Specialist Support Worker

Specialist Support Worker

Location: Wakefield

Salary £25,170.00

Apply by 22/12/21

Introduction

In this role you’ll work alongside colleagues within the team and community based services in order to support customers with complex needs to the highest standards. A specialist element of the role will be to supervise BA Social Work student placements every year – two of them one based at Marsh Way House and one at Marie House (women & children’s refuge) for a period of 70 days. Role includes: The supervision and management of Social Work students and other student placements, this includes providing weekly supervision sessions, supporting students to meet their course objectives, recording supervision notes, report writing, case management support, direct observations of practice and attendance in practice placement meetings. In addition you will also be responsible for supporting the wellbeing and development of the staff team, offering 1-2-1 and group Reflective Practice sessions, development and delivery of in-house training and providing peer support.

You will be expected to deliver positive, outcome focused support packages to customers of Riverside Supported Housing First accommodation in Wakefield. Whilst doing so, you will display a high level of knowledge in regards to the specialism and particular needs of various client groups within the service.

Riverside was established over 90 years ago and is one of the country’s leading providers of services for people affected by homelessness. We’ve grown to become a major provider of affordable housing in England and Scotland, with almost 56,000 homes in management and support over 12,000 people every year in our Care and Support services.

Through our housing, care and support services we enable people facing a wide variety of challenging circumstances to lead more resilient and independent lives.

Job responsibilities

You’ll be working to deliver a ’best practise’ support service, altered to client’s needs.

You’ll support our customers in a variety of ways. For example, working towards agreed set goals and actions and guiding clients with day to day tenancy issues, such as payment of rent and claiming benefits.

It’ll be your job work in line with safe guarding requirements to ensure the overall safety of the client, as well as sharing your specialist knowledge with colleagues.

Through all of this you will need to encourage a high level of client involvement, consultation and communication.

Who we’re looking for

At times this role is tough but most of the time it can be incredibly rewarding. You will need to be resilient, empathetic and able to leave your work at work and not take it home with you.

As a minimum requirement you’ll need:

• Experience of working with vulnerable people.

Ideally you’ll also have:

• Demonstrable IT skills, showing willing to complete any IT training that could advance these skills.

What you’ll get

• 25 days holiday, rising to 30 with length of service + 8 bank holidays per year
• Option to ‘buy’ up to an extra 5 days’ holiday
• 2 days paid leave on top for volunteering
• Paid overtime or Time Off in Lieu – if you do more hours than contracted hours we’ll give you that time back
• Pension scheme where if you pay 6%, we’ll top it up to a total of15%
• Life Assurance equal to 3x your base pay
• Free and confidential counselling services (provided by AXA)
• Eye care scheme, £25 towards a test and £50 towards glasses or lenses needed
• Recognition scheme and Long service awards

What you’d be a part of

Between April 2019 and March 2020 here are some of our many achievements:

• 
  Every year we support over 12,000 people across the country, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• We’ve supported 3,356 people or households with our projects that are funded by our charity - the Riverside Foundation.
• We’ve helped 385 customers develop their employment skills and 238 customers have moved into employment. We’ve also helped 147 into formal training or volunteering and 11 into apprenticeships.*
• Through our Ladders of Aspiration funding we’ve helped 138 customers to gain qualifications.
• Through our Money Advice service we’ve had 1,346 referrals and helped increase income for customers by £1,162,447.*
• We’ve helped support 128 customers facing challenges to live independently and receive support for their needs through our Intensive Intervention scheme.

• 
  Our Money Advice, Employment and Training Services are part funded by The Riverside Housing Group