Job profile

Job reference

REQ004726

Date posted

12/05/2023

Application closing date

12/06/2023

Location

Kensington and Chelsea

Salary

£24,856.00 per annum

Package

enefits 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 4x kind, compassionate and resilient Support Workers to join our Homelessness service in Kensington and Chelsea.

£24,856.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel in control of your career? 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.

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

What you’ll do:

132 Assessment centre for single homeless men and women that have links within the borough. The accommodation provides 6 separate self-contained units with on suite bed rooms, and one bedroomed flat. The scheme is staffed 24 hours, with Night Support Workers and Concierge cover during the evenings.

The aim of the project is to assess the individual over a 12-week period with the aim of identifying their support and housing needs. In that period, we will provide a bed for the customer to assist staff to carry out a detailed assessment to ensure that the recommendation for move on into alternative housing is captured correctly to assist move on for the individual into more suitable accommodation which is correct reflective of their needs based on our assessment/recommendation.

The service operates a model of personalised approach in order to address a wide range of presenting complex needs, which could range from mild learning difficulties, substance use (alcohol and drugs), offending, mental health, dual diagnoses, etc. We work closely with outside agencies in order to ensure that the individual is linked into getting the correct support whilst they remain at the assessment centre.

A major part of the Assessment Support Workers role is putting in the foundation with our customers around basic living skills and preparing the individual to be ready to move into alternative supported accommodation.

About you:

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.

• Undertake initial and continuous assessment of needs including support needs and daily living skills. This would include potential risks and an assessment of the customers independent living skills as a whole.
• The initial and co-produced assessment will incorporate models of co-production, observation, and person-centred planning. This is with a view that it is solution focused as to provide a framework for progression towards independent living.
• Liaise with partner agencies regarding the assessment process seeking advice and guidance as to specialist input and clinical input as part of multi-disciplinary assessment process.
• Create support/ action plans for providing appropriate services based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available.
• Empower customers to be part of the local community and active participants in the local community as part of a Recovery Capital model.
• Liaise with partner agencies regarding making referrals where an unmet need has been identified via the multi-agency assessment.
• Ensure that referrals are chased proactively so that properties which can be used to house those in need are filled as efficiently as possible.
• Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Team Leader/Manager
• Support customers to undertake all domestic tasks as past of the assessment of daily living skills, including practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills, to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation.
• Develop and maintain links with all key agencies and service providers in the local community.
• Co produce In Reach services at the Assessment Centre so that we are able to action plan jointly with partner agencies and feed into any action plans in regard to customers support needs e.g. Substance Misuse treatment plans
• Attend training and workshops that are delivered via partner agencies were possible to provide a through and up to date assessment.
• Empower customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to, including assessment and support of budgeting and debt management to garner their tenancy readiness.
• Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive tenant/customer records to professional standards.
• Adhere to Look Ahead’s Policies and Procedures
• Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills.
• Provide day-to-day instruction of domestic staff/Personal Support Assistants where appropriate.
• Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned.

What you’ll bring:

• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement.
• Approachable and open behaviour
• Prefers working as part of a group or team.
• Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement.
• Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised.
• Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments.
• Is confident with high levels of self-esteem.
• Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication.
• Is essentially customer focused.
• Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can-do attitude.
• Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviours.

Essential:

• NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent with little or some previous relevant sector work experience

Desirable:

• Experience working in homelessness

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.