Support Worker at Young People's 16+ Ofsted Registered Project - Southwark, London

Salary Grade B: £25,266.93 per annum full time equivalent, plus London Weighting of £4,000 per annum (FTE), plus anti-social hours payment of £650 per annum (FTE). Total Salary: £29,916.93 per annum 

Hours: Average of 37 hours per week over a 4 week rolling rota period. Hours vary, Monday to Sunday, in accordance with rota, and include anti-social working; sleep-in shifts, evenings, weekends and bank holidays. 

Job Purpose:

To support the delivery of Oasis Community Housing’s Young People’s Supported Housing Service (including Ofsted registered project). The service supports 56 young people at any given time; in one 16-bed Ofsted registered 24-hours staffed supported housing project for 16-21 year olds with medium-high needs, plus visiting support to young people living in properties across the North of the Borough. 

To provide trauma informed, holistic, personalised support to children and young people, which is in line with relevant pathway and safety plans. To work closely with Southwark Council, including Children’s Services, to ensure children and young people achieve the best outcomes, in line with project specific aims and objectives. Under the guidance of the Team Leader and Registered Service Manager, to ensure the service is compliant with the Supported Accommodation Regulations and we maintain successful Ofsted registration for the relevant project.

Organisation Context:

Oasis Community Housing is a Christian response to homelessness and disadvantage providing housing, support and other specialised services. The support provided aims to develop life skills that will enable people to live successful independent lives.

Oasis Community Housing is part of the Oasis group of charities. The group includes national charities dedicated to education, housing, and campaigning against human trafficking and we work to a common vision of creating communities in which everyone can thrive and reach their God-given potential.

We welcome applicants from all faiths or none, but it is important that all employees understand and sympathise with the Christian vision, ethos and culture of Oasis Community Housing. However, it will be an occupational requirement that a practising Christian is needed for some specified roles. This will be highlighted in the qualifications section of the job description and will be clearly stated in the job advert. This is not one of those posts.

Benefits:  Oasis Community Housing operates a contributory group personal pension plan and in accordance with the Pension Act 2008, if eligible, you will be automatically enrolled into the Oasis Trust pension scheme. Currently all staff in our pension scheme are required to contribute a minimum of 2% of their salary. The employer contribution is currently set at a contribution of 7%. Oasis Community Housing life assurance policy, through Omnilife, is open to all staff who earn in excess of £6000 per annum. 25 days holiday per year, plus statutory holidays, increasing to 30 days per annum after 2 completed years’ service.

Unsocial Working: Working hours include evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Flexibility is required around public holidays, and annual leave restrictions may be considered over Christmas and New Year period.  

Project specific:

Our projects are places of safety, Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE), from which we work with children and young people using person-led, holistic, trauma-informed and solution-focused approaches. We aim to provide accommodation and support that helps children and young people find self-worth and the belief that they deserve a better future, supporting them in safe, positive transitions including where relevant from care into more independent accommodation, and from childhood to adulthood; providing holistic support to gain essential life skills, achieve health outcomes, to realise and achieve their aspirations, and reach their full potential.  

We are commissioned by Southwark Council to provide this service, which currently consists of:

• A 24-7 staffed 16 bed Ofsted registered supported housing project for young people aged 16-21.

• A 4 bed property for young mums and their babies/toddler age children - with a staff office, visiting staff support Mon-Fri 9-5, and on call support outside of working hours.

• A 6 bed property for young mums and their babies/toddler age children – with visiting staff support Mon-Fri 9-5, and on call support outside of working hours.

• A 7 bed supported accommodation for young people (Christchurch - made up of self contained flats, and flats allowing for sharing a bathroom/kitchen with one other) - with a staff office, visiting support Mon-Fri 9-5, and on call support outside of working hours.

• A number of 4-5 bed properties, for young people with visiting staff support Mon-Fri 9 5, and on call support outside of working hours. 

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• To provide holistic (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual) support to children and young people within our supported housing projects, in accordance with the ethos and values of Oasis Community Housing. Ensuring support provision is personalised to individual needs, and progress is regularly reviewed. 

• To engage in multi-disciplinary team (MDT) approaches to support children and young people, including working closely with Children’s Services and other professionals and partner agencies. To include; attending meetings and effective information sharing. 

• To ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to in your practices, and that concerns are reported appropriately and expediently, both internally, and externally, as needed.  

• To navigate challenging situations effectively and sensitively.

• To maintain records needed to ensure excellent and consistent support provision; maintaining comprehensive case files, using our In-Form data system, completing reports and assisting in the measurement of outcomes.

• To ensure the Project Handbook, including the service expectations, are explained to children and young people at the point of entry; being reiterated, and enforced as needed.  

• To deal with informal complaints made by residents in accordance with OCH's procedures.

• To organise and encourage activities which are of interest to those being supported.

• To support the active participation of residents in project design, delivery and evaluation; working with our Head of Service Improvement to encourage involvement, and assisting in recording access and engagement.

• To work in accordance with regulatory requirements. Under the guidance of the Team Leader and Head of Supported Housing (Registered Service Manager) to ensure your practices are compliant with the Supported Accommodation Regulations.  

• To clean the office space and communal areas, and support those living in our service to keep their rooms/properties clean.

• To work closely with Housing Management Team colleagues.

• To attend regular supervision sessions with your line manager

• To attend relevant training sessions as required by the role / your line manager

• To undertake any other reasonable duties as required

• To ensure all working practice and interactions are in line with organisational ethos and values

• To be able to work in any Oasis Community Housing project as required. 

Personal Specification/Key Competencies: 

Qualifications:

• Relevant qualification to NVQ Level 3 (Essential)

Work Experience: 

• At least 2 years’ experience as a Support Worker, including needs and risk assessment, delivery of holistic support, health and safety, working closely with partner agencies to provide support (Essential)  

• Experience working with children and young people, especially those experiencing homelessness including leaving the care system, and related issues including mental ill health, trauma, abuse, alcohol and substance misuse and offending (Essential) 

• Experience of using person centred support plans (Desirable)

• Experience working in the safeguarding arena (Desirable)

• Experience of participating in MDT meetings (Desirable)

• Experience of working in registered/regulated services (Desirable)