Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are traineeships?
2. Who can apply?
3. What does the recruitment process involve?
4. How do placements work?
5. What training will I have?
6. How long do traineeships last?
7. What benefits will I get as a trainee?
8. Will I be paid?
9. What do I get after the traineeship?
10.What sort of work will I be asked to do?
11. Do you provide any support for trainees?
12. Where can I get more information?

1. What are traineeships?

Broadway provides an opportunity for people to gain experience and training in the housing and homelessness sector. The scheme offers candidates the opportunity to learn and build on knowledge, skills and the right approach required for this type of work.

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2. Who can apply?

Anyone can apply to our traineeship programme. The programme is aimed at people who would like to work in the homeless sector, who may lack the experience.

Here at Broadway, we put our clients at the forefront of everything we do. We are aware that our clients come from different backgrounds and all walks of life, and it is important that our trainees reflect this too. This is why it is important that our trainees also come from a diverse background. You don't have to be a recent graduate with a relevant degree; we welcome individuals who bring with them a range of qualifications, a wealth of life experiences and lots of enthusiasm!

We actively encourage people from a diverse range of background; that's why we focus on transferable abilities and commitment. We know that this improves our services. The creation of traineeships is therefore part of our commitment to and strategy for promoting diversity and the benefits that this brings to our clients and our work.

By taking on and training people with excellent transferable abilities and a real commitment to working with homeless people, Broadway will be in a better position to recruit the quantity and calibre of people that we need.

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3. What does the recruitment process involve?

Our trainees will go through the same recruitment process as our other staff. Candidates will be expected to complete an application form or provide Broadway with a curriculum vitae and covering letter describing how they meet the person specification.

Applicants will be shortlisted, tested and interviewed by a panel consisting of at least three members of Broadway staff and client, using standard selection criteria for each trainee post. 

At interviews, prospective trainees should be given the opportunity to explore whether the role description, training opportunities and other resources that Broadway is able to offer matches their career development requirements.

Broadway's normal policy on obtaining references and other pre-employment screening measures – including Criminal Records Bureau checks - will apply to trainees. Due to the nature of the work involved, no trainee should be allowed to start work until satisfactory checks have been completed. 

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4. How do placements work?

In order to achieve the variety and variation of work based experiences, the trainees will normally begin their training in our frontline hostel services. Trainees will be located at our hostels in the West London area of Shepherd Bush and Ealing. Placements are also available in our women's only hostels in Kennington, and Broadway's flagship drop-in Centre. Our projects provide sustainable accommodation, working on support needs with vulnerable clients, in preparation towards finding and keeping a home.

The Training Manager and line managers will work closely with trainees to develop an individual training plan and ensure, whenever possible, that the placements align with the trainee's individual goals. Some might get opportunity to have placements there in our Supported Housing Services teams in West, North and South London. These teams manage properties on behalf of our external landlords and housing association partners and support clients with a range of needs.

Trainees should typically expect to have experienced 2 or 3 placements in a variety of projects during their traineeship.

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5. What training will I have?

As trainees, you will be required to attend Broadway's core induction programme. This includes Health & Safety, Welcoming Diversity, Preparing Your Appraisal, and ABC of Housing. In addition, trainees will also undertake a modular programme of service delivery training including Breakaway Technique, Keyworking & Support Planning, Client Protection, Mental Health Awareness, and basic Welfare Benefits. As additional support, all trainees are assigned a mentor to support and guide them through their placements.

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6. How long do traineeships last?

Service Delivery Trainees will typically be employed on a fixed term contract for 12 months. Like our other staff, our trainees will also be subject to a probation period of 6 months.

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7. What benefits do I get as a trainee?

Our trainees have the same rights and benefits as all our other staff. Similarly, they are subject to Broadway's Code of Conduct and Probity Rules and all other rules set out in Broadway's policies and procedures for employees.

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8. Will I be paid?

Yes, our current Service Delivery Trainee salary will be confirmed when we next recruit.

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9. What do I get after the traineeship?

Upon completion of their probation period, If there are vacancies within Broadway, as soon as they are considered to have reached the required level of competence, our trainees will be encouraged to apply for a main grade position. These could be either in hostel, supported housing or floating support.

These positions will be ring-fenced for Service delivery Trainee applications to ensure they have the opportunity to progress as soon as they are ready. This is a clear part of Broadway's talent management strategy.

The opportunity is dependent on several things. Firstly, the trainee would have to have successfully completed the probationary period and the initial programme of training. Secondly, the trainee would have to demonstrate that they have met the relevant standards of performance required for the main grade post for which they are applying.

There may be circumstances in which the trainee has passed their probation period but they are not yet deemed ready for a main grade post (this would be due to lack of experience, rather than capability/conduct). In these situations the placement manager will be required to outline to the trainee the areas of performance, knowledge or skill required and offer ongoing coaching to help them fill any gaps in knowledge or standards of performance.

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10.What sort of work will I be asked to do?

Generally, during hostel placements, our trainees are expected to assist the other members of the team in various tasks. This includes managing the project and providing support and advice to residents, helping with the day to day delivery of the Outreach service, to make and sustain contact with rough sleepers in the West London Zone, and to work with the team to ensure that appropriate assessments & referrals are made to support clients to move from the streets. Our trainees will work towards key-working clients and then eventually taking on full client case load.

Within our Supported Housing placements, the trainee's main objective will be to develop the skills necessary to help homeless people living in temporary supported shared housing or in longer-term housing schemes to develop the confidence, skills and competence necessary to manage successfully in their accommodation, and improve the quality of their lives. This means that trainees will work with clients to develop and review support and resettlement plan, to set goals which will help them towards greater independence and confidence and to identify and work on issues which might prevent them from achieving their goals. This includes providing specialist hands-on support to people who have slept rough, have quite high and varied support needs, and have found it difficult accessing other support services. The trainees will also assist in the provision of a high quality housing management service and to maximise Broadway's rental income and minimise losses through arrears and voids.

Most importantly, they will also help in continuously reviewing and developing team and personal working practices to ensure the best possible service is provided to Broadway's clients.

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11. Do you provide any support for trainees?

Our trainees will have regular support and supervision sessions with their designated Broadway placement manager. Broadway's support and supervisions are designed to provide a structured forum for coaching, and to facilitate an ongoing, open, two-way communication between the trainee and their supervisor on any issue.

Besides general catching up on how things are going, these sessions will allow the manager to assess and provide feedback on the trainee's progress, and identifying and resolving any problems. This is also a way for us to keep the trainee's personal training and development plan under review - identifying developing needs; programming in realistic ways of meeting these; evaluating the benefits of training undertaken; and identifying ways for the trainee to apply what they have learned.

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12. Where can I get more information?

You can download the Job Description and Person Specification below.

If you have a question that has not been addressed in the documents and this FAQ, you can contact us via email: jobs@broadwaylondon.org.

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