Three Southdown colleagues are rowing on a boat in a river. All three are looking at the camera smiling.

What people love most about working at Southdown is making a difference as part of a friendly, supportive team. But we offer a host of other benefits too!

Health and wellbeing

  • Cycle scheme: save up to half the cost of a new bike and safety accessories.
  • Free advice and counselling service: if you ever need someone to talk to you’ll be able to call our independent, confidential telephone service 24/7 for practical advice and guidance.
  • Health cost cash-back scheme: use our free scheme to help cover the costs of dental, optical, or physical therapies and other medical treatment.

Every year, I’m able to buy a new pair of glasses, visit a dental hygienist and see a podiatrist, and claim the cost back through Southdown’s healthcare scheme. It’s brilliant and has saved me hundreds of pounds over the years!

Southdown employee

Financial benefits

  • A commitment to paying the Real Living Wage
  • £100 probationary bonus.
  • Refer a friend cash award.
  • Birthday gift card.
  • Free Blue Light Card.
  • Discounts for a wide range of retail outlets, supermarkets, days out, cinema tickets, gym membership, travel and holidays, plus more.
  • Free Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check: For many roles you’ll need a DBS check to clear you to work with our clients. We’ll help you with the application and cover the cost.
  • Pension scheme: We offer competitive pension contributions (5% from the employer / 5% employee) through salary exchange, to help support the best retirement possible.
  • Life cover: For staff under the age of 65 years in our pension scheme, we offer a non-contributory life assurance scheme. That means that if you were to die while employed at Southdown your loved ones would be taken care of financially.
  • Interest-free loans: You can apply to us for a loan to cover costs like tenancy deposits, travel season tickets, or buying a car.
  • Help managing your money: Our employees get free access to financial services and advice through Salary Finance.
  • Access to the Easit Network: You’ll be able to get discounts and incentives on train, bus, cycle and car journeys.
  • Long service cash awards.

Work-life balance

  • Annual leave entitlement: starting at 22 / 25 days (depending on division) per year for full time staff, which increases with length of service.
  • Flexible working: many of our staff have some kind of flexible working arrangement, such as part time, compressed hours, job share or hybrid working.
  • Parental and adoption leave – Occupational maternity / shared parental leave and adoption pay.
  • Special leave for emergencies.
  • Special leave for moving home.
  • Special leave for IVF treatment.
  • Career breaks.
  • Time off for public duties.

Training and development

We know that the quality of our services goes hand in hand with the skills of our employees. Our award-winning training team provide a range of learning and development opportunities for every person that works for us. This includes:

  • In-house professional training courses covering a wide range of specialist subjects
  • Support to gain relevant industry professional qualifications where required
  • Specialists working within teams to support development and delivery of best practice.
  • Opportunities to join organisational working groups looking at areas including client involvement, health and safety, staff training, diversity and equality, and staff health and wellbeing.
  • We also have a robust induction process to support new employees fully understand their role and feel confident and fully prepared. All staff have regular supervision and appraisals to ensure they have the skills and support they need to work effectively and achieve their goals.
Money Matters

Universal Credit and Financial Support

Advice and practical support including information on changes to welfare benefits (Managed Migration) and financial support.

Find out more
A tenant with disabilities sits in her living room smiling at the camera.

Equality, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of our reason for being. We advocate for the people we work with (our employees and people who access our services) and create an inclusive culture where difference is celebrated, voice is encouraged, and co-production is a natural way of working.

Find out more