HERTS AID
HIV SERVICE CO-ORDINATOR
JOB DESCRIPTION
INTRODUCTION
Herts Aid is an HIV and sexual health charity providing support, clinical and educational services, in and around Hertfordshire. We achieve this by offering emotional and practical support, educational projects and community based clinics.
We are a service user led organisation, which is committed to ensuring a culture that is warm, inclusive and caring. Herts Aid is a registered charity.
Herts Aid aims to:
· Provide a range of services to promote the well being of people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS, in and around Hertfordshire. This includes practical and emotional support; befriending; transport; access to hardship funds; access to immigration and benefit advice by developing relationships with the relevant professional bodies that can deliver this and the facilitation of peer support to combat isolation.
· Promote awareness and understanding of Sexual Health and HIV/ AIDS issues by providing information and training, to members and volunteers, and the broader community.
· Improve access to services by co-operating with existing statutory and voluntary organisations.
The post holder will work closely with the Herts Aid team to meet these aims and ensure effective delivery of services to clients.
JOB PURPOSE
· To be the lead person co-ordinating HIV service user support services. This includes assessing the needs of client, managing the case load and interventions, creating and maintaining relationships with relevant professional bodies that can provide assistance to fulfil delivery of support interventions and to ensure service users have access to user forums and are involved in the shaping and creation of future services.
· To take responsibility for ensuring performance targets are met, managing the HIV Support worker/s and delegating the workload to the HIV support staff team as necessary.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Service Member Support
1.1 Completing needs assessments with service users, to ensure the most appropriate forms of care are available to them, and that the service provision meets their needs. In addition, ensuring that every service user is contacted at least once every 3 months.
1.2 Manage the service user caseload, and delegate necessary work to the service user support team.
1.3 Providing clear information on the services of Herts Aid to new and existing service users and other organisations.
1.4 Together with the Operations Manager, and the rest of the outreach team, undertake an annual service user review. Reviews will be by questionnaires and through service user forums. The objective is to seek service user views on the services provided by Herts Aid and identify areas for improvement and development.
1.5 Assisting service users in obtaining information on HIV treatments, current research and information relevant to living with HIV. To this end the post holder will ensure that the Herts Aid Living with HIV folder is up to date and available to all service users.
1.6 In conjunction with the Management team, to recommend on applications for grants from Herts Aid’s Discretionary Fund and other grant making trusts, in line with current policy.
1.7 Developing new services as appropriate, based on identified needs of the clients.
1.8 Develop good working relationships with, and an up to date resource directory of, other agencies that will facilitate access to services including medical, social, immigration, and benefits. Where appropriate, referrals to other agencies will be required.
2. Administration
2.1 Providing weekly activity statistics for monitoring purposes via the Herts Aid service user database.
2.2 Complete all documentation required to ensure that service users are effectively advocated for, including letters, forms and applications.
2.3 Maintain accurate and up to date client records on the database
2.4 Provide line management and internal supervision for the HIV Support worker/s and complete their annual appraisals. Report any issue regarding a member of the HIV Support team to the Operations Manager
2.5 Together with the outreach team, manage the peer support events, including lunches, outings and training
2.6 Providing a range of administrative support as required by the organisation
under the guidance and direction of the Operations Manager
3. Other
3.1 To keep abreast of medical, social and epidemiological developments in the
field of HIV/ AIDS and sexual health to ensure best practice.
3.2 To undergo such training as appropriate and agreed necessary to fulfil the requirements of the post of HIV Services Co-ordinator at Herts Aid.
3.3 Liaison with other voluntary and statutory organisations and representing Herts Aid at external meetings as required.
3.4 To be aware of Herts Aid's Equal Opportunities policy and to ensure that it is reflected in all the work of the post holder, and the outreach team.
3.5 To respect and maintain confidentiality at all times.
3.6 To work within Herts Aid's organisational policies, including Health and Safety.
3.7 This job description may be changed from time to time as deemed necessary, and the above list is not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to carry out other duties that can reasonably be expected by the Management team.
HERTS AID
HIV SERVICES CO-ORDINATOR
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential:
Qualifications: / Assessment by Application or Interview· A degree in social work or social care or relevant health qualification / A
Knowledge
· A developed understanding of the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS and the related confidentiality issues. / A+I
· A good understanding of and commitment to Equal Opportunities. / A+I
· A good working knowledge of confidentiality and the limits of confidentiality / I
· An understanding of the benefits system, housing legislation and immigration law. / I
Skills
/· Counselling and social care skills and/or experience. / A
· Excellent communication skills with an ability to communicate with a wide range of people in written form, over the telephone and in person. / A+I
· Ability to produce clear and concise written reports/correspondence. / A+I
· Self-motivated, with good time-management skills. / I
· Ability to work as part of a team. / A+I
· Confident driver with clean licence, able to drive to and in London and access to own vehicle. / A
· Have the ability to work under pressure and handle difficult situations calmly and sensitively. / I
· Be computer literate in Microsoft Packages / A
· The ability to speak publicly and represent the organisation as required. / A+I
· Ability to work co-operatively and to liaise with other agencies. / A
· Previous experience in supervising/managing staff.
Other
/· Flexible approach to working patterns, with a willingness to work evenings/weekends if required. / A
· A sensitive and caring person with a sense of humour. / A+I
Desirable
· Experience of working in the voluntary sector
· Skills in developing new services.
· Two years experience working in a similar role.
OTHER INFORMATION
Salary - £24331-£28270 per annum.
The post is full-time: 37.5 hours per week. Some evening and weekend work will be required, for which time off in lieu will be given. Holiday entitlement is 25 days per year, (pro rata) plus Bank Holidays.
The post holder will be responsible to the Operations Manager.
External supervision will be provided monthly.
Herts Aid is an Equal Opportunities employer. Herts Aid operates a No-Smoking policy.
This Job Description will be reviewed with the post holder from time to time, as deemed necessary.