Senior Support Worker – Mental Health Lead – Homeless Oxfordshire, Oxford

JOB DESCRIPTION TEMPLATE
Job Title:

Senior Support Worker (O’Hanlon House – Mental Health lead)

Hours:

37.5 hours (some flexible
working required)

Accountable to:

Team Leader

Remuneration:
Per annum

Location:

£29,849
£30,385

Status:

Permanent

Responsible for:

N/A

O’Hanlon House, Oxford

About Us:
We are an open door for people experiencing homelessness whose lives have been shaped by trauma and
disadvantage; providing safety, stability and support when it is needed most. We deliver this support across
Oxfordshire by providing a range of accommodation with access to high quality support, offering a safe and
welcoming space for people to take control of their own lives.

Main Purpose Of The Job:
This role is responsible for delivering a safe and supportive service to all residents living at O’Hanlon House in
Oxford. Working within the wider support team you will lead on the case management of residents with complex
mental health needs, whilst working closely with the embedded OHHIT psychologist and arranging MultiDisciplinary Team meetings. You will maintain and develop partnerships within the Mental Health pathway to
ensure better outcomes for our residents. This includes identifying and pro-actively working towards appropriate
move on from OHH. You will have experience in working in a psychologically informed way and building
relationships through a trauma informed prism and developing more systemic ways of working psychologically
within OHH. With colleagues you will lead in making O’Hanlon House a more psychologically informed
environment for all our residents.

Main Areas Of Responsibility:
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To ensure the effective delivery of high quality support and housing management according to
Homeless Oxfordshire policies and procedures.
To represent Homeless Oxfordshire at interagency meetings in particular MDT meetings where MH
needs of the resident are significant.
To lead in making O’Hanlon House a more psychologically informed environment for all our residents

Job Description - Page 1 of 4

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To assess risk and suitability of referrals to the service focusing on those being referred in with MH
needs
To work collaboratively with partner agencies to create individual holistic support & risk
management plans for residents with MH needs.
To work in partnership with health agencies to ensure residents have access to appropriate
healthcare as needed.
To develop partnerships within the Mental Health pathway to ensure better outcomes for our
residents
To work collaboratively with residents to identify and work towards suitable move on.
Report any safeguarding concerns without delay in line with procedures.
Ensure that concise record keeping is completed promptly -ensure information is shared with
the team and external agencies as required.
To be a supportive and effective part of the team, including contributing to the induction of
new colleagues.
To work flexibly which may include some early evening and weekend work
To ensure that Homeless Oxfordshire’s Equal Opportunities Policies are complied with and promoted
whilst carrying out the duties of the post.
To undertake any other duties that may be reasonably required to meet the operational needs of
Homeless Oxfordshire.

Safeguarding Statement:
Homeless Oxfordshire is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all adults, children and young
people who are at risk of harm and that come into contact with our services. We believe that all adults, children
and young people have an equal right to protection from abuse, regardless of their age, race, religion, ability,
gender, language, background or sexual identity and consider the wellbeing of the vulnerable adult, child or
young person is paramount. As a result, we have a robust safeguarding policy to ensure everyone is treated fairly
and a whistleblowing policy to enable people raise any concerns confidentially. We expect everyone (employees,
trustees, associates, volunteers and anyone working on behalf of the Company) to share this commitment and
read, understand and adhere to this policy and related procedures.

Equal Opportunities:
We employ people on the basis of their abilities. We strive to attract and develop talent that is representative of
our residents and all sections of the society, and do not discriminate based on of age, faith, disability, race,
gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional or cultural background. If you are shortlisted and need us to make
any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.

Job Description - Page 2 of 4

Job Description
Person Specification:

Factors

Essential

Desirable

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Knowledge,
Experience,
Qualification
s,
Professional
Membership
s & Training

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Communicati
on,
Engagement
&
Relationships

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Knowledge and understanding of trauma and
PIE
An understanding of the needs of homeless
people
Experience of working in a face-to-face
environment
Significant experience of working with people
with complex mental health needs.
Focused on the views and needs of residents
and other stakeholders and ensures that
individual focus is at the core of service
provision.
Proven track record of achieving successful
move on outcomes with residents.
Open attitude to change and ability to
facilitate, enable and encourage the
engagement of others in the change process.
Confident and engaging verbal and written
interpersonal skills with the ability to network,
influence and build relationships at all levels.
Displays self-awareness and integrity in all
relationships.
Ability to make quick and effective decisions.
IT literate with knowledge of Microsoft
packages in order to produce letters & reports
and store/retrieve information from
databases.
Ability to deal with challenging behaviour.
Excellent at motivating others and building
resilience
Ability to keep comprehensive case files and
notes
Ability to apply new information and learn
from experiences.

Recruitment
Selection
Method
(Application,
Interview,
Assessment)

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Relevant Mental
Health
qualification
Knowledge of the
mental health
pathway and
options available
Experience of
working in a
hostel, or similar,
environment.

Experience of
leading MDT
meetings

A, I

A, I

Job Description - Page 3 of 4

Job Description
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Shares knowledge and learning with others
and recognises own strengths and areas for
development

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Knowledge of safeguarding legislation and risk
assessment methodology.
Knowledge of voluntary and statutory services
available to homeless people and vulnerable
adults.
Able to operate competently regarding
managing data and information in accordance
with the Data Protection Act (DPA) (2018) and
the General Data Protection regulations
(GDPR).

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Standards &
Compliance

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A,I

This post is part of Oxfordshire’s Homeless Alliance. Its members are people with lived experience of homelessness, service providers,
and local authorities. The Alliance has come together to end rough sleeping and improve services so that they make a positive
difference to the lives of people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness in Oxfordshire. The job description is a broad reflection
of current duties and it is not exhaustive. It will be reviewed regularly to reflect priorities and developments as the need arises.

Job Description - Page 4 of 4