Enhanced Support Worker

We’re looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Enhanced Support Worker to join our Homelessness service in Kensington and Chelsea.

£25,937.60 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes,staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel like you’re part of one team? You’ll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren’t token gestures - we’ve thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

This role requires a valid Right to Work for the UK as Look Ahead are not a sponsoring organisation.

What you’ll do:

The Heaney Cluster an intensively supported housing scheme for the most challenging customers in the borough. The majority of the customers come with a history of entrenched rough sleeping; often coupled with enduring mental health difficulties. The aim is to offer a home to those who would have difficulty finding accommodation because of their lifestyle choices involving extreme drug and alcohol misuse. The high support hostel caters for eleven service users with complex needs and is staffed 24 hours a day with the minimum of three staff on duty. The medium support services are staffed from 9am to 9pm where the customers present with varying degrees of mental health issues.

Enhanced Support Workers will devise person centered support plans with customers to help them develop the life skills they require to meet their needs and goals. This will include sign posting them to the local drug and alcohol services to address substance misuse issues. They will work with customers to promote social inclusion and alongside other members of the team to promote independent living, encouraging customers to maximise their skills and choices.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead.

• Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Team Leader/ Manager.
• Ensure that referrals are chased proactively so that properties which can be used to house those in need are filled as efficiently as possible
• Undertake initial and continuous assessment of needs and potential risks and agree levels of support and actions
• Create support/action plans for providing appropriate services based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available
• Support customers to undertake all domestic tasks wherever possible, including practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills, to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation
• Develop and maintain links with all key agencies and service providers in the local community
• Develop knowledge around the local mental health system to ensure customers receive the best treatment available
• Lead on an area of specialism (e.g. ETE, health and wellbeing) and build partnerships and develop internal and external opportunities for service-users in this area
• Empower customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to
• Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive tenant/customer records to professional standards
• Encourage and enable tenants to pay their rent and to ensure that rent accounts are managed effectively in conjunction with the Housing Management team
• Adhere to Look Ahead’s Policies and Procedures
• Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills
• Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned

What you’ll bring:

• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
• Approachable and open behaviour
• Prefers working as part of a group or team
• Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
• Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
• Flexible
• Open to feedback and self development
• Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
• Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
• Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
• Is essentially customer–focused
• Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
• Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviours

Essential:

• Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector

Desirable:

• Experience of working with complex needs/ street homeless

About us:

Look Ahead is a dynamic, leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. As an organisation we deliver over 110 services, providing support to around 7000 customers each year. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.