plans regularly.
• Facilitate referrals and link tenants to appropriate social, healthcare, financial, employment and community resources.
• Maintain accurate, timely and professional case documentation in accordance with organisational and professional practice standards.

Housing Sustainability & Risk-Informed Practice

• Assess factors that may affect a tenant’s ability to sustain housing across physical well-being, psychological well-being, social connections and support, dignified and safe living environment, and empowerment, financial stability and purposeful living.
• Administer relevant housing sustainability, psychosocial and needs assessment tools where applicable.
• Identify early indicators of housing instability such as rental arrears, repeated disputes, social isolation, poor home conditions, difficulties with communal living, declining functioning or repeated tenancy concerns.
• Develop targeted intervention plans based on assessed risks, strengths, goals, preferences and readiness for change.
• Work collaboratively with Client Engagement / Operations staff to distinguish between issues requiring social work intervention and matters relating primarily to tenancy administration or enforcement.
• Support appropriate transitions, tenancy renewals, right-siting and housing exits where social work assessment is required.

Group Work Facilitation

• Plan, develop and facilitate social work groups and structured group interventions based on identified tenant needs.
• Apply group work principles including group formation, contracting, facilitation, management of group dynamics, participant engagement and termination.
• Facilitate psychoeducational, developmental, support or skills-based groups in areas such as emotional well-being and resilience; social connection and community belonging; communal living and conflict management; financial capability; employment and life skills; healthy living and self-care; independent living skills; digital literacy; and empowerment, goal-setting and purposeful living.
• Adapt group interventions to the needs, functioning and learning abilities of participants.
• Manage group dynamics and respond appropriately to emerging safeguarding or individual support needs.
• Document group work interventions and participant outcomes.

Programme Design, Implementation & Evaluation

• Identify programme needs through case trends, tenant feedback, risk assessments, community observations and service data.
• Design and develop programmes and structured interventions that address identified social and housing sustainability needs.
• Develop programme objectives, target populations, intervention approaches, activity plans and intended outcomes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, programme staff, volunteers and external partners to implement programmes.
• Facilitate programmes directly where professional social work input is required.
• Ensure programmes are inclusive, person-centred, strengths-based and responsive to the needs of the tenant population.
• Develop appropriate programme monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including process and outcome indicators.
• Collect and review data such as attendance, participant feedback, pre/post measures, goal attainment and relevant housing sustainability indicators.
• Evaluate programme effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
• Use evaluation findings, practice observations and available evidence to refine or redesign interventions.
• Contribute to reports, presentations, programme reviews and service development recommendations.

Community Work & Tenant Engagement

• Develop initiatives that strengthen mutual support, social connection and community participation among tenants.
• Conduct outreach and engage tenants who may be socially isolated, disengaged or reluctant to seek formal support.
• Facilitate tenant participation in identifying community needs and developing local solutions.
• Support tenant-led initiatives, interest groups, peer support and volunteering opportunities.
• Build community assets and connect tenants to resources within the wider neighbourhood.
• Support community-building activities that promote respectful communal living, inclusion, belonging and shared responsibility.
• Identify emerging community trends or systemic issues affecting the tenant population and raise these for service planning and advocacy.

Crisis Intervention, Risk Management & Safeguarding

• Assess and respond to situations involving significant psychosocial risk, vulnerability or deterioration in functioning.
• Conduct appropriate riskassessments and safety planning.
• Respond to safeguarding concerns involving abuse, neglect, self-neglect, family violence or risk of harm in accordance with organisational protocols.
• Provide crisis intervention and coordinate appropriate referrals or emergency responses where required.
• Participate in case conferences and multidisciplinary discussions for complex or high-risk cases.
• Escalate significant risks promptly to the Senior Social Worker / Head of Social Housing.

Multi-Disciplinary & Multi-Agency Collaboration

• Work closely with Client Engagement / Operations colleagues to provide coordinated support to tenants while maintaining appropriate professional role boundaries.
• Collaborate with Social Service Offices, Family Service Centres, healthcare institutions, mental health services, Active Ageing Centres, HDB and other relevant agencies.
• Convene or participate in case conferences and multi-agency care planning where required.
• Develop working partnerships with community organisations, volunteers and service providers to strengthen the range of resources available to tenants.
• Coordinate referrals and follow through to promote continuity of care.

Social Work Practice, Research & Service Development

• Apply relevant social work theories, evidence-informed approaches and ethical principles to practice.
• Participate inprofessional supervision, case reviews and reflective practice.
• Identify service gaps, emerging needs and recurring issues within the rental housing population.
• Contribute to practice development, pilots, research and evaluation initiatives undertaken within Social Housing.
• Support data collection and outcome monitoring for approved service evaluation and research projects.
• Translate practice findings and emerging evidence into recommendations for programme and service improvement.
• Contribute to the development or refinement of assessment tools, intervention frameworks, practice guides and Standard Operating Procedures where appropriate.

Documentation, Reporting & Professional Accountability

• Maintain accurate and timely case notes, assessments, intervention plans, group work records and programme documentation.
• Prepare case summaries, social reports, referral reports and other professional documentation when required.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with organisational policies, data protection requirements and social work ethical standards.
• Participate in audits, programme reviews and reporting requirements relevant to assigned projects.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries when working within the dual social service and housing-management environment.

Others

• Participate in activities of New Hope CSL (e.g. Fundraising, team building, etc)
• Support other services that New Hope CSL provides e.g. Family shelter, Individual Adults, HOPE Scheme, Children & Youth, Kampung Siglap Lifeskills Training and Retreat Centre…etc
• Any other related duties in New Hope CSL as assigned by Reporting Officer.

Professional Practice Approach

The Social Worker is expected to integrate the three primary methods of social work practice:

Casework – working with individuals and families to address psychosocial needs and strengthen housing sustainability.

Group Work – designing and facilitating structured groups that build knowledge, skills, mutual support and resilience.

Community Work – strengthening community connections, mobilising resources and addressing collective or systemic issues affecting tenants.

These approaches should complement one another and contribute towards the broader outcomes of:

Housing Stability → Improved Well-being → Greater Resilience →Empowerment & Community Participation → Sustainable and Flourishing Lives.

Accountability

• Reports to Senior Social Worker / Head of Clinical Practice / Dty Director (Client Services & Care)

Core Competencies 

• Psychosocial assessment and case formulation
• Case management and intervention planning
• Housing sustainability and homelessness-related practice
• Risk assessment and safeguarding
• Crisis intervention
• Individual and family engagement
• Group work planning and facilitation
• Community work and community development
• Programme design and implementation
• Programme monitoring and evaluation
• Outcome measurement
• Partnership and stakeholder management
• Conflict management and mediation
• Professional documentation
• Reflective and evidence-informed practice
• Working effectively within multidisciplinary teams

Technical Competencies 

• Proficiency in IT Systems and Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). 

Education and Experience

• Degree in Social Work from an accredited institution 
• Registered / eligible for registration with the relevant professional social work body, where applicable.
• At least 2 years of relevant working experience in similar sectors.
• Relevant experience in social services, housing, homelessness, community work, mental health, healthcare, family services or related sectors would be advantageous.
• Competency in casework, group work and community work practice.
• Ability to design, facilitate and evaluate social programmes and interventions.
• Strong engagement and communication skills, particularly when working with vulnerable or hard-to-engage populations.
• Ability to work collaboratively across professional, operational and community systems.
• Comfortable working within residential and community settings and conducting home visits where required.

Role Emphasis

The Social Worker – Social Housing is not solely a case management position. The role is expected to contribute across the continuum of social work practice:

Assess → Plan → Intervene → Facilitate → Connect →Evaluate → Review

At the individual level, the Social Worker helps tenants address barriers to sustaining housing.

At the group level, the Social Worker designs and facilitates interventions that strengthen skills, resilience and mutual support.

At the community level, the Social Worker helps develop environments, partnerships and community resources that enable tenants to remain housed, connected and empowered.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities of the position. You may be required to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description. This job description does not constitute a contract of employment.