Support Practitioner
Location: Dispersed – Albion Centre
Salary: £27,924.41per annum
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Job Type: 6 month contract
Shortlisting: 26th May
Interview: 30th May
Why this role would be great for you
As a Support Worker at YMCA Together you will naturally be an empathetic and caring person wanting to provide unconditional support for those experiencing homelessness and addiction issues. 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.
What your week may look like
- 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 needs.
- 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 the support planning systems MainStay and DAVE.
- Ensure that all housing related requirements are kept up to date, including managing buildings 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 ensuring 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.
It is recognised that the association 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.
What can we offer you
Working with YMCA Together comes will a whole host of benefits. We hope that people will find personal fulfilment and purpose by working with alongside people in our services. Our teams are compassionate and supportive, fostering a strong sense of community. With opportunities for professional growth, YMCA together offers training to support your role and personal development.
For a full list of benefits see here: Careers Page | YMCA Together
The skills we are looking for
- Qualification or working experience in homelessness Tenancy management and supporting vulnerable people.
- 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.
- 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.
What is a nice to have
- A recognised qualification in substance misuse or mental health
- Qualification in welfare rights
- Knowledge of support planning and models of change
- Experience of co coordinating three-way meetings
- Experience of directly working with young people.
- Knowledge of health interventions · Knowledge of welfare rights
- Knowledge of the Cognitive Analytical Therapy (CAT) framework
- Knowledge of health intervention and harm reduction.
Even if you don’t feel that you have all of the relevant skills and “nice to haves” we would still like to hear from you and invite you to fill out our application form.
YMCA Together is an equal opportunities employer, values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.
