Detailed Information about Job


Sector Supported Housing
Title Housing Support Worker
Description The primary purpose of this post is to provide a high quality supportive, housing and resettlement service to young people to facilitate their transition to independent living as effectively as possible, ensuring the good maintenance and smooth running of the supported housing units in Medway

SUPPORT MANAGEMENT
1. Act as key worker to a group of young people - maintaining professional working relationships to support them as licensees/tenants, ensuring that clear professional and emotional boundaries are established.

2. Carry out interviews to assess housing and support needs of young people. Take part in decisions on allocation of supported housing.

3. Develop support plan with each service user, including independence skills development targets, and move-on/resettlement plans. Ensure planning fully involves the young person, and other appropriate people including the Scheme Manager, family and agency representatives. Ensure that the plan is progressed, reviewed quarterly to take account of change and monitored in key work sessions.

4. Visit service users regularly as agreed in Support Plan.

5. Provide service users with information and encouragement to enable them to integrate into their local community. Advise on benefits entitlement and ensure that their income from benefit is maximised. Help identify and secure, where necessary, appropriate care and support services for service users. Enable service users to acquire the budgeting, life and social skills necessary to hold down a tenancy successfully. Assist and motivate clients to take advantage of education, training and employment opportunities.

6. Identify and communicate any day-to-day problems which service users may have or which arise with the scheme; intervene at times to ensure the resolution of these problems, and in any disputes between tenants to maintain good relations within the houses.

7. Intervene at times in neighbour disputes and maintain good relations in the local area; report all such disputes to the Scheme Manager.

8. Listen to individual problems on a one-to-one basis, if required, and help service users through periods of difficulty; refer clients on to more specialized support and liaise with relevant statutory and voluntary agencies where appropriate.

9. Be a point of contact for out-of-hours emergencies and assist in the day-to-day problem solving for tenants.

10. Assist the team in making sure that all possible move-on accommodation for service users is secured.

11. Maintain contact and support for a period after rehousing as agreed with service user in their move - on plan and the Project Manager

12. Make applications to the social fund and, where necessary, to a charitable trust to secure basic furniture for service users moving into permanent accommodation.

HOUSING MANAGEMENT

1. Ensure that service users are informed of the terms of their tenancy and work to support tenants complying with the terms; take appropriate action, in accordance with housing management policies and procedures, where tenants do not comply.

2. Collect and monitor payment of rent and service charges in conjunction with Finance Department; assist tenants with obtaining housing benefits and with liaising with Housing Benefits and benefits agencies concerning direct payment; deal with arrears in accordance with polices and procedures and in conjunction with Finance Department.

3. Pursue legal action on behalf of Housing Association where necessary, including applying for court hearings and representing the Housing Association in court where necessary; undertaking DIY possession Proceedings.

4. In liaison with the Scheme Management, purchase replacement household items; undertake some maintenance tasks to support and ensure the day to day smooth operations of the project.

5. Report maintenance issues to agreed contractors and/or SHA Maintenance Team; monitor progress on repairs. Ensure repairs and maintenance are carried out promptly and to a high standard.

6. Ensure, in line with the arrangements agreed, that the houses inside and out and the immediate environment are kept in a clean and tidy condition.

7. Encourage and help tenants to clean communal areas and maintain good standards of hygiene.

8. Ensure that void rooms are re-let in line with polices and procedures.

9. Encourage service users participation, consultation and ensure they play a part in the smooth running of their houses.

10. Liaise/joint work with external agencies as required.

INFORMATION RECORDING, MONITORING AND REPORTING

1. Produce clear, concise and up-to-date case notes on work carried out with clients and be self administering in all areas of work.

2. Assist the Scheme Manager in the keeping and collection of accurate monitoring information.

3. Keep accurate and up-to-date financial records in line with procedures.

4. Attend and participate on Team meetings and other internal meetings as required.

5. Assist with the induction and training of new/temporary staff.

6. Represent the service as required in liaison meetings with other agencies.

7. Implement policies, procedures, and follow performance expectations; contribute to the formulation of policies and procedures where appropriate.
SELF-DEVELOPMENT

1. Keep own skills and knowledge up-to-date; keep up-to-date on research and developments in learning development.

2. Keep up-to-date with the requirements of the various professional and awarding bodies that the organisation relates to, on their requirements and programmes for professional status and qualification.

3. Attend supervision, team meetings, other meetings and training as required.
WORK WITH COLLEAGUES/TEAM WORK/OTHER AGENCIES

1. Work positively, co-operatively and professionally with colleagues in all areas of the organisation and with external agencies; communicate with colleagues and staff and convey information appropriately; provide cover for team colleagues;

• so as to ensure that the organisation runs effectively and efficiently and discharges its legal and contractual responsibilities;
• in the spirit of ensuring support for the operational needs of the services;
• Promote a positive image of your employer and provider of services;
• Ensure in all dealings with others the focus is one of customer care.
HEALTH AND SAFETY

1. Adhere to all health and safety instructions and take all reasonable care not to do anything that might endanger oneself or others; report to the line manager any dangerous situations in the workplace or any perceived or assessed shortcomings in health and safety arrangements.

2. Undertake health and safety management responsibilities as described under the Organisation of Arrangements for Health and Safety.

3. Regularly carry out Health and Safety inspections of properties internal and external as directed, to ensure that they are safe and well maintained; monitor and ensure compliance with Health and Safety policies and procedures.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES/DIVERSITY

1. Work positively to implement and support all aspects of the organisation’s policies, procedures, plans, programmes for diversity and equality of opportunity in the work force and in the service provision.
CONFIDENTIALITY

1. Ensure that information relevant to employees, children and young people and SHA is appropriately safeguarded. Be aware of the need for confidentiality in dealing with staffing information, of when confidentiality should be preserved and of the circumstances when it is right to reveal confidential information and to whom to is right to do so.
GENERAL

1. Undertake other duties and responsibilities as reasonably may be allocated to the post holder from time to time. The above accountabilities broadly set out the work and responsibilities but are not exhaustive or definitive; additional documents produced in the course of employment will pride the details of the specific duties and work.

2. Undertake as required any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Scheme Manager /Senior HSW/Service Manager.

NOTE
The above accountabilities broadly set out the work and responsibilities but are not exhaustive or definitive; additional documents produced in the course of employment will provide the details of the specific duties and work.

The job description sets out the main duties of the post at the date when it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.
Location Medway
Hours per week 40
Duration Full time
Salary £ 0
Pay type year
From date 21-08-2008
Expire date 26-09-2008


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