Summary
Description
We are recruiting for an experienced, proactive Support Worker to join colleagues in the Support and Resettlement Team.
Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm, with some flexibility needed as required for the role.
You will be an innovative, resilient ‘do-er’ who will thrive in an engaging environment where no two days are the same.
- Role Profile: Support Worker
- Salary: Starting salary £28,000 a year
- Full-time Contract: 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri)
- Direct reporting to: Service Manager
*** Please email manager@wfcbranches.org.uk for a full recruitment pack ***
This is a Varied and Hugely Rewarding Role:
• You’ll have a designated small caseload of clients
• You will report to the Service Manager who is overseeing changes and additions to our service delivery offer.
About you:
To be successful in this role, it is essential that you:
• Can provide consistently great levels of meaningful support and advice for the client group; and
• Have excellent communication skills, able to adapt your communications appropriately according to individuals’ needs; and
• Are resilient, not put off by setbacks, and able to cope with unplanned changes that can arise when working in a hostel; and
• Are innovative, able to think out-of-the-box and take the initiative in your day-day work.
Main Duties and Key Tasks
Maintaining hostel accommodation
• Support individuals to maintain their Licence Agreement while living in Branches Hostel by
ensuring:
-Individuals are kept informed of their rights regarding the service; and
-That they also understand their own responsibilities while living in Branches Hostel.
Support growth and change
• Facilitate access to additional, external support services;
• Support individuals to develop life-skills necessary for successful independent living;
• Provide access to and encourage self-development activities for education, learning, training and volunteering, or apprenticeship opportunities.
Key Tasks
1. Assessment and Action Planning
1.0 Carry out in-depth assessments of applicants referred to the service.
1.1 Use SMART planning to provide support tailored to individuals’ needs:
-Develop and keep under review support plans, getting the best out of opportunities for individuals moving towards independent living.
-Develop action plans with individuals’ involvement; and keep under review to enable both
personal and skills’ development needed for successful, independent living.
-Work with the client group, colleagues, and CBT Practitioner to develop move-on plans appropriate to the needs of individuals.
2. Risk Assessment and Information Management
2.1 Produce and keep under review comprehensive, high-quality risk assessment and risk
management plans adapted to individuals’ changing support needs; and liaise with colleagues and relevant external agencies to manage changing risks.
2.2 Contribute to effective service delivery and evaluation by ensuring all relevant casework files are current, and that key and other performance information are correctly recorded on the CRM System.
2.3 Share information appropriately with colleagues and other services involved with individuals’
support.
3. Supporting individual’s continuing development
3.1 Signpost individuals to resources relevant to their ambitions including training, education,
employment opportunities, and volunteering opportunities through the Volunteer Co- ordinator.
3.2 Facilitate pathways to skills development for individuals, supporting them to maximise their potential to enable move-on to suitable accommodation and maintain independent living.
4. Social inclusion
4.1 Support individuals working towards achieving independence through encouraging their
engagement with the service, consultation on service provision and participating in activities in the wider community.
4.2 Deliver group work and advice workshops for the client group.
5. Partnership working
5.1 A proactive approach to engaging with external agencies, creating and maintaining
constructive working relationships for the benefit of the client group.
5.2 Participate in and contribute to cross-service initiatives, projects and training.
5.3 Work collaboratively and constructively with all members of Branches Hostel staff teams.
6. Finances and budgeting
6.1 Working closely with residents, developing and keeping under review their personal
budgets Including service charge and rent contribution obligations.
6.2 Ensure all service charges are collected, and Housing Benefit and Universal Credit claims maintained.
Personal and Service Development
▪ Keep under review and evaluate own performance to identify strengths and areas for
development; and take personal responsibility for own development and learning.
▪ Bring and maintain a flexible, ‘can-do’ approach to service delivery and problem solving in day- day work.
▪ Contribute to the improvement of existing services as required, and development of new services.
▪ Contribute to maintaining effective systems of service user consultation: collating feedback; and using information gathered and learning to develop the quality of service provision.
▪ Contribute to promoting and maintaining effective joint working with external services, ensuring the range of support options offered remains accessible and relevant to individuals’ needs.
▪ Fully participate in supervision meetings, team meetings, case management reviews; and case conferences with external agencies.
Other
▪ Represent Branches Hostel at external meetings, as required.
▪ Comply with Branches Hostel’s policies and procedures and ensure that these are adhered to in all aspects of your work.
▪ Work on a rolling rota: this includes early and afternoon shifts, and on-call duty cover, as required to maintain effective delivery of services.
Person Specification
When you complete your Supporting Statement you will need to answer the 7 essential knowledge, experience, skills and abilities’ requirements in the downloadable recruitment pack on this page.
You will need to give at least one example for each point you address.
Essential Skills and Experience
Knowledge
1. A good understanding of the complex support needs of former rough sleepers and homeless people, or other vulnerable client group.
2. Understanding of risk assessment, planned support and SMART goal setting.
3. Understanding of a person-centred outcomes-based delivery service.
4. Knowledge of housing regulation and welfare benefits, relevant to Branches Hostel’s
client group.
Experience
1. Experience of supporting clients who have multiple complex needs, particularly homeless people and former rough sleepers and their specific support needs.
2. Proven track record of achieving measurable outcomes with people who have complex needs.
Essential Skills and Abilities
Skills
1. Excellent written skills – succinct and comprehensive communications.
2. Strong negotiating and diplomacy skills, including pragmatic advocacy for the client group.
Abilities
1. Excellent interpersonal skills – comfortable interacting and communicating with the
client group.
2. Excellent self-management – takes responsibility for own caseload and managing this effectively – planning and organising work so that deadlines, targets and standards are met; and prioritises and manages conflicting areas of work. A self-starter, uses initiative with a ‘can do’ attitude to day-to-day work and problem solving.
3. Flexibility and able to provide solutions to working with people who may be reluctant to engage with services.
4. Liaises and develops constructive partnerships with external agencies, which benefit the clients group.
5. Responds calmly to crises, deals promptly and effectively to challenging situations.
6. Solid IT ability.
Other requirements
• A commitment to working flexibly and creatively in response to changing organisational requirements.
• Ability to challenge oneself and others appropriately.
Additional job requirements
• Work outside normal office hours, as required, to ensure optimum service delivery.
The Support Worker role requires the post-holder to have a current enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Certificate.
Desirable
• Direct work experience within the area of mental health, alcohol or substance dependency.
• Knowledge of the housing charity and voluntary sectors; and understanding of challenges faced by the sector.
• Professional Housing Qualification (or working towards) such as NVQ Level 3
What do we offer in return?
On successful completion of probation, you will receive an excellent benefits package which includes:
• 22 days annual leave plus 8 Bank Holidays; rising annually after two years’ employment to 25 days annual leave plus 8 days Bank Holiday.
• Employer’s pension contribution and increasing employer’s pension contribution up to 8% of your gross salary.
• Paid sick leave – one week in the first year; rising to two weeks in year two.
• Training tailored to your career development and aspirations.
• On-site mini gym.
• Access to EAP.
How to Apply
If you have the right skills and experience we’re looking for, can work within our values and behaviours….and you are still interested in applying, then:
Send in your CV and supporting statement (maximum 2 x A4 pages) addressing the 7 essential knowledge, experience, skills and abilities in the Person Specification in our recruitment pack.
Email to: manager@wfcbranches.org.uk adding ‘Support Worker’ in the Subject.
Please email manager@wfcbranches.org.uk for a full recruitment pack.
Job Reference: Support 2024
Early application is encouraged as we are assessing applications as they come in and will close this vacancy when someone suitable applies.
We will only shortlist for interview based on the information you provide in your CV and Supporting Statement.
We aim to contact you within one week of receiving your application.
