Job Description
Job Title / Generic Floating Support WorkerReporting to / Floating Support Co-Ordinator
Salary / NJC Scale 6 Pt 20 £10.48 per hour
Hours / 35 hours per week
Contract / Initially 12 months
Location / Stevenage and Hitchin (Hertfordshire)
Introduction
This Job Description sets out the responsibilities of the Floating Support Worker. Stevenage Haven is a charitable organisation providing emergency accommodation and daytime services and 2nd stage accommodation to single homeless men and women in Stevenage, North Hertfordshire and the surrounding area.
Stevenage Haven is committed to ensuring its services meet high standards and have at their core our belief that all members of society deserve to be treated with respect. Our service provision delivery should be designed to empower our clients and treat each client as a unique individual by providing services which are flexible and which can be tailored to each client’s individual needs.
The Floating Support Worker will seek to enable vulnerable clients and ex-clients to make a successful transition from homelessness to a stable life in the community and will also provide support to people in the community who are experiencing tenancy problems in order to prevent them becoming homeless.
They will work closely with the organisation’s staff, clients and ex-clients in order to develop a successful service which seeks to break the cycle of homelessness by providing proactive long term support to clients in their own or shared accommodation. They will also work, when necessary, with clients who are street homeless. The post holder will also establish strong working partnerships with the full range of statutory and non-statutory organisations, either directly or via project staff, in order to provide additional 3rd party support to clients.
The Floating Support Worker post encompasses six key areas of responsibility:
i. In liaison with the Floating Support Co-Ordinator, working with clients and staff at the hostel on resettlement planning and resettlement activities.
ii. Providing a tenancy sustainment service to ex-clients of the hostels to assist them to integrate into their local community and sustain their tenancies.
iii. Assisting in establishing and modifying processes and procedures for the smooth running of the project and assisting in assessing the effectiveness of the project.
iv. Health and safety matters
v. Equality and Diversity
vi. Other duties to ensure this service remains successful and develops to assist with the smooth running of the service.
It is anticipated in the long term that at least 80% of the worker’s time will be spent on tenancy sustainment activities with the remainder on resettlement activities.
1. Tenancy Sustainment
1.1 Tenancy sustainment services will be made available to all vulnerable clients leaving or who have previously left the hostel who are moving into their own or shared independent unsupported accommodation. Clients can decline such services or withdraw from using these services at any time.
1.2 To work with and develop good working relationships with community agencies, both statutory and non-statutory, which can assist ex-residents in a variety of areas required to sustain a tenancy and integrate into the community. To assist clients to access community resources and develop their own community support networks including developing new social contacts and encouraging social contact with family and friends where this is appropriate. A community resource pack should be supplied to each client detailing the various resources available, including specialist support agencies, health, education, employment, training, social and leisure providers.
1.3 To provide practical assistance, guidance, advocacy and advice to clients to enable them to live independently and maximise their ability to settle successfully into their accommodation on a long term basis. This includes acting as an advocate, when necessary, for clients in dealing with landlords and other agencies such as housing and other welfare benefits, utility suppliers etc. Basic budgeting should have been covered during resettlement preparation with residents of Chris Foster House but should be revisited with all clients.
1.4 Maintain regular planned contact with vulnerable clients in their new homes subject to risk assessment outcomes (see 4.4). Every client’s needs are different and therefore each client should have an agreed planned contact schedule. As a guide for vulnerable clients moving from the hostel during the first 3 months face to face contact should be at least once per week preferably with at least one telephone contact per week. Thereafter a gradual scaling down of contact would occur assuming clients are coping with independent living. A minimum face to face contact of once per month should be maintained for the next 3 months preferably with at least one telephone contact per week. Thereafter an agreed frequency related to client assessment should be maintained involving telephone and face to face contact as deemed necessary and until further contact is deemed unnecessary. Clients should be encouraged to contact the worker during normal office hours if they have any problems or queries.
1.5 For ex-clients to encourage ongoing use of the organisation’s day services e.g. counselling, basic skills etc. where these are appropriate for their continuing personal development.
1.6. Maintain client records detailing client contact, issues and resolution, and support from other agencies.
1.7 To encourage clients to provide ad hoc feedback on how well the tenancy sustainment service is working for them and how it could be improved. To encourage clients to complete Client Feedback Questionnaires preferably mid-way through the planned service provision and on its termination.
2. Resettlement
2.1 Working with key working teams and vulnerable clients to assist in producing, reviewing and amending support plans so that each resident has an agreed, regularly reviewed and up to date resettlement plan. Helping to identify possible move-on accommodation in line with the resident’s support plan. Helping to identify skills and knowledge which the resident needs to develop or acquire in order to achieve successful resettlement.
2.2 Establishing constructive relationships of trust with vulnerable residents, encouraging them to pursue realistic resettlement opportunities and to make any lifestyle changes which may be necessary to achieve successful resettlement.
2.3 To support clients through the process leading to successful resettlement and to oversee the transition taking over responsibility for the client from the key working team when they leave the hostel. Ensuring that clients fully understand their responsibilities in the resettlement process.
2.4 To work with and develop strong, professional working relationships with other agencies and individuals, including landlords, housing associations, letting agencies and other providers, in order to identify and secure accommodation that may be appropriate for clients.
2.5 To act as an advocate for the client in negotiations with landlords and other providers.
2.6 To ensure that where a client has recent mental health or addiction problems that viable support networks are in place in the community prior to the client moving out of the hostel.
2.7 To provide clients with practical assistance in moving into their new accommodation and setting up their new home including assistance in acquiring basic items of furniture and household appliances. This may also include assistance in accessing funds from various sources if required.
2.8 To encourage clients to avail themselves of the tenancy sustainment service once they leave the hostel.
2.9 To encourage clients to provide ad hoc feedback on how well the resettlement service is working for them and how it could be improved. To encourage clients to complete Client Feedback Questionnaires on leaving the hostel.
3. Policies, Processes and Procedures
3.1 Assist the Floating Support Co-Ordinator to review, monitor, modify and develop policies, processes and procedures for ensuring the smooth running of the resettlement and tenancy sustainment services.
3.2 Monitor and report on the effectiveness of resettlement and tenancy sustainment services, identifying potential problems as early as possible and proposing solutions.
3.3 Implementing changes to the services in a timely manner to the benefit of all parties.
3.4 Produce monthly progress reports on the services.
4. Health and Safety
4.1 To take individual responsibility with other key working staff for the personal health and safety of all people working in the project, living in the project or visiting the project.
4.2 To report any concerns relating to health and safety issues at the earliest opportunity to the appropriate manager.
4.3 To ensure that they are fully conversant with all aspects of the Project’s Health and Safety Policy, and related policies and procedures dealing with issues of aggression, emergencies etc.
4.4 To carry out a full risk assessment and take appropriate action as a result of the assessment prior to:
· Taking a client to an appointment or providing transport for a client.
· Visiting a client in their own home.
Action taken could include ensuring they are accompanied by a second member of staff, meeting the client in a public place rather than at their home etc.
5. Equality & Diversity
5.1 Ensure the consistent and effective implementation of the organisation’s Equality and Diversity policy and procedures.
5.2 To positively promote an environment within the hostel which respects and values the different ethnic cultures, value systems, and life choices of the clients and the staff.
6. Other duties
6.1 To attend internal and external meetings and training as directed by your line manager.
6.2 To undertake any other duties commensurate with the post.
6.3 To be administratively self-servicing and to produce all work to a high standard.
6.4 To complete accurately and in a timely manner and to the required standard, all written records for which you are responsible.
To assist the Floating Support Co-Ordinator and other staff develop and implement operational policies and procedures.
7.6 To ensure that the organisation’s confidentiality, equality and diversity policies and procedures are implemented and complied with
7.9 To comply completely with the Project’s Code of Conduct for Staff.
This job description covers the current range of duties and will be reviewed from time to time. It is Stevenage Haven’s aim to reach agreement on changes, but if agreement is not possible, Stevenage Haven reserves the right to change the job description.
Generic FSW 10.14. Sheet 1 of 4