Prison Resettlement Practitioner

Role Purpose

To deliver high-quality accommodation and housing-related support to individuals returning to Bristol from custody who are at risk of rough sleeping, including those leaving HMP Bristol, HMP Eastwood Park, and other prisons across the UK.

The role works in close partnership with prison resettlement services, substance misuse and mental health teams, and reducing reoffending services, alongside local rough sleeping and homelessness providers, to prevent rough sleeping and achieve sustainable housing outcomes suitable for individual needs.

This post also involves working with prisons outside of Bristol that are releasing people back into the city.

• Carry out referrals, eligibility checks and comprehensive assessments of housing-related support needs for people being released from prison.
• Develop, implement and regularly review housing support and risk management plans, including safeguarding actions, in line with organisational and local policies.
• Work proactively with clients throughout their accommodation journey, from pre‑release planning through to move‑on.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with prisons, statutory services, and community‑based providers to coordinate appropriate support.
• Support clients to achieve positive housing outcomes in line with their own needs and goals, including sustaining accommodation, and building personal, social and practical skills that reduce offending.

• Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records, monitoring outcomes and completing reports and returns required by the organisation and commissioners.
• Work within prison environments, complying with all security procedures, clearance requirements and operational protocols.
• Actively manage personal safety and professional boundaries when working with individuals who may present complex risks, distress or challenging behaviour.
• Uphold organisational policies including health and safety, safeguarding, equality, diversity, confidentiality and data protection, and undertake other reasonable duties as required.

• Experience in a support worker or similar role, ideally working with people facing multiple disadvantages.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships.
• Sound knowledge of safeguarding, health and safety, and data protection requirements.
• Good organisational and time‑management skills, with the ability to manage a varied workload and take a problem‑solving approach.
• Confident IT skills (including MS Word and Excel)

• Friendly, approachable and patient, with a genuine passion for supporting people to achieve positive change.
• Demonstrates trust, openness and respect, treating everyone with compassion and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.
• A good listener and clear communicator who can encourage and motivate clients.
• Positive, resilient and proactive, with a flexible ‘can do’ attitude and the ability to work under pressure.
• Embodies Ara’s values of being aspiring, brave, competent and determined.

Closing date for applications: 06/03/2026

Interview date: 09/03/2026

To apply for this role please contact

Please note that applications not including a cover letter will not be considered.