We are looking for a Link Work Manager to lead and support a team of Link Workers who work in Primary and Secondary schools in West London to help children and young people build the relationships and skills they need to get on track socially, emotionally, and academically to thrive in adulthood.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual, with excellent leadership attributes and a passion to provide a gold standard service for children and their families. The West London Zone programme does this by building trusted relationships, providing specialist support and joining up each child’s support system, including families, schools and local organisations, to deliver a personalised 2-year support plan for each child.

Applicants will be highly proactive, professional, and meticulous in their attention to detail and able to recognise the rigour required in reporting and data collection so as to evidence and be accountable for their team's work. WLZ Link Work Managers are leaders who are creative, solutions focused, people centred and committed to improving the lives of young people and families through energetically and enthusiastically developing and supporting a team.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading a team of WLZ Link Workers who engage with the children, young people and families and work to improve their outcomes in life.
• Support the WLZ Link Workers’ relationships in schools, including their joint working with teachers, senior and support staff.
• Manage WLZ Link Workers to meet data collection and outcomes targets in accordance with contract requirements.
• Provide frontline support to WLZ Link Workers to ensure best practice.
• Take responsibility for safer working and best practice and ensure that all WLZ policies and practices with regard to frontline work are up to date and fit for purpose.

To apply, please complete and email your application form, which is also available on our website.

Applications received before 11:30pm on Sunday 21st February 2021 will be considered. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 5:00pm, on Tuesday 23rd February.

Interviews with West London Zone will be held on the 1st March.

Interviews would either be F2F or via video call but will be in line with the most up-to-date Government guidance.

Location: LB Camden but the post is pan-London
Salary: £26,000 - £29,000 per annum pro rata .6 FTE
Hours: 22.5 per week
Contract: Fixed Term until March 31st 2022
Vacancy Reference: SWA3032

Closing Date: Monday, February 1st 2021 by 12noon
Interview Date: Monday, February 8th 2021

Solace Women’s Aid is an innovative, exciting, grassroots charity working across London. Our purpose is to bring an end to the harm done through domestic and sexual violence to all survivors, and in particular women and children. Our work is holistic and empowering, working alongside survivors to achieve independent lives free from abuse.

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has saved the lives of thousands of women, men and children in the capital. We are looking for friendly and diligent individuals to join our services and help us make a difference.

About the Service
The Link Worker post sits with the staff team at Frances House, our specialist refuge for women affected by VAWG and multiple disadvantage.
The service works with women living in the community who need support.

About the Role
The role provides trauma-informed, solution-focused support to service users, tailored to meet individual needs and aspirations. The approach we use is assertive outreach.

About You
The ideal candidate will have experience of working intensively with service users and be adept at risk and needs assessment and support planning.
You will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the intersection between domestic abuse and multiple disadvantage, a developed understanding of how this can make it difficult for women to engage with support, and an ability to reflect on your own practice.

Solace Women’s Aid values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Recruiting for a Support Worker to join our Young People and Care Leavers Service in Newham!

GBP £22,360 per annum, 40 hours per week, plus 25 days Annual Leave, Pension schemes, Staff discounts, healthcare and more. This is a 6 month Fixed Term Contract role.

Ibis House and Little Ibis House are specialist semi-independent services for young care leavers aged 16-21, with capacity to also work with young parents and their child. Ibis House provides a high level of support to young people with a variety of complex needs and Little Ibis House provides a medium level of support. The services are staffed 24/7 to support young people manage and address their various support needs and learn basic life skills to live independently.

Job Overview:
Support Workers will provide support to customers to help them develop the life skills they require to live independently. Support workers must monitor and assess the needs of the customers and provide creative and tailored person centred support to help them achieve their goals and aspirations.

Support workers will work closely with statutory children's services and other external agencies to best support customers to promote social inclusion and teach independent living skills. Support workers will empower and encourage customers to maximise their skills and choices.

Key Responsibilities:
- Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers
- Working proactively with other members of the team to handle the service caseload and administrative responsibilities
- Supporting key customers to set personalised goals in the form of a Support Plan
- Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
- Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of 'positive risk taking'
- Proactively manage risk and safety both in and outside of their physical living environment
- Providing support with daily living activities, including practical assistance where skills are not yet developed, to ensure that customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation
- Proactive development of links with local statutory and voluntary organisations to provide a range of engagement opportunities for customers in the community
- Involving customers in the design, development and delivery of the service
- Empowering customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to
- Monitoring rent arrears and ensuring that rent accounts are managed effectively. Encouraging and enabling tenants to pay their rent/ service charge.
- Ensuring Look Ahead Health and Safety policies are adhered to at all time and to uphold all health and safety responsibilities within relevant policies and local protocols
- Adhering to all other Look Ahead's policies and procedures
- Engaging in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills
- Day to day instruction/ supervision of Assistant Support Workers/domestic staff/ Personal Support Assistants where appropriate
- Undertaking any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Manager
- Forming strong partnerships with external agencies.

Person Specification:
- 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
- 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
- Understanding of mental health difficulties and therapeutic methods of support: Mental health difficulties include depression, anxiety, ADHD, personality disorder and psychosis
- Understanding of risks and support needs associated with care leavers
- Understanding of risks and support needs associated with CSE and CCE.
- Knowledge of gang culture and the risks and support needs associated to gang affiliation
- Knowledge of various therapeutic models
- Understanding of psychologically informed environments and trauma informed care

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
Essential:
- NVQ Level 2 or equivalent experience in the social care/charity sector

Desirable:
- Experience working with care leavers
- Experience working with those displaying mental health difficulties
- Experience using therapeutic models of support

For the full job description, please visit the Look Ahead website.

Recruiting 2 x Support Workers to join our Mental Health service based in Lambeth!

GBP 22,360 per annum, 40 hours per week, 25 days Annual Leave, Pension schemes, Staff discounts, healthcare and more.

Lambeth Long-term Mental Health is an accommodation based service, set across south Lambeth. We have three staff based hubs where we provide long-term supported housing on site, and five visiting support services, where customers live more independently. We also service two short-term post hospital discharge schemes for customers, who need support following hospital admission. The role of the Team Leader is to support front line staff fulfil their roles, and assist the Contract Manager with developing and sustaining a good quality service to all our customers. An essential part of this role involves developing good partnership working with landlords, care and social work teams.

Job Overview:

The role of the support worker is to enable our customers to develop greater independence and fulfilling lives. As part of your role you will be required to oversee all support planning, updating Risk management plans and see customers for weekly key working. Enabling customers to improve their overall well being, through maintaining good physical and mental health, motivating customers to part take in daily activity, and supporting customers to identify goals to improve their quality of life. Supported housing management is an essential part of the role, ensuring customers have applied for the correct benefits, customers are managing their rent and bills, and maintaining their home to a good standard. Applicants require a good standard of English and Maths, and established IT skills in the workplace, to support the multiply IT systems we use within the organisation. We are looking for staff members who are motivated and keen to positively engage with our customers.

Key Responsibilities:

- Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by Management staff
- Meet customers regularly for support sessions, providing emotional and practical support
- Undertake initial and continuous assessment of needs and potential risks and agree levels of support and actions
- Develop support plans with customers to identify their goals, ensuring a person centred approach, enabling the customer to establish positive change
- Support customers to take care of their living environment, providing emotional and practical support to ensure customers enjoy a high quality accommodation
- Develop and maintain links with all key agencies and service providers in the local community
- Support customers to apply for benefits and manage their bills. Empower customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to
- Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive tenant/customer records to professional standards
- Encourage and enable tenants to pay their rent and to ensure that rent accounts are managed effectively in conjunction with the Housing Management team
- Adhere to Look Ahead's Policies and Procedures
- Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills
- Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned

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.

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 the Inclusive Employers Standard 2020. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Profile

Established in Westminster 1934 and based at the Fourth Feathers Youth and Community Centre in Marylebone since 1974.  We are a well-established organisation with a longstanding reputation for providing a place that is both safe and secure whilst challenging and stimulating for urban children and young people mainly 8 to 25 years. Our role as a youth hub means working closely with strategical and local partners to deliver Westminster Council’s Early Help Strategy.

Role

We are looking for a competent, inspiring individual who sees past challenges and barriers. Someone who focuses on our vision to further create a transformational space for young people and the wider community, in pace with the twenty-first century. You will be a confident leader with all young people, enthusiastic about democracy and generating new ideas as well as supporting our existing plans. You will be responsible for the delivery of youth club and school holiday programmes. You will be a member of the management team, leading our part time youth workers and volunteers.  We will offer you good quality training to enhance your development which will then further inform youth work practices.

JOB TITLE: Advocacy and Casework Project Workers

BASED: Holloway, Islington N7. During the Covid-19 restrictions our staff are able to work from home. We expect to return to in person working at the centre after this time.

HOURS: Fixed Term full-time, part-time (flexible hours considered) and sessional roles are available. We are looking to hire contracted fixed term posts immediately, and also build a pool of potential sessional staff, who can be offered short-term work on an occasional basis in times of high demand.

SALARY: NCJ Scale 2 point 5, £23,427 pa FTE

CONTRACT:

We have two contract options available for these roles:

• Fixed Term - 3 month contracts available, with the possibility of extension. Full time and part time roles available, please indicate the number of working hours you would be interested in as part of your application.
• Sessional – candidates may apply to join a pool of potential sessional staff who can be offered short-term work on an occasional basis in times of high demand.

Candidates may apply to one or both  contract options.

Manor Gardens is looking for committed caseworkers to support us in providing our ongoing advocacy and triage support across Islington. These roles will be responsible for carrying out initial needs assessments of referrals that come through to our universal referral service, and providing ongoing advocacy and casework support to clients to address their complex needs. You will be a people person who is passionate about providing person-focused, holistic support to enable good health, resilience and opportunity for all.

Previous experience in providing support to individuals is required, although this may have been in a voluntary capacity. Experience of working in an Islington or North London context would be beneficial but not essential. These roles will work across our diverse communities in Islington, and we welcome applicants who can offer to work in an additional language.

About Manor Gardens Welfare Trust

Manor Gardens Welfare Trust is a charity with an excellent history of supporting people to improve their health and wellbeing since 1913. Our mission is to work with people and communities to take action and enable good health, resilience and opportunity.

Manor Gardens is a local community hub providing health and wellbeing services alongside two Early Years services. Many of our health and wellbeing services operate across North London, but our main base is in Islington. We offer a variety of services to people of all ages and all communities, with a particular focus on those that experience identified barriers and difficulties in accessing support and services. This includes but isn’t limited to those living with long-term physical or mental health conditions, refugee and migrant communities, survivors of or those experiencing abuse, those who are socially isolated, and others who for many reasons are experiencing poor health and wellbeing.

We understand that wellbeing and good health mean different things to different people. We work alongside our communities and recruit many of our staff from those communities. We work creatively and flexibly to have a positive impact.

In any role at Manor Gardens Welfare Trust, you will be encouraged to contribute across the organisation and grow and develop as a professional in this field.

How To Apply

We will be offering interviews on a rolling basis, and we will recruit for the Fixed Term 3 month roles as soon as we have identified a suitable candidate,  so please submit your application as soon as possible. We expect to receive applications for the Fixed Term roles no later than Monday 1st February 2021 at 9am.

Manor Gardens Welfare Trust is committed to valuing, respecting and celebrating diversity, and maintaining a diverse workforce that reflects the communities with which we work. We recognise the value of lived experience in any role we offer, and we welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation or religious belief.

We also encourage potential candidates to contact us for an informal conversation or email response to any questions you may have. For further information or an informal conversation to discuss this post please contact Alex Britten (see email on website).

Manor Gardens Welfare Trust follows safer recruitment procedures, and all successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. Any disclosures within a DBS check do not necessarily prevent an individual from taking up a position with us, and we encourage those with questions about this to contact us to discuss further.

Please click 'Apply on website' and you will be redirected to our website with our application pack and instructions on how to apply. Please outline in your email if you are applying for a Fixed Term or Sessional role, or both. Please also outline the number of hours per week you would be available.

Recruiting a Support Worker to join our Mental Health Service in Kensington and Chelsea!

£22,360 per annum, 40 hours per week, plus 25 days Annual Leave, Pension schemes, Staff discounts, healthcare and more.

Holly Villa, Cedar House and Linden House are complex mental health services which have staff on site 24/7. The principles of trauma-informed support and psychologically informed environments will underpin the support delivered by the team. We are looking for team members who are proactive in supporting customers in their recovery through co-producing support plans that promote positive risk taking and optimise social inclusion.

To enable vulnerable people living in a variety of different tenures to manage their tenancies/ licences and move towards greater independence within the community by providing a flexible and individually tailored support package. This role requires working on a shift pattern.

Key Responsibilities:

- Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Team Leader/ Manager
- Undertake initial and continuous assessment of needs and potential risks and agree levels of support and actions
- Create support/action plans for providing appropriate services based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available
- Support customers to undertake all domestic tasks wherever possible, including practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills, to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation
- Develop and maintain links with all key agencies and service providers in the local community
- Empower customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to
- Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive tenant/customer records to professional standards
- Encourage and enable tenants to pay their rent and to ensure that rent accounts are managed effectively in conjunction with the Housing Management team
- Ensure that referrals are chased proactively so that properties which can be used to house those in need are filled as efficiently as possible
- Adhere to Look Ahead's Policies and Procedures
- Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills
- Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned

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.

Person Specification:

- Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
- Approachable and open 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 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

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

Essential:

- Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector
- Experience working in mental health

Interviews will start taking place from 20th January 2021.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

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.

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.

Support Worker

Aim of the role:  To support and empower our customers to increase their life skills

Salary:                     £23,690 per annum

Location:                 Upper Norwood, Young people service

Contract:                 Fixed Term until 31 May 2021

Hours:                  37.5 per week.  Working on shift which is 5 days a week over a 7 day rota, including early mornings, evenings and weekends.

Benefits:   

As part of your employment package with us, we offer:

a competitive salary, comprehensive training and development programme, 

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing each year to 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays after 5 years  

option to buy or sell annual leave up to one week’s annual leave

a health cash plan providing cash back towards healthcare bills and other wellbeing benefits

occupational sick pay

contributory group pension scheme

free life assurance

cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans

About the Role

This service is an 80-bed service for single homeless people aged 18-30.

You will support the people we work with, our customers, to reach their potential and improve their quality of life through aspirational goal setting.  You will engage with and empower them to:

Identify their strengths as part of our asset-based approach and identify their needs, opportunities, rights and responsibilities

Plan what they want to achieve and take appropriate action

Take part in activities and opportunities that generate aspiration and confidence

You will act as the link between the people we work with and a range of local authority, community and voluntary sector providers.

About You

As well as having experience of working with vulnerable people, you must have a clear understanding of why people become homeless, and the needs and challenges they face.

You will be required to take on a caseload of customers, with responsibility for key working, co-ordinating support packages and proactively ensuring all required tasks and activities are completed.

You will be part of a dedicated and supportive team, and so will need to demonstrate a positive and inclusive approach. You must be able to communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing, and be competent in the use of Microsoft Office Word and Excel applications.

About Evolve Housing + Support

Evolve is a leading homelessness charity in London, providing housing and support to over 2,000 people each year.

We believe in building on people’s strengths, aspirations and goals to help break the cycle of homelessness and help them move forward with their lives.

We offer a programme of support tailored to meet people’s individual needs, including housing, employment and skills training, mentoring and counselling. We work with young parents and children at risk of exclusion to build the skills and resilience that can help prevent homelessness. We campaign to end street homelessness. We build affordable homes to help people move on to an independent life.

Our mission is to help children, young people and adults who are homeless or at risk of homelessness reach their potential, and move on to live happy, fulfilled lives.

Your application

Evolve Housing + Support is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including people who have experienced homelessness themselves.

Please ensure that your answers give a clear outline of how your application meets the criteria for this job.

Covid Statement

Our priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and the homeless people we house and support.

We are fully complying with the Government’s Laws and guidance on social distancing and infection control, to keep our colleagues and homeless residents safe throughout the pandemic. All of our policies and procedures have been updated to ensure covid-safe working practices are followed. We have installed screens between desks in offices within our supported accommodation, and changed layouts and use of meeting rooms in our services to ensure maximum social distancing. All colleagues have access to PPE and hand sanitiser in the workplace. Our Head Office is currently closed, with all central teams working from home, and we will continue to review this situation on an ongoing basis.

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos?

Do you believe in our values; to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaborate, innovate, and take accountability?

Then Advance could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Community Key Worker to join our Minerva WrapAround Team

Job Title: WrapAround Community Key Worker

Salary: £26,000 - £29,000 per annum depending on experience

Location: Based across our two women’s centres (West and North/East) with travel across allocated boroughs as required to provide targeted support to women.

Contract: Permanent (current funding for the project is until March 2022)

Hours: 35 hour per week

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010. 

Advance is committed to equality and diversity and strongly encourages applications from women with disabilities, from BME backgrounds and the LBT community, and with personal experience of the criminal justice system.

What we do:

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls who are survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending.  We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community. 

About the role:

Advance’s Minerva service works with women involved in the Criminal Justice System offering safe, targeted support and advocacy to women to help them address their complex needs in relation to the 9 pathways to offending, such as substance misuse and financial difficulties.  Minerva aims are to reduce re-offending, encourage desistance amongst repeat offenders, divert women from Criminal Justice involvement as early as possible and reduce the number of custodial sentences imposed by Courts.

The Minerva WrapAround service is a 3-year programme launched in May 2018 to provide enhanced support to women and girls who have committed crime and are at risk of re-offending, with complex multiple needs.  The service is designed to be a “whole system” response offering an enhanced service to women and girls who have been assessed as having complex needs and therefore require additional support in the form of additional key-work sessions, innovative interventions or diversionary and group-work sessions and access to a women-only Centre in their region.

What you will bring:

• Significant experience of front-line work with women experiencing issues related to offending, such as homelessness, substance misuse, domestic violence or mental health, ideally within a criminal justice setting
• An in-depth understanding of issues facing women offenders and those at risk of offending, both in and outside of the criminal justice system. 
• Experience of crisis management in this key worker setting as well as experience of working in partnership with relevant statutory and voluntary groups and maintaining strong constructive working relationships.
• Experience of setting and maintaining professional boundaries with service users whilst delivering an excellent standard of service and being able to cope in stressful situations.

What we offer:

• 30 days holiday plus public holidays pro rata, and a day off for International Women’s Day
• Pension scheme
• Clinical supervision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• The opportunity to work in a flexible, supportive environment with a team of committed, inspiring women and we will support you as you to continue to build your skills and experience and grow your career

Please find the full job description and person specification attached

The closing date for this position is Friday 29th January

We will be assessing applications and scheduling interviews on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the post earlier than advertised. We encourage applications at your earliest convenience.

To apply, please send your CV along with a supporting statement setting out how you meet the criteria for the role and indicating where you first saw this role advertised, your notice period and salary expectations.

Please note that any offer of employment will be made subject to references and confirmation of the right to work in the UK and satisfactory enhanced DBS check

TPP are excited to be working with a charity that has been established since the late 60's. They are passionate about supporting people on their journey to recovery.

This is an exciting opportunity to support young people in the Hounslow area. This role has a huge amount of scope and you would play a vital part in developing the service in the community of Hounslow.

The purpose of this role:

• To provide supervision and line management for the Young Persons Recovery Worker.
• To lead and drive the Young Person's service within the Borough, including networking and attending relevant meetings/events.
• To engage Young People in support, advice and information around substance misuse and sexual health.
• Develop & deliver engagement activities for Young People.
• Support Young People to improve their overall lifestyles, supporting positive health outcomes.
• Develop & deliver educational awareness in Young people settings; i.e., schools, colleges, though workshops, assemblies, as well as some 1:1 work.
• To provide training for those in contact with Young People; i.e., teachers, foster carers, parents, social care, etc.
• To work effectively and in partnership with CNWL as well as other key partners within the Borough. This includes networking and establishing links where appropriate.

Person specification:

• Experience of working with alcohol/substance users or other comparable field
• Experience of working with Young People and delivering suitable age appropriate interventions/1:1's
• Experience of working as part of a team and supporting your colleagues
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• No criminal record that prevents work with our client group or which would harm our reputation.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word and familiar with relevant database management systems

Desirable experience:

• Experience of providing supervision or line management support to staff, volunteers or peer mentors
• Experience of completing documentation such as risk assessments
• Experience of creating person-centred care plans based on needs identified at assessment
• Knowledge and experience of developing/planning & delivering workshops

If this role sounds of interest to you please get in touch ASAP . In the first instance please send your CV . We can then discuss the role in more detail.

Introduction

Spitalfields Crypt Trust (SCT) is an East London charity providing practical help, support and training to people who have been homeless and suffering from addiction. It runs a homeless drop-in, a Recovery Hub (which includes an abstinence-based residential recovery hostel, an Addictions Counselling Programme, and a Training & Development Programme), supported houses and two social enterprises supporting people in recovery from addictions to put their lives back together. Our integrative approach is based on the ‘Recovery Capital’ methodology and is a whole-person approach, which considers physical, cultural, social, human, and spiritual factors and assets.

In employment we actively seek to recruit people with a good combination of talent, skills, and potential, promoting equality for all, and welcome applications from a wide range of candidates.  We select all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications, experience and commitment to the values and purposes of the organisation. (Sources - Equal Opportunities Policy 2.2 (i) and (v)).  SCT is a growing organisation with opportunities for people with good motivational skills and high levels of initiative.

About the role

The Housing First Support Worker provides person-centered and housing-related support, information, and advice to residents of SCT’s Housing First for Recovery service. The Housing First Support Worker acts as the key worker for a small group of Housing First residents. The anticipated ratio is one staff member to six residents, although this may vary through the life of the project.

Residents of Housing First will be single people who are rough sleeping, homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness; they may present as challenging and are likely to have multiple and complex needs which make finding, securing, and maintaining accommodation extremely difficult.

Staff will work to engage with residents and potential residents who have a history of disengaging from services, using a variety of techniques and approaches to build and develop a supportive working relationship. Staff will help residents meet their personalised goals, make informed decisions, and achieve a greater level of stability and independence.

All activity will be underpinned by the following Housing First Principles:

1. People have the right to a home
2. Flexible support is provided for as long as it is needed
3. Housing and support are separate
4. People have choice and control over all aspects of their lives
5. The service is based upon people’s strengths, goals, and aspirations
6. An active engagement approach is used
7. A harm reduction approach is used.

Staff may work alongside peer mentors who, as former users of services, may be able to provide additional advice and support to Housing First residents.

Staff are expected to be available to support Housing First for Recovery residents during usual working hours (Monday to Friday, 9.00am-5.00pm) although may be required to work outside of the conventional working week on occasion.  

Role and Responsibilities

• Work with Housing First residents to help them articulate their goals and aspirations offering personal, therapeutic, and emotional support. The work will be informed by core Housing First principles.
• Undertake comprehensive needs and risk assessments with each allocated resident.
• Adopt a Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) and Trauma Informed Care (TIC) approach to supporting Housing First for Recovery residents, including use of learning from PIE and TIC training and Reflective Practice.
• Develop and maintain relationships with Housing First residents to enable person-centered support, promoting personal choice and wellbeing. This will be done through regular contact, including visits to residents’ homes and appropriate community settings.
• Be adaptive and flexible, resilient to challenges and rejections, to support the stability and progression of Housing First residents to achieve personalised outcomes.
• Liaise with accommodation providers and actively encourage Housing First residents to move into appropriate Housing First accommodation of their choice.
• Identify barriers to acquiring and maintaining accommodation and provide support, including practical help with furniture, benefits advice, budgeting, neighbour relations and liaising with landlords.
• Support tenants to register with a GP, dentist, and optician and in addressing any immediate and longer-term physical and mental health concerns.
• Support tenants in the best use of personalised budgets to purchase items identified as needed (e.g., furniture, appliances, clothes, etc.).
• Offer advice, guidance, and support on ways in which substance misuse and other harmful activities can be practiced more safely. This includes anticipating and supporting the reduction of harmful challenges while maximising opportunities.
• Support residents in attending AA/NA and taking first steps to address their substance misuse issues.
• Be empowered and persistent in advocating for residents to access all services, including reconciliation work with agencies, if required.
• Develop, maintain and coordinate effective working relationships with external agencies, promoting effective communication for and about residents ensuring the Housing First project is widely known and promoted.
• With tenants’ agreement, liaise with other agencies to facilitate access to support, including recovery from addiction, offending and criminal justice, health and mental health, domestic abuse, welfare and housing benefits, debit, child and adult protection, employment, training, and volunteering.
• Identify cases requiring further help (specialist advice, alternative support) referring and supporting engagement as appropriate.
• Support residents to accessing the suite of additional SCT services run by our Drop-In team such as art, gardening, IT, pre-abstinence, and women’s groups.
• Support residents to access community resources to develop positive peer networks and meaningful leisure opportunities, including social, recreational, sport, faith, learning and arts.
• Regularly review people’s support plans to update, record and monitor progress.
• Promote and encourage peer involvement with the service.
• Maintain accurate monitoring and evaluation records using InForm, including detailed information on people worked with.
• Actively participate in achieving targets as set by the Housing First/Drop-in Manager.
• Contribute to regular reports on the service and its evaluation as required.
• Strengthen links and relationships with other SCT projects.
• Occasional lone working with high-risk people.
• Actively engage with supervision with line manager, including review of training needs.
• To be responsible and accountable for the delivery of high-quality support.
• Undertake any other duties consistent with the role.

Key Outcomes

1. As a result of being housed and supported, residents lead less chaotic lives.
2. As a result of improved self-confidence and resilience, residents are empowered to make their own choices in all aspects of their lives.
3. Residents have improved physical health.
4. Residents have improved mental health.
5. Residents have increased networks of support

Closing date Sunday 21st February

Interviews to take place W.c. 1st March

“Providing free, independent, confidential and impartial advice”

Citizens Advice Southwark has a track record of delivering high-quality services from its offices in Peckham and Bermondsey and outreach locations across Southwark and South East London. We sort out problems together, for good, by providing free, independent, confidential and impartial advice across all areas of social welfare law, and through using the experience of our clients to bring about positive change through research and campaigns. 

Generalist Adviser – Covid-19 Financial Shield Project

Salary: NJC Salary Scale 6 - £29,194 to £30,754 per annum 

Hours: Full-time

Term: Fixed Term to 31 March 2022

When the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and other Covid-19 related protections for households eventually come to an end, there is expected to be a significant rise in financial difficulties and debt problems, especially amongst already vulnerable people and people with long term health conditions.

To help address this Citizens Advice Southwark is working with the local Primary Care Networks to create a healthcare pathway allowing general practice to identify local residents that would benefit from pro-active and targeted money advice and financial support.

To deliver this exciting new project we are looking for 4 full time generalist advisers who will be based at our offices and at GP surgeries in Bermondsey and Peckham and will work closely with Social Prescribing Link Workers employed by South and North Southwark Primary Care Networks.

In this role you will take referrals from local GPs surgeries and other services, and provide 1:1 advice and support to people with complex needs, developing personalised plans to tackle their debt and financial liabilities.

To undertake this role you will need:

• At least six months recent experience of providing Generalist Advice to the public including casework in welfare rights, housing and debt.
• Proven ability to interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills to get to the root of issues and empower clients in a non-judgmental way.
• An understanding of the financial challenges facing citizens, especially as a result of COVID.
• Ability to work closely with and develop relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across organisations and sectors, including health and voluntary and community sector.
• Ability to commit to and work within the aims and principles of Citizens Advice Southwark.

Closing date: 9.00 am Monday 1st February 2021

Interviews Wednesday 3rd & Thursday 4th February 2021

For further information and an application pack please visit our website.

We offer a range of employee benefits, including generous annual leave, an employer matched pension contribution up to 10% salary, and training and development opportunities to continue your professional development.

Citizens Advice Southwark is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all applicants who meet the person specification irrespective of sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, age, or disability.

Recruiting for a Activities and Move On Coordinator to join our Homelessness and Complex Needs Service in Kensington and Chelsea!

GBP £23,000 per annum, 40 hours per week, plus 25 days Annual Leave, Pension schemes, Staff discounts, healthcare and more.

Job Overview:
The activities and move on Coordinator is responsible for managing and promoting Look Ahead's move on pathway across the RBKC complex needs service and also ensuring there is regular activities across all of our services that will not only build on residents' life skills but also enhance co-production within our services. The post holder will be responsible for sourcing accommodation in the private rented sector - liaising with landlords and sourcing new move on routes for resident. The post holder will also be responsible for sourcing funding for activities both internal an externally and working with residents across our services to ensure that the activities ran are done so in a co-produced way. This will also involve liaising with and establishing relationships with agencies outside of the organisation with whom we can form joint working relationships that will help with us developing life skills and enhancing the residents experience when it comes to co-produced activities available to participate in within our services.

The ideal candidate will have good knowledge of housing and homelessness law and have good knowledge on the importance of co-production and the benefits of working in a co-produced manner. They will be someone who thrives on working under pressure, is a good team player and can demonstrate excellent networking and partnership. They will have excellent communication skills (both verbal and written); will be good at using their initiative in researching complex housing cases and able to meet tight deadlines.

Key Responsibilities:

- Facilitate and lead on activities across all of our services
- Ensure there is clear communication across all forms with residents, staff and external agencies about ongoing activities both in and out of our services
- Source funding for activities both internally and eternally
- Ensure that residents are regularly consulted to gage their interests in the types of activities we promote
- Develop and design activities that will target development of residents life skills whilst in our services
- Promote and encourage resident participation in all activities and creating opportunities that will ensure activities are co-produced
- Develop and create a calendar around planned activities that will ensure ongoing staff involvement and participation
- Develop links with private sector landlords and estate agents in order to source private rented stock and promote Look
- Ahead as a partner organisation
- Work in partnership with the local authority move on co-ordinator, creating innovative schemes to support long stayers in accommodation
- Attend and complete all relevant documentation for placement review meetings
- Maintain accurate records of service utilisation
- Develop and maintain an information resource to support operational staff in the resettlement of customers. This will include (but not limited to) Local Housing Allowance Rates, Partner Landlord and Estate Agency details and Rent Deposit Schemes. Act as the main point of contact for information and resources on the private rented sector
- Actively promote the look ahead - RBKC move on Pathway option. Assist operational staff to identify customers ready to access this option
- Support a caseload of residents that are progressing toward move on
- In conjunction with operational staff assess the readiness of customers to move on and set up viewings for customers to access available accommodation
- Provide a support service to new residents who move on including assisting them to access welfare benefits and loans/ grants available from the Department of Work and Pensions.
- Accompany residents to viewing
- Support clients and staff throughout any potential service decanting process
- Record detailed feedback from visits and events
- Collate best practice recommendations, examples and case studies ensuring learning is disseminated
- To manage a small budget, liaise with Look Ahead's finance department to request deposits, monitor expenditure and also invoice local authorities and other organisations which agreed to fund specific PRS move on schemes

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
Essential:
- Has relevant sector work experience
- Demonstrable experience of supporting vulnerable adults with Learning Disabilities

Desirable:
- Other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications

For the full job description, please visit the Look Ahead website.

Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK) is looking for an experienced family support manager who wants to play a key role in an ambitious and growing organisation that is supporting deaf children to get an equal start at school. AVUK is a small, award-winning national charity that is transforming the lives of deaf children across the UK.  Over the next few years, the charity plans to: double the number of pre-school children and families supported by its innovative early intervention programme; significantly increase the number of Auditory Verbal Therapists in the UK; further its profile and influence; and grow and diversify its voluntary income streams so that deaf children have the same opportunities in life as their hearing peers.

The post holder will join a highly-committed and passionate team of 24 staff, and will work closely with the Clinical and Operations teams to provide the best outcomes for families. The job will include a mix of home working and in-centre working in our Bicester and Bermondsey centres, with one centre being the base. 

The Family Support Manager will be one of the primary points of contact for families on the AVUK programme and will provide advocacy, practical support and information services to parents and other carers of children with hearing loss on the programme at AVUK.  They will offer emotional support for families and will be able to signpost effectively to other agencies for families in greater need, managing relationships with external providers of support services to families, such as Local Education Authorities, external counsellors and occupational therapists. They will be responsible for organising parent workshops, developing the Family Ambassador programme and making arrangements for annual/biannual consultation sessions for parents, attending these sessions where appropriate, providing practical support in preparation for these sessions and taking forward matters arising.  They will work closely with the Operations team to provide administrative support to the Clinical team in connection with therapy services.

For further information, please see the attached job pack.