Senior Support Worker - Doorstop Project

Introduction

The Wallich is a homelessness charity delivering innovative housing and support services to homeless and vulnerably housed people. The Organisation formed in 1978 in Cardiff and now supports around 8000 people a year across Wales. Our work falls into four principal areas:

1. Residential supported housing projects, including direct access hostels, emergency night shelters and accommodation for people with specific issues such as substance misuse, youth services etc.

2. Floating (Tenancy) support projects in which we support people who have tenancy difficulties, sometimes with a contributing health or other need, and are in danger of losing their homes.

3. Prevention or intervention projects supplied through Homelessness Prevention Grant funding which are a broad range of services that prevent homelessness or make life better for homeless people.

4. Participation and Progression services, which are embedded in all our projects enhancing support through providing opportunities for Service Users to take an active part in their community. These services include those designed to enable people to move into meaningful activities including employment and training opportunities.

The Wallich’s values are of empowerment and treating people with dignity, respect and unconditional positive regard. The Wallich is committed to providing services that are trauma informed and delivered with Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) at the heart of its support. A PIE is an approach to supporting people out of homelessness whilst making significant and positive progress in overcoming trauma, substance misuse and mental illness. It also considers the psychological needs of staff: developing skills and knowledge, increasing motivation, job satisfaction and resilience. At the heart of what we do are the people we support, who are actively and meaningfully involved in their own support and encouraged to participate in the design, development and delivery of services.

Project Description

The project is a medium intensity hybrid Supported Accommodation and Floating Support service for people of both genders who are resident in Conwy and Denbighshire, who have alcohol or substance misuse related support needs. The project is for single people or couples with no dependent children aged 16 and over.

Staff will deliver support activities in Service Users’ accommodation and in the community. Service users accessing the service will be assessed to be at a point to be willing and able to manage their substance misuse. This may include people who are stable and/or in treatment or recently released from Prison and engaged in relapse prevention work at the time of referral to the scheme. Priority will be given to service users who are post detoxification or stable on a prescription medication. The project’s intent is to stabilise service users in a drug and alcohol free environment in their own tenancy.

Additionally, all Service Users will be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and will have been identified as needing support in a number of areas to enable them to manage their tenancy independently.

Purpose of Role

To coordinate and provide residential and floating support that enables and empowers Service Users to address housing and/or personal difficulties, build their skills and confidence, and ultimately improve their ability to maintain their current or future accommodation. The support will not create or increase dependence. It will ‘do with’ rather than ‘do for’ to enable people to improve their control, understanding and involvement in dealing with the issues that affect them, and assist Service Users to achieve their preferred outcomes. In addition, to meet the housing management needs of the project ensuring the delivery of a safe, secure and effective service.

This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

No Agencies.

We do not accept unsolicited agency referrals for this position and do not consider any applicants, to have been introduced to us via agency.

Main Duties, Responsibilities and Person Profile

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. To coordinate and provide support to the residents of the project.

a) To ensure that Service Users are aware of the mission, aims and objectives, policies and procedures of the projects and the duties, responsibilities and obligations of staff.

b) To ensure that all Service Users are treated fairly and afforded equality of opportunity.

c) To ensure that Service Users’ needs are met through the consistent application of the Wallich’s model of support.

d) To respond to referrals according to the procedures and eligibility criteria of the project.

e) To coordinate a Service User caseload with particular reference to:

• Coordinating and carrying out needs and risk assessments and developing risk management plans.

• Coordinating and providing project inductions to all new Service Users.

• Ensuring each Service Users’ records are up to date and accurate.

• Identifying the goals and aspirations of Service Users and developing outcome focused support plans.

• Coordinating the day to day tasks and activities of Service Users support plans.

• Applying various conversational and psycho-social intervention skill sets to the benefit of the Service User (i.e. Solution Focused working and Motivation Interviewing).

• Providing information, advice and guidance that enable Service users to make informed decisions about their needs and support.

• Ensuring that Service Users have a means of expressing their views and that this expression receives appropriate consideration.

• Actively involving Service Users in their support.

• Actively involving Service Users in the delivery and development of services.

• Coordinating referrals to and liaising with relevant agencies and individuals with or on behalf of Service Users.

• Coordinating and carrying out the reviewing of needs, risk and support plans in line with procedure.

• Coordinating and carrying out the monitoring of Service User’s progress by assessing levels of control, understanding and involvement (CU&I) in working towards their goals.

• Representing and advocating with/for Service Users.

• Coordinating a planned service withdrawal, ensuring sign-off is realistic, manageable and controlled.

f) To maintain accurate and up to date records of every aspect of Service Users’ issues and support according to procedure.

g) To maintain regular communication with Support Workers relating to the need for changes to Service Users’ needs and risk assessments and support plans.

h) To ensure that the service standards set out in the organisational document ‘Great Expectations’ are met or exceeded.

2. To visit people in their homes or in the community and to coordinate and provide housing related support.

a) To ensure that Service Users are aware of the mission, aims and objectives, policies and procedures of the projects and the duties, responsibilities and obligations of staff.

b) To ensure that all Service Users are treated fairly and afforded equality of opportunity.

c) To ensure that Service Users’ needs are met through the consistent application of the Wallich’s model of support.

d) To respond to referrals according to the procedures and eligibility criteria of the project.

e) To coordinate a Service User caseload with particular reference to:

• Coordinating and carrying out needs and risk assessments and developing risk management plans.

• Coordinating and providing project inductions to all new Service Users.

• Ensuring each Service User’s records are up to date and accurate.

• Identifying the goals and aspirations of Service Users and developing outcome focused support plans.

• Coordinating the day to day tasks and activities of Service Users support plans.

• Applying various conversational and psycho-social intervention skill sets to the benefit of the Service User (i.e. Solution Focused working and Motivational Interviewing).

• Providing information, advice and guidance that enable Service users to make informed decisions about their needs and support.

Ensuring that Service Users have a means of expressing their views and that this expression receives appropriate consideration.

• Actively involving Service Users in their support.

• Actively involving Service Users in the delivery and development of services.

• Coordinating referrals to and liaising with relevant agencies and individuals with or on behalf of Service Users.

• Coordinating and carrying out the reviewing of needs, risk and support plans in line with procedure.

• Coordinating and carrying out the monitoring of Service User’s progress by assessing levels of control, understanding and involvement (CU&I) in working towards their goals.

• Representing and advocating with/for Service Users.

• Coordinating a planned service withdrawal into support, ensuring sign-off is realistic, manageable and controlled.

f) To maintain accurate and up to date records of every aspect of Service Users’ issues and support according to procedure.

g) To maintain regular communication with Support Workers relating to the need for changes to Service Users’ needs and risk assessments and support plans.

h) To ensure that the service standards set out in the organisational document ‘Great Expectations’ are met or exceeded.

3. To assist in monitoring the effectiveness of the project ensuring objectives and targets are met.

a) To meet the monitoring requirements of the Outcomes Framework and other commissioners.

b) To assist managers with gathering quantitative and qualitative information relating to objectives and targets.

c) To ensure that records of Service Users accessing the service are maintained.

d) To provide statistics and other information as requested by managers.

4. To carry out the project’s housing management functions.

a) To coordinate the induction of Service Users into project and provide and explain the required information.

b) To issue occupancy agreements in line with current legislation/procedure.

c) To ensure Housing Benefit applications are completed and submitted.

d) To collect service charges and rent (where appropriate).

e) To coordinate the facilitation of residents’ house meetings.

f) To address and report maintenance issues in line with the Maintenance Policy.

g) To monitor and address Health and Safety and carry out the required checks in line with legislation, policy and organisational requirements, and record appropriately.

h) To ensure good standards of cleanliness and hygiene are maintained at all times.

i) To actively encourage residents’ involvement in appropriate housing management functions.

j) To address all issues to maintain a safe and pleasant environment.

k) To implement the Service Users’ Warning procedure as and when appropriate.

l) To minimise voids by carrying out regular room/property inspections, and planning and preparing for move-on/in.

5. To supervise and mentor an allocated number of volunteers.

a) To provide regular supervision to allocated volunteers in line with The Wallich Supervision Policy.

b) To mentor volunteers providing hands on experience in a safe environment.

c) To agree with volunteers any development needs and take appropriate measures to action these.

d) To monitor work done by volunteers and to ensure that duties and responsibilities are fulfilled and obligations are met.

e) To ensure that the volunteers have a consistent understanding of the mission, values, aims, objectives and policies and procedures of the project.

6. To assist in the overall running of the project.

a) To act as a mentor for Support Workers and new staff.

b) To work in line with all Wallich policies and procedures.

c) To participate in own supervision.

d) To undertake relevant training.

e) To represent The Wallich at relevant external meetings.

f) To liaise with relevant bodies – Housing Associations, support agencies etc. – as appropriate and as the organisation’s representative.

g) To develop links with voluntary and statutory bodies in furtherance of the organisation’s work and for the benefit of the Service User.

h) To report to manager regularly informing him/her of issues arising during the course of the work that require policy decisions.

i) To ensure adequate administrative records are kept.

j) To ensure the maintenance of good standards of cleanliness, hygiene and adherence to Health and Safety regulations.

k) To take part in all aspects of lone working as directed by the policy.

l) To partake in a team handover where applicable.

m) To undertake other duties within the remit of the post.

7. Other

a) To work and travel across Denbighshire and Conwy, and further afield as and when required.

The list of duties and responsibilities is not an exhaustive one and may be varied from time to time by the organisation. This job description is subject to regular review.

Person Profile

1. Knowledge

a) Knowledge and understanding of current Homelessness Law, the Criminal Justice System, DWP Benefits, and the current legal framework within which you are expected to work.

b) Knowledge and understanding of how complex needs, such as substance misuse or mental health, can affect individuals and their vulnerability.

c) Knowledge and understanding of the housing management functions.

d) Knowledge and understanding of how your personal life can have positive and negative impacts on your own performance and attendance.

e) Knowledge and understanding of the need for professional boundaries.

2. Experience

a) Experience of working with individuals with complex needs.

b) Experience of housing related support or homelessness (this can be from a personal perspective).

c) Experience of completing needs and risks assessments.

d) Experience of planning and delivering support.

e) Experience of monitoring and recording systems.

f) Experience of working with diverse people in a non-judgemental way.

g) Experience of effectively dealing with challenging situations whilst maintaining professional boundaries.

h) Experience of professionally and effectively representing the wishes and best interests of Service Users and the organisation whilst building beneficial relationships with a range of agencies.

i) Experience of lone working on own initiative and without close supervision.

j) Experience of organising resources and prioritising workloads to meet deadlines.

3. Other

a) Driving licence and own vehicle is essential.

b) Ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable but not essential.

Interviews to be held on 2nd March 2022 via MS Teams.

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