Specialist Support Worker

Based in Higher Openshaw, East Manchester, Justlife currently works across Manchester and Tameside providing one-to-one key work support to empower vulnerable adults housed in temporary accommodation (TA) to move towards more secure housing, independent living and improved health and wellbeing.

The role of Specialist Support Worker involves playing an active part in the Specialist Support Team by supporting a caseload of clients that are experiencing housing vulnerability and taking part in regular outreach visits to TA’s across Greater Manchester on the Justlife minibus. The role requires the use of specialist knowledge and relationship skills to support clients with varying degrees of mental and physical health, addiction and trauma related issues to engage with health services and to access suitable housing solutions. The Specialist Support Worker is also expected to develop good working relationships with TA Landlords and Managers recognising the important role that they play in ensuring that their tenants experience of TA is as positive as possible.

This will include advocacy in registering them for medical services and accompanying them to appointments, assisting them in addressing all aspects of physical and mental health and addiction needs, as well as advocating for them to get access to suitable housing and social security benefits. The role is dependent on excellent communication and collaborative working with colleagues and a variety of partners and professionals, including the Probation Service, local council services and other third sector organisations.

The role requires a high degree of motivation in addition to creativity and flexibility to support people with multiple and compound needs. With a passion to work collaboratively with others for the good of our clients, and with experience of working in a related field in a voluntary or paid capacity.

A high degree of emotional intelligence is required to support clients, many of whom have complex emotional needs, with backgrounds of trauma, neglect, abuse and involvement in the criminal justice system. In a role of this nature you will experience a range of emotions from joy to grief and as such it requires a high degree of resilience and self-awareness to cope with the emotional demands of the role. The role sits within a highly supportive team with all staff in receipt of regular line management and external clinical supervision; with reflective practice actively encouraged in team meetings.

Key terms and conditions:

Job Title: Specialist Support Worker
Hours: 31hrs per week
Contract: Permanent
Normal hrs to be worked: Monday/Wednesday 9am-5pm and Tuesday/Thursday 9am-5.30pm
Location: Manchester
Salary: £15.33 p/h (£29,894 per annum pro rata)

Application Process:

To apply, please upload a covering letter addressing how you meet the person specification, together with an up-to-date CV.

Deadline for applications is midnight 15th February, but we may close this early if enough suitable applicants are identified. Provisional interview dates will be the week of 23rd February.

If you have any questions about the role please email sarah@justlife.org.uk.

Role Summary:

The role requires a high degree of motivation in addition to creativity and flexibility to support people with multiple and compound needs. With a passion to work collaboratively with others for the good of our clients, and with experience of working in a related field in a voluntary or paid capacity.

A high degree of emotional intelligence is required to support clients, many of whom have complex emotional needs, with backgrounds of trauma, neglect, abuse and involvement in the criminal justice system. In a role of this nature you will experience a range of emotions from joy to grief and as such it requires a high degree of resilience and self-awareness to cope with the emotional demands of the role. The role sits within a highly supportive team with all staff in receipt of regular line management and external clinical supervision; with reflective practice actively encouraged in team meetings.

Role description:

Service Delivery

Using frontline practical and procedural knowledge of working with people with multiple and compound needs to support them to engage with health care, wellbeing services, benefits and housing services during their housing vulnerability.

This could include, but is not limited to:

• Assisting people in addressing housing, financial, health and wellbeing needs through the support pathway.
• Connecting people with appropriate support services such as substance misuse services, GP, mental health services, advocating on behalf of the client and accompanying them to appointments.
• Supporting the delivery of outreach to TA’s across Greater Manchester on the Justlife minibus. This includes engaging with residents, managers and landlords of TA to build effective working relationships and establish support needs.
• Helping to increase the self-confidence of clients to improve their chances of moving on from their housing vulnerability through one to one key work sessions, group activities and outreach.
• Maintaining regular contact, a listening ear and emotional support during times of crisis
• Liaising with Landlords and property Managers to identify residents who would like support and to help prevent evictions.
• Manage own calendar to deliver a caseload during periods of work-related pressure, including actively pursuing the project outcomes set for the project and individual clients.
• Use interpersonal and communication skills to provide support to clients and collaborate with others including colleagues, partner agencies, health care professionals and external agencies through joint working.
• Take duty of care seriously by assessing the client’s social and environmental conditions, identifying and passing on information to and from relevant professionals, ensuring client confidentiality is maintained.
• Use of excellent writing skills to prepare and submit referrals and housing applications along with a good working knowledge of housing legislation in order to advocate on behalf of people.
• Brief and liaise with other members of the team and external agencies regarding clients, enabling them to effectively carry out their roles.
• Ensure accurate and up to date client data and case notes are recorded within our Inform database within the standards set by the organisation.
• Carry out light physical tasks, such as travelling to visit people on outreach, shopping, organising deliveries or lifting office equipment.

Service Development

• Collaborate with the entire Specialist Support team to ensure support requirements are in place for all registered clients.
• Contribute to initiatives that seek to influence service improvements, implement changes and develop new interventions and support for clients.
• Provide data, reports and impact studies when requested.
• To be part of and contribute to the Justlife staff team, attending meetings as appropriate and to be involved in appropriate staff development, training, supervision and reflective practice as well as continuing professional development and training events where appropriate and be committed to team events.

Research

• Supporting the wider Justlife vision to feed into research and help develop the service including the involvement of clients in design and delivery of the service.

Responsible to: Service Manager
Responsible for: N/A

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in light of the changing needs of Justlife. It is expected that the post holder will be as positive and flexible as possible in using this document as a framework, and in performing other duties commensurate with these responsibilities, the band of the post and skills and qualification of the post-holder.

Person Specification:

Experience

• Experience of working with vulnerable adults (those experiencing homelessness or housing vulnerability, or a comparable client group).
• Experience of working with drug and alcohol dependent adults and those experiencing poor mental health.
• Experience of working with people in contact with the criminal justice system.

Skills

• Care, empathy and skilled in dealing with emotionally vulnerable clients.
• Excellent ability to engage with clients in an empowering manner.
• Effective communication; written and oral skills.
• Effective administrative and IT skills.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Driving licence holder and access to a vehicle (desirable).

Knowledge

• Demonstrate knowledge of assessment, support planning and interventions that help clients experiencing homelessness or housing vulnerability to feel connected and healthier.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the challenges and solutions to working with a client group who may be experiencing one or more of the following: poor health (physical and mental), substance misuse, homelessness and contact with the criminal justice system.
• An understanding of health and safety and safeguarding policies and procedures that aim to keep staff and clients safe.

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to equal opportunities in our service delivery.
• High level of self-awareness and the ability to maintain personal wellbeing through periods of pressure and stress.
• Ability to be self-motivated and work well in a team and as a lone worker.