Support Practitioner - Dispersed Service

Job Title: Support Practitioner – Dispersed

Responsible to: Service Manager

Responsible for: N/A

Hours of Work: 37.5 Hours per Week, initially on a 9-5 basis but hours will change to include occasional late shifts 

Location: YMCA together – Leeds Street

Salary and benefits:

£27,111 per annum

• 33 days annual leave including bank holidays per annum
• Paid Medicash support
• Birthday Day off
• Spiritual Day off
• Charity day of your choice
• Well-being Hours
• Cycle To Work Scheme
• Refer a Friend Scheme
• Company Pension Scheme 4%
• Funded Training Opportunities

Shortlisting/Interview/Assessment Dates:

• Shortlisting 26th June
• Interview/Assessment Day 2nd July

YMCA is a registered charity and company Limited by Guarantee. We were founded in 1846 and so we build on a long history of providing a place for people experiencing challenging times in their lives.

YMCA Together is a truly value driven organisation.

Our vision is that everyone should feel safe, understood, empowered and positive for their future. We meet our vision by working within our values of Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness. These SHREK values run through all that we do from recruitment to how we work alongside people in our services to our partnership approach with other providers.

Our clear vision and values come together to help us in our mission to inspire and support people to change their lives by instilling hope, valuing the person and maximising potential.

Job Purpose

This service will provide support to individuals that have a history of homelessness or rough sleeping with low to medium support needs. As a support worker you will be focused on facilitating permanent move on accommodation and preparing for fully independent living. The aim of the support is to ensure that those you work alongside are supported and empowered to make positive choices about their life and to continue to live their life free from homelessness. As a support worker you be expected to have specific skills and experience of working in a housing related setting or around tenancy management. It would be an advantage of you had knowledge of housing related law and local support services  

As a support worker you will recognise that the people that we support have often experienced trauma and will work in a way which understands this.  

You will manage a caseload of up to 13 people and you will use a critical time intervention model which means you will understand the need for transition, trying out and transfer of support throughout the journey of your tenant within the service. 

Hours of Work

The post holder will initially be working Monday to Friday, but this may move to a rota of earlies, lates and some weekend working as the service develops. 

Duties and 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 organisation and the environment in which it operates.

Specific Duties

• Carry out new tenant welcomes, inducting into their new properties and identifying immediate support needs. 
• Ensure that tenants have a full understanding of their rights and responsibilities during their stay.  
• Support tenants to achieve permanent move on accommodation as defined/ agreed within their support plans and empower them to reach their aims. 
• Manage, update, and communicate tenants risk assessments in line with YMCA Together policy and procedure. 
• Ensure Tenants shape their own support and understand the purpose of the support provided. 
• Hold planned key-work sessions as well as ad hoc support each week with Tenants using the Critical time intervention model as the framework for support . 
• Assess support needs and plan support around individual need. Regularly review and develop mutually agreed support plans with service users and any other professional involved in the support of those individuals e.g., Social Workers, CPNs, Probation Officers 
• Up to date records must be kept on both support planning systems MainStay and DAVE. 
• Ensure that all housing related requirements are kept up to date including managing building and fire checks . 
• Ensure that all maintenance requests are managed and go through the correct reporting channels while empowering the tenant to where able mange the process  
• Conduct monthly/quarterly risk assessments with Tenants keeping relevant parties informed of updates/changes
• Support all Tenants with future tenancy planning ensuing that everyone has the skills to live independently away from a supported housing pathway.
• Liaise between tenants and external agencies regarding the provision of specialised support when appropriate. 
• Encourage involvement and participation among Tenants in the running and shaping of the wider service provided by planning and attending regular service user meetings and forums. 
• Deal promptly with all complaints and protection from abuse disclosures. 
• Demonstrate creativity in overcoming obstacles and a commitment to working with and providing support to vulnerable people. 

Health and Safety

• Always ensure the safety of yourself and others on the premises in which you work or are visiting following the lone working processes. 
• To report, log and communicate all incidents to the appropriate people. 
• To adhere to all risk management protocols. 

Teamwork

• To share information and expertise with the team, covering absence, and working together to provide a high-quality service
• To contribute to the formulation of policy and procedures in relation to support services
• 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 stakeholders
• To attend and participate in regular team meetings to ensure good communication.

Professional Practice and Development

• Attend regular supervision sessions with the Service Manager or team leader in accordance with the supervision contract
• Maintain good professional practice and ensure ongoing development, through use of supervision and training
• Respect the confidentiality of clients using the service and be responsible for the security of personal and confidential information
• Carry out all these duties within the organisation’s safety guidelines
• Ensure personal records are correctly maintained
• Ensure effective communication with staff within YMCA Together
• Work flexibly to meet the changing needs of the organisation
• Undertake any other duties that may be reasonably requested
• Flexible and positive approach with all team members
• To be committed to learning and personal development both as an individual and as part of a team
• Develop and/or maintain excellent and robust relationships, protocols, contacts and service level agreements with referring agencies, statutory services and wider stakeholders
• Uphold and nurture YMCA’s Equal Opportunities policy of anti-discrimination across all services
• Ensure compliance with code of conduct, including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times

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 organisation 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 – Support Practitioner

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualification or working experience in homelessness, Tenancy management and supporting vulnerable people. 

Desirable

• A recognised qualification in substance misuse or mental health
• Qualification in welfare rights 
• IT qualification such as CLAIT, ECDL, ITQ.

Experience

Essential

• At least 1 years’ experience of working with vulnerable adults and a working knowledge of Resettlement, support planning, welfare rights, benefits advice, mental health issues, offending, drug and alcohol misuse, harm reduction, working with partner agencies and safeguarding. 

Desirable

• Knowledge of support planning and models of change  
• Experience of co coordinating three-way meetings 
• Experience of directly working with young people. 

Knowledge 

Essential

• A working knowledge of providing intensive support to vulnerable client groups.
• A working knowledge of Health & Safety issues
• A clear understanding of complex needs support issues such as mental health, homelessness, substance misuse and offending
• Knowledge of safeguarding protocols
• Understanding of how to work alongside behaviours that we may find challenging.

Desirable

• Knowledge of health interventions
• Knowledge of welfare rights
• Knowledge of the Cognitive Analytical Therapy (CAT) framework.
• Knowledge of health intervention and harm reduction.

Skills

Essential

• Hold a full driving license and have access to a vehicle. 
• Computer literate, competent in working with Microsoft word, outlook, windows
• The ability to conduct comprehensive and accurate risk assessments
• To provide effective and consistent support planning with the people we support
• Excellent IT, communication, interpersonal, interviewing and assessment skills
• Excellent administration skills and the ability to accurately and concisely record information and write reports
• Plan and deliver workshops and training sessions to residents, staff and partner agencies
• 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 workload and meet deadlines.

Desirable

• Analytical, data collation and reporting skills

Behaviour/Attributes

Essential

• Committed to improving the lives of people with complex needs
• Committed to own personal development and CPD planning
• Creative and dynamic approach with the ability to “think outside of the box” when providing solutions
• Energetic, highly motivated with a reputation of being held in high regard by peers
• Excellent interpersonal/ communication skills
• Excellent negotiation/ mediation skills
• Committed to own career development
• Ability to work within & have commitment to YMCA ethos, philosophy and SHREK values, Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness
• Energetic, dynamic and self-motivated

If you would like to apply for this role please click here APPLY NOW

To download a copy of our application form, please click HERE

If you would like to apply not directly through the website, please email your completed application form to recruitment@ymcatogether.org.uk