Recovery and Housing Related Support Worker
Location: North East Lincolnshire Housing Related Floating Support Service
Hours: Full time: 37.5 hours per week. Hours are to be worked flexibly including weekends and bank holidays according to the needs of the service.
Responsible to: Service Manager
Location: Grimsby Office, Armstrong House, Suite 1, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 2QE
Job Description – Recovery & Housing Related Support Worker
North East Lincolnshire Floating Support Service Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire
The Role: This is an exciting opportunity to work within our established Housing Related Support service. The service provides flexible and bespoke, outcome-focused support packages to vulnerable single people, couples, families, and expectant mothers over the age of sixteen who maintain their accommodation independently or who require HRS to access accommodation. The service offers support for up to 12 months, is fast-paced, and outcome-focused. You will offer support in a person-centered and flexible way to meet the aspirations of those people accessing the service. You will ensure the delivery of integrated interventions along their pathways to independence and recovery. The service is expected to support people with wide-ranging vulnerabilities and support needs, which may include a need for accommodation. You will also work within a trauma-informed environment, understanding how to maximize the support you give to individuals. This role would suit full or part-time candidates and is predominantly during the working week and 9am to 5pm. The role will enable you to build valuable skills working with a range of adults in the community. This role would suit graduates or those who are looking for a new challenge.
Main Duties: Develop warm and trusting relationships with service users to encourage them to express their needs, views, and concerns.
Respect the service user’s right to privacy and ensure their dignity is maintained at all times.
Be flexible and responsive to the needs of service users as directed by their Individual Support Plans.
Provide flexible HRS within North East Lincolnshire for vulnerable single people, couples, and families, including expectant mothers over the age of sixteen to enable people to access and maintain their own accommodation with a view to living independently.
Enable vulnerable people to build on their existing assets, develop and acquire the new skills and confidence needed to live independently in the community, and maintain their future accommodation, reducing reliance on statutory services.
Work in a non-judgemental way, recognizing that vulnerable people can ‘make mistakes’ without automatically losing their accommodation.
Provide flexible support to vulnerable people in the community, ensuring they are supported with sustainable solutions to live their lives well.
Work in conjunction with the Authorities Homelessness Prevention Service and other statutory services, to demonstrate a proactive approach to the prevention and relief of homelessness and a positive exit from the HRS service.
Reflect different lifestyles and maximize people’s abilities and skills through asset-focused support planning.
Operate within a Psychological and Trauma Informed Care environment, considering the thinking, emotions, personalities, and past experiences of the people using the service to work more creatively and constructively with them.
Work in partnership with other agencies (i.e., health, substance misuse, mental health, education, employment and training services) to ensure that the client has maximum opportunities to promote their potential and ensure that these opportunities are promoted and encouraged to the client.
Attend and participate in relevant meetings and reviews as required by the needs of the service user and as requested by the service user themselves as appropriate.
Develop service users’ social skills and behaviour management and encourage them to take part in community activities, volunteering, and any other activity that supports their transition to independence.
Provide advice, advocacy, and liaison as required, which may include, but not exclusive to, support for gaining a tenancy, attending Authority, other agency, or local community meetings.
Provide help and advice on money management, organizing finances, and making benefit claims, this can be done by referral through other organizations.
Provide help and advice regarding personal safety and security.
Where appropriate, provide practical advice and support regarding repair work/home improvement.
Broaden awareness and assist in establishing social contact and activities for those you support.
Provide psychologically informed environments in which to deliver support.
Incorporate the needs of the whole household in the support plan.
Provide support and guidance to reinforce boundaries of acceptable behaviour and enable them to deal with negative behaviour in a positive way and encourage positive behaviour patterns.
Ensure those receiving HRS will have a strong sense of being in control of the delivery of the service and are fully involved in the development of their support plans.
Manage your own caseload of service users, maximizing appointment times and working flexibly around the need of service users.
Recognize when the needs of a service user mean their support needs increasing or decreasing and liaising with senior staff to ensure just enough support is provided through regular caseload management meetings and reviews.
Promote the service user’s self-esteem and enable them to express their preferences and make choices and decisions.
Enhance the confidence and coping abilities of service users through encouragement and positive feedback. Enable service users to develop skills in planning and self-organization and to encourage them to maintain appointments and commitments.
Encourage service users to take as much responsibility as possible for their own physical and mental health and to access primary health care and other services.
Work within agreed risk management guidelines and assist service users in reducing risks to themselves or others. Promptly report all concerns regarding risks to senior staff, the Duty Manager/On-Call Manager, and relevant agencies.
Maintain a high standard of customer care and encourage feedback from service users and other agencies. Promptly report and document all complaints, suggestions, and feedback.
Follow Health and Safety guidelines carefully and alert the Project Manager immediately of any concerns in relation to Health and Safety issues.
Ensure that accurate records are kept in the prescribed format on our online ECCO system. Document all work undertaken in support of service users, their general progress, any concerns, and any communication or liaison with other agencies.
Ensure that all financial transactions relating to the project or service users are promptly and accurately recorded within the agreed guidelines.
Contribute to service users’ reviews through the provision of verbal and written reports and by attending Support Planning and Review Meetings.
Fulfill the role of Project Key Worker as required, under the direction of a senior member of staff.
Notify your Line Manager of planned whereabouts and submit accurate timesheets weekly.
Provide regular verbal and written reports to your Line Manager.
Accept regular support and supervision from your Line Manager.
Person Specification – Recovery & Housing Related Support Worker
North East Lincolnshire Floating Support Service
Qualities Required
Good verbal communication skills and ability to listen sensitively to others (Essential)
Good written communication skills, with an ability to contribute to a record-keeping system (Essential)
Ability to provide personal care in a dignified and sensitive manner (Essential)
Ability to work as part of a team (Essential)
A basic understanding of housing-related support needs (Desirable)
Ability to provide sympathetic, emotional, and practical support to service users (Essential)
A common-sense approach to problem-solving and an ability to deal with conflict and distress (Essential)
Ability to work without direct supervision in service user’s homes (Essential)
Ability to liaise in a professional manner with other agencies (Essential)
An understanding of the aims and principles of Creative Support (Essential)
Understanding of relevant housing and homelessness legislation such as the Housing Act (Essential)
Experience of Trauma-informed practice to consider how best to mitigate risk and enable acceptance of clients (Desirable)
A relevant degree-level qualification such as Psychology (Desirable)
Experience of working with and relating to people from a wide variety of backgrounds (Essential)
Experience of working as a member of a team (Desirable)
Willingness to work flexible hours according to the needs of the project, by mutual agreement (Essential)
Willingness to attend training courses and events (Essential)
Willingness to participate in regular supervision with a line manager (Essential)
Clean driving license and access to a car (Essential)