Wellington Women’s Boarding House
Job Description
Position: Support Worker
Location: Mount Victoria, Wellington
Salary Range: 45,115 - 50,128 PA ($22,057 - $25,064 pro rata)
Term: Permanent
Hours: Part Time. 20 h/pw, must be available for evening or weekend work.
Purpose of the Role
To contribute to delivering the Wellington Women’s Boarding House purpose by assisting the Manager in the day-to-day operations of the House. The Support Worker will support the women residents, working alongside them to achieve long-term positive housing outcomes. Building relationships with referring agencies, housing providers, support providers, Wellington City Council, and Housing New Zealand is a key aspect of this role. The support worker reports directly to the Manager.
About WWBH
The Wellington Women's Boarding House was opened in July 1992 and is a registered Incorporated Society. The property is owned by Housing New Zealand Limited. The funding for our staff comes from rents, grants and donations. The House is run by a Management Committee of volunteer members, who employ and oversee the Manager.
Kaupapa / Purpose
The House provides temporary and short-term, secure, clean and comfortable accommodation for women, particularly those from low-income groups, for a six to nine month period to allow them to stabilise their lives and prepare for the next steps they wish to take.
The House welcomes women of all races, religions, and creeds. Age, sexual orientation and/or disability are no bar to admission. Effort is made to ensure the House is run in culturally responsive ways. Residents are expected to interact in a positive manner within the House and contribute to the smooth running of the House.
Residents’ Accommodation
The House has 16 bedrooms and has capacity for up to 16 residents at any one time. Residents do their own cooking and laundry using communal facilities.
Key Tasks & Responsibilities
To support the Manager in the smooth running of the House through:
Operational
1. To show potential residents around the House and assess their suitability for the house (as per the kaupapa of the WWBH), in consultation with the Manager where necessary.
2. To sign-up new residents, welcome and show them the facilities, introduce them to other residents, help them settle in and provide them with a tenancy agreement, copy of the House Rules, and the Kaupapa.
3. To support the Manager to ensure the required occupancy (min 80%) of the house.
4. To support routines and maintain the rules for the effective running of the House.
5. To keep and maintain securely accurate and confidential House and resident records.
6. To deal with breaches of the Tenancy Agreement sensitively and efficiently, in consultation with the Manager.
7. To organise and hold monthly meetings with residents of the House.
8. To keeping residents informed of any changes made to House Rules and expectations.
9. To provide written reports, statistical reports and other information as requested.
10. To be aware and comply with any applicable Health and Safety legislation or regulations in place from time to time.
House maintenance
1. To monitor standards of hygiene and safety and establish appropriate guidelines to ensure healthy and harmonious living conditions in the House.
2. To care for and maintain the furniture, soft furnishings, appliances and fittings of the House and to advise the Manager when upgrades are required.
3. To inform the Manager when major maintenance to/upgrade of the interior or exterior of the house is required.
4. To ensure that risk of fire is avoided and that fire evacuation procedures are established and practiced.
Pastoral
1. To contribute to creating a positive, safe, clean, supportive and culturally responsive environment for residents
1. To advise residents of their rights and responsibilities as residents.
2. To establish supportive relationships with residents and deal with problematic and difficult situations in an appropriate and sensitive manner.
3. To work with individual residents to create and implement plans for transitioning to permanent accommodation.
4. To provide support and advocacy alongside residents, when required, with regard to government and community agencies.
5. To maintain appropriate boundaries in relationships with residents and maintain respect for their privacy and confidentiality.
External Relations
1. To deal with enquiries from prospective tenants and other interested people, including social service agencies with reference to entry criteria etc.
2. To liaise with Housing New Zealand Corporation, including the reporting of repairs.
3. To ensure that statutory requirements relating to the operations of the House are met.
4. To represent and advocate for the needs of residents in community forums where appropriate.
5. To promote community awareness of the existence and role of the House, including through the regular updating of our social media channels (Facebook, twitter, website etc).
6. To network and build relationships with relevant community housing providers, Housing New Zealand Corporation, Wellington City Council and private landlords, with the aim of securing a range of long-term housing options for residents.
Professional Development
1. To attend external professional supervision as agreed and funded by the Management Committee
2. To engage in professional development activities to ensure key skills and knowledge are up to date.
General
1. To be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures of the Wellington Womens Boarding House.
2. To act within the law, and within the terms of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010 and any subsequent amendments
3. Any other occasional duties as required by the Manager or the Management Committee.
Person Specification – Support Worker
Essential / DesirableQualifications
Degree (or working towards) in social work, womens studies or other relevant qualification / ✔Experience
Experience of working in a homelessness or social housing organisation / ✔Experience of working with marginalised, low income or vulnerable people / ✔
Experience of working in the not-for-profit sector / ✔
Experience of working with users of mental health and addiction services / ✔
Experience of developing, maintaining and sustaining excellent relationships with support agencies and partner organisations. / ✔
Experience of supporting clients to set and achieve personal goals / ✔
Experience of marketing or promoting a service / ✔
Knowledge
/ /Knowledge of social housing / ✔
Knowledge of homelessness and its challenges, particularly in relation to women / ✔
Knowledge of the legislation and regulations that may apply to the WWBH and it residents (Residential Tenancies Act, H&S in Employment Act, Social Security Act). / ✔
Knowledge of community, statutory and voluntary systems, agencies and resources available to women and how to access them. / ✔
Knowledge and commitment to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and understanding of its implications for WWBH / ✔
Understanding of and commitment to the values and objectives of Wellington Women’s Boarding House / ✔
Skills
Ability to demonstrate a professional attitude at all times. / ✔Ability to communicate effectively and verbally and in writing, demonstrating a good standard of written and oral English. / ✔
Ability to manage your own time and plan your workload to meet deadlines and commitments to residents. / ✔
Proficiency in IT skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Facebook, Twitter, PowerPoint) / ✔
Ability to keep records and maintain administrative systems. / ✔
Personal Attributes
Practical and common-sense approach to client work / ✔Reliable, flexible and able to work autonomously / ✔
Demonstrates sound judgement at all times / ✔
Calm and composed in the face of challening situations / ✔
Approachable and sensitive to diverse backgrounds, with a commitment to working with diverse communities / ✔
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