Befriending service project worker jobs
Background to the role
Job description
Job Purpose
The weekend Home & Settle Project Officer is responsible for responding to referrals received over the weekend from both Royal London Hospital & Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. You will work with the manager on Friday to deliver services and plan visits on the weekend for you to attend.
The service supports people returning after a stay in hospital, helping them to settle back at home, regain confidence and support with some practical tasks, e.g. shopping/cleaning. You will manage referrals, carry out assessments, and in liaison with the manager, allocate service users to Discharge and Settle Worker caseloads. You will provide direct frontline support and co-ordinate visits to the service users’ home in preparation for their return home. You will work collaboratively to lead and manage the weekend service to support the smooth transition from hospital to home for service users. The service is time limited, up to 4 or 6 weeks, to adjust, build confidence, and settle back in their homes.
Key Tasks
- Act as the first point of contact for all referrals over the weekend across both hospitals.
- Meet with patients in the community and/or hospital and carrying out assessments and risk assessments.
- Enter referrals on to AUKEL’s case management system (currently Charity Log) in accordance with GDPR guidelines.
- Allocate referrals to Discharge and Settle workers (in the week) using tech available (currently the Call Round App), training will be available.
- Collect feedback from service users and upload to case management system.
- Prepare and keep stock of AUKEL Welcome Packs and service leaflets.
- Deputise for the manger at discharge planning and other meetings as required.
- Support hospitals to improve the patient’s experience of the discharge process.
- Monitor the case loads of each of the Discharge and Settle workers (DSW) to ensure they are evenly and fairly balanced.
- Work collaboratively with other agencies providing support services.
- Work with people with a range of needs, dealing with issues ranging from social isolation and keeping people engaged in their community, to preventing unnecessary readmission to hospital.
- Plan and develop person centred interventions to provide short term support for people after hospital discharge.
- Deliver the front-line support services over the weekend
- Provide occasional cover for the A/L of other Project Officers
- Work with people with a range of needs, dealing with issues ranging from social isolation and keeping people engaged in their community, to preventing unnecessary admission to hospital.
- Supervise, support and develop DSWs and volunteers in your service.
- Liaise with the handyperson service about referrals and jobs for service users.
- Ensure DSW are resourced to sign post service users to other services when the home and settle service intervention ends.
- Arranging access visits to service user’s homes.
Administration
- ·Keep AUKEL’s case management system up to date, input all data, and ensure all referrals, interventions, time spent with service users are recorded.
- Allocate referrals to DSW using tech available (currently - Charity Log ‘Call Round’ App).
- Ensure wards have good supply of service leaflets and referral forms.
- Ensure data collected meets the requirements of the service’s contract monitoring and key performance indicators.
- Ensure customer feedback questionnaires are sent at the end of each intervention and record returns.
- Ensure admin tasks relating to service users, Discharge and Settle workers or general admin is carried out in a timely and efficient manner.
- Provide cover as needed, i.e. annual leave and sickness, for the services you manage, and other hospital settle services provided by AUKEL
- Carry out monitoring of the service ensuring it meets the contractual requirements of commissioners.
Quality
- Be familiar with and to implement AUKEL policies and procedures.
- Ensure the service is delivered in accordance with Care Quality Commission fundamental standards.
- Ensure integration with other AUKEL projects, and service users are referred and/or sign-posted to appropriate support services available to them.
- Respond to safeguarding or other concerns and make appropriate reports and management action
Liaison
- Represent AUKEL and participate in appropriate external meetings and events to remain aware of local, regional and national issues affecting quality and compliance affecting care and home support services.
- Work in collaboration with hospital colleagues including discharge teams, A&E, ward staff, community teams to support the successful discharge of people and reduce readmission.
- Liaise with other AUKEL home and settle services across London and work collaboratively to maintain effective services, including sharing staff where appropriate.
- Work closely with the AUKEL handyperson service to meet contractual obligations where a handyperson service is provided as part of the service.
- Liaise with contractors to arrange deliveries and works to service user’s homes.
General
- Meet regularly with your line manager for support, supervision and appraisal.
- Attend team and staff meetings, (and other meetings) as required.
- Undertake any other duties within the competence of the post holder as may be required from time to time for the continued smooth running of AUKEL.
- Undertake any training required to fulfil the post.
- Carry out the duties of the post in accordance with AUKEL’s policies and procedures including: Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety, Confidentiality, Complaints, GDPR, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults.
- Work within AUKEL’s expectations of professional boundaries and confidentiality.
Functional Links
- The Home and Settle Project Officer is supervised directly by the Home and Settle Manager.
- Close working is required with AUKEL Finance Team, Information, Advice, Advocacy & Befriending Services, AUKEL Community services directorate, and other home and settle services across East London.
Person Specification
Research shows that while middle class white men tend to apply for job when they meet around 60% of the criteria, women, people from the global majority, and people from other marginalised groups that encounter systematic discrimination tend to apply only when they meet all criteria. So, if you think you have what it takes, but don’t meet every single aspect of the job description, please still apply!
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience of working within a health or care setting.
- Experience of using IT systems to record work done.
- Experience of supporting colleagues (this could be in a non- managerial position)
Desirable
- Experience of working within a hospital setting
- Experience of managing and developing staff.
- Experience of working with older people
- Experience of conducting assessments and risk assessments.
Knowledge & Understanding
Essential
- Understanding of the impact of discrimination and disadvantage on the lives of people and ability to work in a trauma-informed manner.
- Understanding of the needs of patients who may lack family or other support.
- Understanding of the needs of lone workers whilst working in the community.
- Understanding and commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and their carers.
- Understand of and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and dignity.
Desirable
- Knowledge of CQC fundamental standards
- Understanding of NHS hospital discharge procedures
Skills/Attributes
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Intermediate IT skills
- Excellent planning and organisational skills
- Ability to work calmly under pressure.
Additional Requirements
- This post is subject to the relevant check through the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)
- The role is required travel across East London
- Flexibility in working hours to meet organisational needs.
Additional Information
- This job description is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and deliverables for the role.
- In addition to the contents of this role description, employees are expected to undertake any and all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by line management.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Job description
Job Purpose
To manage and develop the home from hospital settle service in the hospitals that you are responsible for, to support timely and successful patient discharges from hospital and prevent re-admissions. You will work in collaboration with hospital teams and community teams to lead and manage your team to support the smooth transition from hospital to home for service users. The service works with people for time limited support (usually up to 6 weeks) to adjust and settle back in their homes, and to prevent readmission into hospital.
Key Tasks
- Work in partnership with the hospitals and other health and social care professionals to coordinate safe and timely discharges for referred clients. This involves attending meetings with hospital personnel including Discharge Co-ordinators and Ward Managers to discuss discharges and plan who and how individuals will be supported as appropriate.
- Manage a team working across two hospitals and ensuring the service is available between the contracted hours.
- Work collaboratively with other agencies providing support services.
- Conduct initial assessments of people referred to the services as necessary.
- Plan and develop person centred interventions to provide short term support for people after hospital discharge.
- Work with GPs as appropriate in identifying and supporting patients to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
- Work with people with a range of needs, dealing with issues ranging from social isolation and keeping people engaged in their community, to preventing unnecessary admission to hospital.
- Support the hospitals with delayed transfer of care (DTOC).
- Coordinate and monitor the caseload of referrals allocated to team members to ensure a fair and manageable distribution of work.
- Rota planning to ensure staff flexibility and availability, enabling planned rosters that best suit both hospital and patient needs.
- Develop your team which includes; supervision, appraisal, planning of continued professional development opportunities and training needs.
- Conduct regular management audits to ensure a consistent way of working and identify development and training needs in the team or individual.
- Develop and deliver a flexible service that can respond to peaks and troughs in demand.
- Ensure the service is meeting key performance indicators, and identify any concerns e.g. demand for the service exceeding the levels in the contract and taking proactive action to address this.
- Monitor performance of the services against KPIs and produce reports to demonstrate performance.
- Deliver front-line services when needed, e.g. sickness or staff shortages. This is by exception rather than you regularly doing support work.
- Manage the budget, sign-off expenses, and ensure the project is delivered to budget, liaising with the Finance Department as necessary.
- Support the directorate with generating funding e.g. being actively involved in consultation of possible projects, providing activity data, opportunity spotting, and/or supporting the production of tenders.
- Occasionally provide weekend on call cover for the services you manage, and other hospital settle services provided by AUKEL.
Administration
- Lead on contract reporting, this includes quarterly annual and ad hoc reports
- Carry out annual customer service surveys.
- Maintain electronic records of referrals and interventions to assess service impact, support local improvements, and report on KPIs
- Meet and produce reports as required by the Head of Service.
- Ensure patient records are regularly updated through AUKEL database, and support staff to complete their administration via training etc.
- Work with the Communications team and the Head of Service, market and promote the service.
- Build and circulate a resource pack for the wider AUKEL team to generate referrals between services delivered by the charity.
Quality
- Be familiar with and implement AUKEL policies and procedures.
- Ensure the service is delivered in accordance with Care Quality Commission principles.
- Ensure a cycle of continuous improvement by taking a “lessons learnt” review approach.
- Ensure that the requirements of the contract specification for the services are met.
- Ensure integration with other AUKEL projects, and service users are referred/sign-posted to appropriate support services available to them.
- Respond to safeguarding or other concerns and take appropriate reporting and management action.
- Lead on recruitment of staff for your team, and support others at AUKEL.
Liaison
- Represent AUKEL and participate in appropriate external meetings and events and remain aware of local, regional and national issues affecting AUKEL clients.
- Develop external relationships with stakeholders, and build positive connections with health and social care partners
- Attend contract management meetings with commissioners alongside the Head of Hospital and Home Services.
General
- Meet regularly with line manager for support, supervision and appraisal.
- Attend team and staff meetings, (and other meetings) as required.
- Complete any training required to fulfil the post.
- Carry out the duties of the post in accordance with AUKEL’s policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety, Confidentiality, Complaints, GDPR, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults, Safeguarding, and Care Quality Commission (CQC) guidelines.
- Other duties which are consistent and commensurate with the responsibilities of the post and the needs and development of the Hospital Home and Settle Service.
Functional Links
- The Home and Settle Manager is line managed by the Head of Hospital and Home Services
- The Home and Settle Manager line manages:
- Project Officers
- Discharge and Settle Workers
- Volunteers
- Close working is required with Age UK East London Finance Team
- Close working with Information, Advice, Advocacy & Befriending Services
- Handyperson services
- Close working with Age UK East London Community Services
- Close working with other take home and settle services across east London
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience of people management including line management and team leadership.
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience of delivering services within a health or care setting at a level reflecting the responsibilities of the post.
- Of project recording and reporting to funders.
- Of leading service development and improvement and managing the change process.
Desirable
- Experience of working with older people
- Experience of working within a hospital discharge setting.
- NVQ Level 2 Health & Social Care or Care Certificate
Knowledge & Understanding
Essential
- Understanding of the impact of discrimination and disadvantage on the lives of people and ability to work in a trauma-informed manner.
- Understanding of NHS hospital discharge procedures.
- Understanding and commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and their carers.
- Understand of and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and dignity
Desirable
- Knowledge and understanding of NHS England legislation regarding Avoiding Unplanned Admission Care Plans.
- Knowledge of project financial budgeting
- Knowledge of CQC fundamental standards
- Understanding of impact on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 & Liberty Protection Safeguards 2020 within the hospital setting
Skills/Attributes
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Good planning and organisational skills
- Ability to work calmly under pressure.
- Intermediate IT skills
- Data analysis skills
Desirable
- Ability to speak one or more community languages
Additional Requirements
- This post is subject to the relevant check through the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)
- Flexibility in working hours to meet organisational needs
- The post holder will work with standard Office365 server-based computer system
- Occasional weekend and evening working may be required
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Our vision is for every church in the Portsmouth area to provide a home for
people who’ve been homeless. We dream of ending homelessness by partnering
with local churches to grow positive, prayerful support networks around people
who’ve been homeless, as well as providing a safe, stable place to live.
Right now, in and around Portsmouth, we have 11 houses, with 28 tenants being
befriended and loved by 8 churches – all set up since 2018. And we’re not
stopping there, with more churches and areas looking to join us.
When we provide people with a safe home, professional support and the security
of positive relationships, this helps them find the confidence, motivation and
hope for change. Then we are able to support them in moving on to their own
secure accommodation.
The Franchise Lead is key to keeping our growing organisation strong and
Christian, partnering with churches to show God’s love to tenants no matter
what they are facing. We want to grow without ever losing the quality of support
that we offer to our tenants. Are you up for this exciting challenge?
Key aspects of the role include:
• Overall: our vision is to see each individual and family thrive in our
homes, and to see more local churches wanting to “house the homeless.”
• Develop and equip the team to ensure tenants thrive in safe, supportive
environments. We currently have 6 staff.
• Work with local churches so that their friendship & support teams are
empowered, equipped, and prayerful; promote the charity so that new
ones want to get involved.
• Ensure current investors feel engaged and valued; and promote the
charity so that new ones come on board.
• Ensure that the charity has the highest safeguarding, property and quality
standards, liaising with national and regional Hope into Action teams.
Essential attributes required:
• Proven experience in managing programs and teams with compassion and
professionalism.
• Exceptional organisational and communication skills to inspire tenants,
churches, and stakeholders.
• A heart for vulnerable adults and a deep understanding of homelessness
issues.
• A resourceful, emotionally intelligent, prayerful leader with a strong
Christian faith.
This post is subject to an occupational requirement that the holder be a Christian
under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.
Registered Charity
6 - 10
Enabling churches to house the homeless
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.