Support Worker

We’re looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Support Worker to join our Homelessness service in Sevenoaks.

£26,720 per annum, working x hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression. 

Want to feel like you’re making a difference? 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.

Vine Court is a supported accommodation service providing on-site support Monday-Saturday 9am-7pm for up to 7 vulnerable and complex individuals with low to medium needs, who have experienced homelessness.

This role is Monday to Thursday, 10 hour shifts- 9am-7pm. The post holder will be required to keywork and support the individuals within the service to:

•            Prepare for and/or maintain independent living

•            Avoid eviction or loss of accommodation

•            Gain skills to set up and maintain independent accommodation

•            Improve life chances

•            Maximise their income, improve budgeting skills and reduce debt

•            Be involved in the support planning process, identifying their own goals and achieving them through a strengths based approach

•            Increase their confidence, self-esteem and develop positive coping strategies

•            Connect or reconnect with their families, where appropriate, and the local community

•            Access the local community and increase social contact

 

The post holder should display motivation to help others as well as develop their skills and knowledge, they should continually hold aspirations for individuals despite multiple setbacks, display emotional resilience, be able to process challenging incidents and remain motivated to deliver excellent support. 

You will provide information, social inclusion and vocational opportunities to support people to recover and stay well; exercise choice and control in their care and lives; and participate on an equal footing in the community.

Look Ahead promotes PIE and trauma informed approaches to ways of working. This is an approach which was developed to support people out of homelessness, in particular those who have experienced complex trauma or are diagnosed with a personality disorder. However, its application is far broader than only homelessness.  It considers the psychological needs of staff: developing skills and knowledge, increasing motivation, job satisfaction and resilience.

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

What you’ll do: 

Support customers with job searches and employment search as well as support with completing job applications and CVs
Support customers with training and volunteering opportunities
Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and external partners, creating a positive atmosphere
Carrying out holistic assessments of new customers which incorporate relevant statutory referral information
Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
Create support plans for providing appropriate services based on on-going assessment and reflecting the services and resources available to enable customer to progress in their recovery
Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of ‘positive risk taking’
Provide support and access to relevant services to enable customers to continue their recovery and empower customers to self-manage their medication regimes through individual re-enablement programmes and informed decision making
Undertake support work in partnership with external stakeholders to compliment their interventions, leading on partnering with specialist stakeholders;
Developing productive relationships with partner organisations to improve service outcomes
Demonstrate strong commitment to the functioning of the staff team and to support colleagues in providing a high level of service and safety to customers
Involving customers in the design, development and delivery of the service
Adhering to lone working protocols and maintaining high levels of awareness in relation to the health and safety of yourself and colleagues
Ensuring Look Ahead Health and Safety policies and local protocols are adhered to at all times e.g. fire risk assessments, fire alarm checks etc.
Being responsible for the handover of key information between shifts
Undertaking any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Manager
To uphold all health and safety responsibilities within relevant policies and local protocols
Adhere to all the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care & Support plus those specific to the project including any statutory requirements

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 

About you: 

Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage

               customer involvement

Approachable, open and professional 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

Flexible
Open to feedback and self development
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 passionate and enthusiastic about the business

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

Demonstrates significant levels of emotional resilience and a positive attitude
We welcome applications from individuals with lived experiences of using services

What you’ll bring:

Essential:

Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector

Desirable:

Experience working in homelessness

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 120 services, providing support to around 6000 customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. 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.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

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.