POST: Montfort House Project Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

POST: Montfort House Project Manager

Contract: Permanent

Salary: £35,041 pa inc LW (NJC Scale range 36-38) + pension and other benefits

Hours: 35 hours per week excluding breaks (Ability to be part of the management on call rota and to attend to the occasional out of hours commitment as required)

Annual Leave: 33 days including Bank/Statutory Holidays

Probation Period: 6 Months

Notice Period: 4 weeks

Responsible to: Prevention and Accommodation Manager

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An enhanced DBS check is required as this position will involve working directly with vulnerable adults

ABOUT MONTFORT HOUSE

Montfort House is part of the Passage, which is a Vincentian organisation whose mission is to encourage, inspire and challenge homeless people to transform their lives.

Montfort House is a 16 bed, 24 hour staffed, supported housing project for homeless men, women and couples. Priority is given to the most vulnerable rough sleeper’s especially RS205 referrals as well as couples & other individuals with complex needs. Our aim is offer hard to reach clients an opportunity to move away from the streets by moving to a safe & relaxed environment offering at times and where appropriate a “hands off” approach to allow individuals to settle & gain confidence. Once settled we will provide creative & dynamic and psychologically informed approaches to support people to move forward in their lives. Montfort House has developed an enabling environment and we pride ourselves on thinking outside of the box and offering highly personalised and innovative support to our clients. The post holder will develop strong links with external partners, especially our Outreach partners, in order to facilitate referrals of clients directly from the street.

We have spent the past two years developing our working practices, in line with psychologically informed ways of working, to ensure we are offering a creative & flexible service offering residents real opportunities to make positive changes & move forward with their lives. In the most recent external audit (carried out by Westminster City Council) Montfort House was awarded straight A’s across all areas of service provision.

This project is staffed 24 hours a day and the team comprises: A Manager, 3 full time project workers, 2 night concierge staff and a number of skilled volunteers who provide specific support such as literacy and weekend engagement.

JOB PURPOSE

The Project Manager will be responsible for the smooth running of the service and the overall management of the staff and volunteer team at Montfort House.

MAIN TASKS AND DUTIES

·  To provide effective and dynamic leadership and project management at Montfort House ensuring that all aspects of the service operate within a psychologically informed way of working.

·  To provide motivating and encouraging staff and volunteer management ensuring that all staff and volunteers are working to the best of their ability and with the client’s needs and aspirations at the centre of their work.

·  To foster a culture of positive risk taking, personalisation and recovery with regards to client support to ensure that Montfort House remains at the cutting edge of service delivery for the most complex and difficult to engage rough sleepers in the borough.

·  To develop and support an inclusive and enabling environment for all clients ensuring that all clients are offered meaningful activities and involvement as appropriate to their needs and aspirations.

·  To develop and support therapeutic ways of working where appropriate.

·  To embed staff support structures including opportunities for team debriefs, facilitated discussions and reflective practice to ensure that all staff are equipped with the necessary skills and support in carrying out their client work.

·  To establish and oversee effective policies, procedures and systems at Montfort House which underpin the service and provide effective ways to record and celebrate the work undertaken with residents to satisfy both internal and external reporting needs.

·  To oversee effective health and safety, maintenance and building developments to ensure both a safe and welcoming environment for residents, staff and volunteers.

·  To have in place robust and accountable finance systems to ensure the financial viability of the project with particular attention to petty cash, rent and housing benefit.

·  To deal with emergency situations taking action in the event of a fire or other incidents and being responsible for calling emergency services in an appropriate manner.

·  To keep appropriate records of all work and activities within the project in accordance with procedures.

·  To treat clients and their concerns with dignity and respect ensuring you remain calm and objective when dealing with difficult or problematic situations.

·  To take part in the out of hours on call system on a rota with other Passage managers. This is currently 1 week out of every 4.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

·  In conjunction with your Line Manager to continuously develop the role to ensure that all tasks are being undertaken in an effective and appropriate manner which meets the strategic aims and objectives of The Passage.

·  To participate in internal/external meetings as required, and attend training events, conferences and other functions as necessary.

·  To participate in regular supervision and annual appraisal, and help in identifying your own job-related development and training needs.

·  To ensure that all The Passage policies and procedures are being adhered to, particularly those relating to Health and Safety, Code of Practice and Confidentiality.

·  To contribute to the effective implementation of The Passage’s Diversity and Equality Policy as it affects both The Passage and its work with vulnerable adults.

·  To at all times undertake your role in a professional manner maintaining a high quality standard of work, and to always work in accordance with the aims, values and ethos of The Passage[1].

·  Undertake any other duties that may be required which are commensurate with the role.

Note: The details contained in this Job Description summarise the main expectations of the role at the date it was prepared. It should be understood that the nature of individual roles will evolve and change as service, service users and commissioner needs change. Consequently The Passage will review and revise this Job Description as required in consultation with post holders.

THE DISCLOSURE & BARRING SERVICE – DISCLOSURE

The Passage aims to promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential. The Passage welcomes applications from diverse candidates. Criminal records will be taken into account for requirement purposes only when the conviction is relevant.

As The Passage meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013) by SI 2013 1198’. All applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings, as well as convictions.

Person Specification: Montfort House Project Manager

This person specification sets out the essential abilities and qualities that will be used in the selection criteria for the post. When completing your application form, please address criteria E1 to E4 and K1 to K8 demonstrating your experience and knowledge, and give evidence of your experience and abilities.

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EXPERIENCE:

E1 Significant experience of delivering support services to socially excluded clients in a residential or similar setting.

E2 Experience of working within a team and achieving strong and effective relationships with others in order to achieve organisational aims and objectives

E3 Experience of case management and supporting staff to ensure suitable interventions are in place to ensure client’s needs are identified and met.

E4 Experience of joint working especially in relation to case conferences and a multi -agency approach to supporting vulnerable clients

KNOWLEDGE

K1 Knowledge of homelessness, understanding of the varied needs of homeless people and those at acute risk of homelessness.

K2 Knowledge of Health and Safety, and the implications of this in the working environment

K3 Knowledge of requirements of Supporting People and psychologically informed ways of working within a residential setting.

K4 An understanding of the range of approaches and methods appropriate for working with a difficult to engage or chaotic client group and a willingness to ‘think outside the box’ in order to support clients to meet their needs and aspirations

K5 An understanding and experience of working with people from different cultural backgrounds.

K6 Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures

K7 Knowledge of and commitment to homelessness issues

K8 An understanding of building and developing effective relationships with a vulnerable disadvantage or excluded client group

In addition to the above the following table indicates the standard expectations that all employees/workers are to work towards.

1 Vincentian Values and Integrity
Maintains social, organisational and ethical values in all actions
2 People Management / 3 Personal effectiveness
Establishes and communicates clear standards and expectations and helps all staff to develop full potential. / Confidence, adaptability and stamina to rise to new challenges and deliver results. Ability to plan and organise to manage multiple tasks and priorities. Takes responsibility for own continuous learning and professional development
4 Expertise / 5 Creativity and Innovation
Recognised as a source of expertise and insight. Keeps up to date with latest professional developments. Applies expertise to realise competitive and professional advantage for Passage / Ability to source and develop new ideas. Ability to practically implement new ideas to solve problems and bring about improvements to services and resources.
6 Continuous Improvement / 7 Problem-solving and decision-making
Recognising the need for action or change, and taking the appropriate action without needing to be told. / Ability to use logical processes for solving problems and making decisions
8 Change, Project and resources management / 9 Needs led services
Plans and organises projects and the activities of others to achieve results; able to manage resources within budget. / Focused on views and needs of clients ensuring a quality led effective service delivery in a psychological informed manner
10 Commitment and Integrity / 11 Team Working
Maintains social, organisational and ethical values in all actions / Committed and reliable member of team and understands impact of role on others
12 Communication / 13 Building effective external relationships
Written and oral communication is concise and accurate. / Ability to build up and maintain a network of external contacts who can help achieve service goals.
14 Equality, Diversity and Rights
Promotes equity and diversity, upholding the rights of clients, staff and volunteers

September 2017

[1] Vincentian Ethos As a Vincentian organisation, The Passage strives to be inclusive; encompassing a diverse and rich culture from within our members, clients, volunteers and staff. This approach is reflected in our core Values and it is important that all staff have respect for this. (refer to full Vincentian Ethos Statement).