Closes: 1 July 2024. Shortlisting will take place on 2 July with applicants contacted by 5 July and interviews held on 11 July.
To apply please email CV and a covering letter to Belinda@benchoutreach.com
SUPPORT WORKER – HOUSING FIRST
Hours: 35 per week
Reports To: The Services Manager
Salary: 30k
Summary
The SHAP Project Housing First Service -Will provide bespoke housing plans and open ending tenancy sustainment for the10 most complex needs clients in the London Borough of Lewisham. This project will collaborate with specialist service to offer a holistic approach to housing and address clients ongoing support needs,
The Housing First Support Worker is the first point of contact in a programme of tenancy management and support that is personalised for each service user, working within a ‘Housing First Model’ which sees housing as a basic human right, and not a reward for clinical engagement. The tenancy management element will include supporting clients with the practical aspects of managing and sustaining a tenancy, including sourcing furniture and white goods, setting up utilities, ensuring benefits are maximised, getting to know the local area and services, and ensuring anti-social behaviour in and around the accommodation is minimised. Additional support, which is optional, could include signposting and assistance in accessing health care and treatment, creating/maintaining social support networks, and accessing training, education, and employment.
The Support Worker will be expected to observe and respect the service user’s dignity, privacy and independence as far as is practical, whilst promoting responsibility and harm minimisation.
Successful applicants will be DBS checked, but having a criminal conviction is not necessarily an obstacle to employment.
Required Experience/Qualifications
- Experience of working with adults with complex needs is desirable.
- A working understanding of need and risk assessment is required
- Applicants should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the complex issues likely to be presented by Housing First Clients
- Personal experience of homelessness/substance use would be beneficial but not essential (applicants must have been in recovery for at least 2 years prior to the date of application)
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- To be able to work with complex need within a Housing First approach.
- To meet with potential Housing First service users and using the guidance ‘script’ provided ensure that they are clear as to what is being offered and what is expected of them.
- To hold a caseload of key clients and to work collaboratively with them, management, and partner organisations to create tenancy support plans that are personalised and achievable.
- To monitor and review plans and to make sure that tasks and actions are carried out
- To minimise risk to service users and staff through on-going risk assessment and information sharing.
- To be able to assist clients with all the practical tasks associated with a tenancy in a sensitive and enabling way
- To report on a day-to-day basis to the Housing Project Manager and to use him/her as a resource for advice and support
- To keep clear and accurate records of engagements with service users and use the reporting systems provided by Bench Outreach.
- To be familiar with and follow Bench Outreach policies, procedures, and methodologies
- To use the supervisory process to reflect on own performance and to take responsibility for own development and learning
- To perform other duties as assigned
Person Specification
To perform this role successfully, an individual should be able to demonstrate the following:
- Resilience, flexibility, and self-motivation
- The ability to communicate to a range of audiences
- Organisation and time management skills, including Time and Expense recording
- IT skills Sensitivity to the needs of others, and particularly to people experiencing homelessness and substance use
- An interest in recovery models and the psychology of behaviour
Ability to work actively in a team and to use own initiative
