Main Purpose of Job:
To assist in the provision of effective, high quality psychologically informed support services to vulnerable, single homeless individuals who have complex needs such as offending behaviour, substance misuse problems, mental health issues and who are vulnerable to rough sleeping with the aim of promoting independent living.
To work closely as part of a team with the Support Manager and Specialist Team Leaders in the development of operational planning and service delivery to the highest standards.
Main Responsibilities
The specific areas of responsibility are set out below. These are subject to regular review in order to meet the changing needs of the YMCA Wirral and the environment in which it operates.
Specific Duties
Support Planning, Risk Assessing and Safeguarding
-Conduct Mainstay assessments with homeless individuals presenting at the service.
-Carry out new resident welcomes, inducting clients into the service including registering with doctors’ etc.
-Ensure that clients have a full understanding of their rights and responsibilities during their stay at the YMCAW.
-Support clients to achieve their goals and targets as defined/ agreed within their support plans and support contracts
-Manage, update and communicate resident risk assessments in line with YMCAW policy and procedure
-Ensure clients shape their own support and take part in activities
-Hold planned key-work sessions each week with clients using a psychologically informed, person centred flexible approach.
-Offer a creative but assertive approach in order to seek to re engage rather than taking the route of punitive action that may lead to disengagement and eviction, and the ability to manage specific incidents of violence or aggressive behaviour with the use of short term exclusions.
-Assess support needs via Outcomes Star assessments, plan support around individual need. Regularly review and develop mutually agreed support plans with clients and any other professional involved in the support of those individuals e.g. Social Workers, CPNs, Probation Officers.
-Hold 3-way meetings and coordinating the support of clients with other professionals
-Up to date records must be kept on both OSKA and in resident’s files.
-Conduct monthly/quarterly risk assessments of clients keeping all relevant parties informed of updates/changes.
-Conduct regular room checks and support clients in the management of their room and relationships with others and to report any health and safety issues to the Support Manager.
*Participate in the planning and delivery of group work and activities e.g. Independent Living Skills. Support claims on behalf of clients for housing and other welfare benefits.
*Provide information and advice to members in accordance with their support plans.
*Motivate and challenge members so they realise their goals.
*Assist with securing move-on to appropriate accommodation.
*Liaise between members and external agencies regarding the provision of specialised support when appropriate.
*Encourage involvement and participation among members in the running and shaping of the service provided by planning and attending regular member meetings.
*Deal promptly with all complaints and protection from abuse disclosures.
*Provide clear, accurate and good quality information in respect of all members in line with agreed procedures ensuring that appropriate information is shared with the line managers.
*Demonstrate creativity in overcoming obstacles and a commitment to working with and providing support to vulnerable people.
Health and Safety
-Liaise with Emergency Services; Fire, Police and Medical.
-Ensure at all times the safety of yourself and others on the premises in which you work.
-Conduct routine Health & Safety inspections throughout the building.
-To report incidents, in line with Wirral YMCAW’s licence agreement, to tackle any nuisance caused by members’ behaviour or their visitors.
-Adhere to member checks, handover and incident process
-Ensure that all communal and work areas are clean and tidy.
Teamwork
Attend to all enquiries and pass messages onto relevant people.
· Develop excellent and robust relationships, protocols, contacts and service level agreements with referring agencies, statutory services and wider stakeholder
· Contribute to the formulation of policy and procedures in relation to support services.
· Attend and participate in regular team meetings to ensure good communication.
General
-To have a flexible and positive attitude to all team members.
-To be committed to learning both as an individual and as part of a team.
-Undertake own administrative services and report writing.
-Prioritise workload
-To work to agreed individual, team and organisational objectives and to work towards Wirral YMCAW performance targets.
-Sharing information and expertise with colleagues, covering absence and working together to deliver a high quality service.
-Uphold and develop Wirral YMCAW’s Equal Opportunities Policy of anti-discriminatory practices across all services.
-Observe and ensure compliance with the Service Code of Conduct including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times.
-Ensure adherence to YMCAW ‘visitors’ procedure.
-Dealing promptly with all complaints in line with YMCAW policies and procedures.
-Prepare for and attend supervision and appraisal sessions with your line manager, taking direction as appropriate and contributing to the development of both you and the service.
Relationships
The post holder will be required to have contact with a variety of people during the course of their work. The context of this contact will vary from formal ‘Key working’ to informal networking and relationship building with the Local Authority and other relevant agencies.
Annual appraisal and regular work review with line managers is an operational requirement, as is attendance at weekly support team meetings.
It is recognised that the association is operating in a dynamic environment and as such this job description may be varied in consultation with the post holder to reflect evolving needs of the business and changing nature of the job.
Person Specification
Multi-skilled support worker
Qualification
-Educated to degree level or proven relevant experience
-Qualification or working experience in homelessness, mental health or offending
-A recognised qualification in substance misuse or mental health.
-Qualification in welfare rights.
-IT qualification such as CLAIT, ECDL, ITQ.
Experiences
-At least 1 year’s experience of working within a hostel setting or similar and a working knowledge of support planning, welfare rights, benefits advice, mental health issues, offending, drug and alcohol misuse, working with partner agencies, safeguarding and resettlement.
-Experience of co coordinating multi agency meetings.
-Experience of working with end of life
-Experience of resettling individuals into independent living.
Knowledge
-Working knowledge of Health & Safety issues within support services
-A clear understanding and specific knowledge of the issues that homeless people face.
-Working knowledge of resettlement and move on services
-Knowledge of safeguarding protocols
-Knowledge of formulating accurate and comprehensive risk assessments
-Knowledge of Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE)
-Knowledge of the Trauma Informed Care framework
-Knowledge of health intervention and harm reduction
Skills
-To provide effective and consistent support planning with residents.
-Excellent IT, communication, interpersonal, interviewing and assessment skills.
-Excellent administration skills and the ability to accurately and concisely record information and write reports.
-Computer literate and competent in using Microsoft Word, Outlook and Windows.
-Demonstrate creativity in overcoming obstacles and a commitment to working with and providing support to vulnerable people
-Ability and willingness to work unsupervised.
-Ability to prioritise work load and meet deadlines
-Analytical and reporting skills.
-The ability to conduct comprehensive and accurate risk assessments.
Behaviour / Attributes
-Highly committed to improving the lives of homeless vulnerable people.
-Committed to personal development and able to identify own personal development needs.
-Friendly personality with a good sense of humour.
-Enthusiastic, self-motivated and passionate about their work.
-Evidence flexibility, adaptability and ability to work as part of a team
-Ability to work within the ethos and philosophy of the YMCA.
Reference ID: pac02
Contract length: 12 months
Application deadline: 16/04/2021
Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Salary: Up to £23,500.00 per year
Schedule:
-8 hour shift
-Weekends.
COVID-19 considerations:
We provide appropriate PPE and offer testing as and when needed.
Work remotely:
No
COVID-19 precaution(s):
-Personal protective equipment provided or required
-Social distancing guidelines in place
-Virtual meetings
-Sanitisation, disinfection or cleaning procedures in place.
