Job profile

Job reference

REQ004616

Date posted

24/03/2023

Application closing date

19/04/2024

Location

Tower Hamlets

Salary

£25,911.57 per annum

Package

Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Contractual hours

40

Basis

Full time

Job category/type

Full Time, Permanent

Job description

We’re looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Housing Specialist Support Worker to join our Homelessness service in Tower Hamlets. No personal care or experience is required, just the right values.

£25,911.57 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Working Pattern :

6 week rolling rota including some evening and weekends.

Early shifts : 7:30am-4:00pm

Late shifts : 2:00pm-10:30pm

No night shifts required for this role

Want to feel like you’re making a difference? 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.

Hackney Road is a project comprising two elements: a 10-bed hostel and 25 self-contained step down flats. The hostel supports adults who are former rough sleepers with high or complex needs relating to chaotic substance misuse. Here support is provided 24/7 and the length of stay is nine months to a year. The step down service offers customers the ability to build their independence in preparation for moving outside the supported housing sector, with the general length of stay being six months.

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

What you’ll do:

Hackney Road Project provides 24 hour accommodation based support for up to 31 individuals with complex histories, multiple traumas, complex personality disorder(s) and a varied, disrupted housing history with experience of homelessness as well as individuals who have been diagnosed with severe and enduring mental health conditions who are under the Care Programme Approach (CPA).

Hackney Road Project implements and promotes the Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) model. This is an approach which was developed to support people out of homelessness, in particular those who have experienced complex trauma or are diagnosed with a personality disorder. However, its application is far broader than only homelessness. It considers the psychological needs of staff: developing skills and knowledge, increasing motivation, job satisfaction and resilience.

When working with individuals with complex needs, who may display challenging, chaotic behaviours, regularly testing boundaries and have experienced multiple traumas as a result of abuse, neglect, years of street homelessness, or long stays in mental health hospitals, it is integral that the post holder is motivated to support individuals to progress. They should continually hold aspirations for individuals despite multiple setbacks, and display emotional resilience, able to process challenging incidents and remain motivated to deliver excellent support.

Specialist Support Workers within Look Ahead are required to have either an extra dimension of experience or a higher qualification level as determined relevant for the particular post.

As the Specialist Support Worker Housing Lead you will lead on the management of hoarding, self-neglect, and skills related to independent living. You will lead on the Move On process for customers and will liaise with external partners. You will therefore be in charge of building support packages and transition plans to assist customers to exit the service with the support they need. You will also provide information, social inclusion and vocational opportunities to support people to recover and stay well; exercise choice and control in their care and lives; and participate on an equal footing in the community. Provision of care and support is also provided to develop a model of re-enablement towards self-advocacy, self-management and empowerment, incorporating the principles and practice of recovery, co-production and peer support. Post holders will deliver support to a caseload of up to 6 service users with needs aligned to their specialism – caseload is subject to change depending on the service needs.

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

• Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and external partners, creating a positive atmosphere
• Leading on Move on
• Leading on care packages and transition plans for customers when exiting the service
• Carrying out holistic assessments of new customers which incorporate relevant statutory referral information
• Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support plan goals
• Create support plans for providing appropriate services based on on-going assessment and reflecting the services and resources available to enable customer to progress in their recovery
• Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of ‘positive risk taking’
• Provide support and access to relevant services to enable customers to continue their recovery and empower customers to self-manage their medication regimes through individual re-enablement programmes and informed decision making
• Undertake support work in partnership with external stakeholders to compliment their interventions
• Developing productive relationships with partner organisations to improve service outcomes
• Demonstrate strong commitment to the functioning of the staff team and to support colleagues in providing a high level of service and safety to customers
• Involving customers in the design, development and delivery of the service
• Adhering to lone working protocols and maintaining high levels of awareness in relation to the health and safety of yourself and colleagues
• Ensuring Look Ahead Health and Safety policies and local protocols are adhered to at all times e.g. fire risk assessments, fire alarm checks etc.
• Being responsible for the handover of key information between shifts
• Provide structured support and guidance to other front line staff in their area of expertise
• To lead groups and activities - offering a range of appropriate therapeutic and recovery focused interactions and activities
• Undertaking any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Team Leader/Manager
• To uphold all health and safety responsibilities within relevant policies and local protocols
• Adhere to all the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care & Support plus those specific to the project including any statutory requirements

About you:

• Embraces a Psychologically Informed approach
• Is capable of maintaining unconditional positive regard
• Views challenging behaviour as a support need.
• A strong specialist support worker with excellent interpersonal skills
• Socially adept, networks widely, well connected in sector, influential
• Approachable, open & professional behaviour
• At ease in directing others, is assertive and independent minded, will challenge others, and skilled in resolving conflict
• Drives change, enjoys dynamic diverse environments and demonstrates entrepreneurialism, creativity and innovation
• Demonstrates significant confidence and high levels of self-esteem
• Demonstrates significant levels of emotional resilience and a positive attitude
• Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
• Is passionate and enthusiastic about the business
• Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
• Is Customer focussed
• We welcome applications from individuals with lived experiences of using services

What you’ll bring:

Essential:

• Up to NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in a relevant area (e.g. psychology, Health and Social Care, Mental Health) OR experience in the social care/charity sector.
• Experience building and develop strong professional partnerships with external providers aligned to their specialism

Desirable:

• 2-3 years experience providing targeted recovery focussed support to individuals with needs around hoarding, mental health, substance use and dual diagnosis.

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.