Specialist Support Worker:
Part Time - 22.5 hrs/Week
Pay Rate: £17.64 p/h Limited ( inclusive of holiday)
Location: High Wycombe
This is a Temporary Role for the experienced Support Worker either in homelessness, substance misuse, mental health or with lived experience. The role will be for 6 months ASAP until March 2025 (likely to be extended or made permanent).
The role will involve covering our dispersed properties nd will be concentrsting on resettlement of our customers, working with stakeholders and volunteers.
The role will include small case management, mentoring colleagues, running the group activities, and engagement with external agencies.
This is shift work, mix of early( 7:15am-3:15pm), Late (1:30pm - 9:30pm) and two working weekends in six weeks in six weeks rota. Some 9am - 5pm and shift scedule flexibility possible for the ideal candidate.
Job Purpose
The Specialist Support Worker is responsible for the delivery of individual, positive outcome focused support packages to clients of Supported and Sheltered Schemes, ensuring that the support service promotes empowerment and independence. The role requires maintenance of a high level of specialised knowledge surrounding the specialism/s, acting as a centre of excellence in the specific field/specialism as well as a resource to colleagues for specialist knowledge, supporting colleagues to understand the latest developments in the field. It is imperative to the role to work as part
of a staff team that is committed to “best practice” in the social housing field, working with colleagues to ensure clients with specialist support needs are supported to the highest relevant standards and approaches.
Accountabilities or “What You Have to Do”
 Delivering a ‘best practice’ support service, appropriate to clients’ needs.
 Ensuring the delivery of individual personalised support packages, reflective of different client needs, including culture and diversity issues.
 Assisting clients with day-to-day tenancy issues, payment of rent, claiming benefits, preparing units to let
 Knowledge of ‘best practice’ in both crisis intervention and planned support working.
 Undertaking referrals and assessments of potential clients, working with them to identify the most appropriate housing solution for their needs.
 Ensuring clients have access to relevant external support services.
 Working with clients to agree and set goals and actions.
 Meeting clearly defined client outcome targets through key-working, support plans, risk assessments and other interventions.
 Ensuring that opportunities for education, training and employment opportunities are integral to the support service. The aim being to enable clients to develop the life skills to live as independently as possible.
 Promote and encourage a high level of client involvement, consultation and communication.
 Maintaining an accurate and timely record of all activities including the maintenance of a support planning database.
 Providing practical support and information to clients when entering the service and throughout their involvement with the service, e.g., assisting clients in the completion of occupancy agreements and welfare benefit claims.
 Working in line with ‘health and safety’ and safe guarding requirements to ensure the overall safety and security of the client.
 Taking personal responsibility to ensure you maintain the highest level and current knowledge around specialism/s
 Sharing specialist knowledge with colleagues to ensure clients are supported appropriately and the service continual improves and meets the current needs and aspirations of clients.
 Specialism in her drugs and alcohol etc
Service delivery
 Ensure that service delivery complies with policies and procedures relating to
equality and diversity
 Ensure that the views of customers are fully taken into account in the development
and delivery of services
 Ensure that the Division/Department complies with Health and Safety legislation and other regulatory obligations, assessing risk and putting in place relevant control measures.
 To understand your role in the organisation and to be accountable for your contribution to maximise profitability
 To understand how your job contributes to the overall purpose of the organisation and be accountable for delivering it in the most efficient way.
 To understand that your efforts will be client led and be accountable for positive and tangible outcomes.
 To understand that this company is a nationally focused organisation and to be accountable for adhering to the agreed corporate policies and procedures
 Working as part of a multi-disciplinary staff team and meeting the requirements of a rota system, ensuring support is available across all schemes in the cluster.
 Actively involved in team meetings and attend regular supervisions.
 Working with colleagues to ensure key performance indicators (e.g. voids and arrears) are being met.
 Working in line with company policies and procedures and the requirements of funders and stakeholders to ensure effective service delivery.
 Ability to use appropriate IT systems and maintain professional and timely records.
 Attending appropriate training and development opportunities as required.
Other duties
 Undertake personal development and training as necessary to keep up to date with legal, political, financial and other developments in the fields of housing and customer service
 To ensure compliance with the company's Equality and Diversity policy, in respect of employment and service delivery.
 Ensure that all data is compliant with legislation and policies relating to data quality
 To actively promote the company locally.
 To ensure compliance with the company's safeguarding policies and procedures in every aspect of service delivery.
 Any other relevant duties as required by the designated manager.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential
 Experience of working with vulnerable client groups.
 Experience of delivering structured support in either housing or social care.
 Demonstrable IT skills to include basic proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word and Excel as well as a willingness to learn specific IT systems used within Care