JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLERefuge Assistant Evenings

PAYMENT£18’207

RESPONSIBLE TO Refuge Team Leader

HOURSAverage hours 27 hours per week

inc alternate weekends

LOCATIONOrchard House Refuge

JOB STATUSPermanent

OVERALL OBJECTIVES

1To work as a member of the refuge accommodation teams providing access to emergency accommodation for women, men and children by providing concierge function. The premises are staffed 24/7 and the role includes providing practical housing andadministration support, including health, safety and security measures in a supported housing environment.

2To carry out tasks at the request of the Team Leader / SafeNet Leadership Team, to contribute effectively to the smooth running of the refuge and its projects both individually and as part of a team in accordance with SafeNetand Calico Grouppolicies, procedures and guidelines.

Housing Management and Administration

1To be the first point of contact for SafeNet Refuge ‘out of hours’ ensuring emergency access to accommodation, carrying out reception type duties including:

  • To provide and maintain safe, secure and supportive environment for all residents child or adult.
  • *complete full referrals at weekends/evenings/nights in consultation with the Manager on call using a fair and inclusive open access approach
  • Complete the urgent admission process and ensure residents are familiar with the building and their safety, security.
  • Respond to any incidents that may require staff assistance, ensuring own safety, completing incident logs and updating case management system as appropriate.
  • Prepare rooms for new admissions in line with Safenet Room Preparation Process.
  • answer
  • Carry our domestic duties including cleaning of communal and storage areas.
  • Ensure residents are fully aware of fire evacuation procedures.
  • Ensure all exit doors and access to them is clear of any obstruction and are kept closed.
  • Complete health and safety checks and ensure all checks are recorded as in the relevant procedures.
  • Provide accurate detailed reports of any incidents occurring, or other relevant information throughout the shift.
  • Provide access to all communal areas when required / within the specified times and ensure they are secured at the end.
  • To be prepared to undertake training and development as identified and agreed in consultation with your Line Manager and relevant to the position, including attending supervision.
  • Undertake any other duties required to fulfil the role
  • Answer the telephone and deal with all customers, residents and colleagues in an actively helpful manner
  • take actions to deal with any administration around incoming requests for refuge accommodation or information as appropriate
  • welcome all expected visitors (agencies or personal visitors where this is locally agreed) to the refuge, ensure they sign in and are directed to the correct meeting room / to the member of staff or resident they are visiting

2To carry out regular tasks to support the smooth running of the refuge, including but not exclusively:

  • a daily update of refuge space available to all SafeNet teams
  • letters to residents as requested ie service charge reminders
  • assisting with food parcel distribution and donations
  • dealing with the distribution and safe storage of donated items to residents

3To record, monitor and input accommodation service data on relevant systems in place including but not exclusively:

  • enquiries, referrals, admittance and move on statistics of residents
  • daily occupancy and voids
  • populating databases and case notes on-line ie the Safeguard system
  • Scanning documents to the case management system
  • Completing Client Record forms and Leaving Outcomes or similar

4To assist in the completion of Housing Benefit claim forms, housing application forms and other relevant forms such as leavers forms

5To keep a supply of copies of all relevant documents and forms for the support workers to access, for example our licence agreement, missing persons forms, residents handbooks, satisfaction surveys etc

5To organise filing, safekeeping, archiving and disposal of relevant documents in line with our data protection and disposal of records policies and procedures, including shredding and maintenance of the shredder

11To maintain a safe and tidy office and working environment, including keeping the office and kitchen area clean and tidy.

12To undertake any other housing management and administrative duties relating to refuge accommodation as required.

Security

1 To uphold and apply the refuge confidentiality policy at all times to ensure the safety of residents, staff and visitors

2To monitor access to the refuge premises via the main entrance and ensure only authorised access, taking appropriate action to remove or report unwanted or uninvited visitors

3To maintain a clear record of where residents, staff and visitors are at all times using appropriate systems which record who is on-site, off-site, and paying particular attention to resident safety ie over-night stay addresses

4 To ensure all staff, residents and visitors sign in and out of the building for fire safety procedures use the appropriate ‘on-site’ records

5To operate the refuge CCTV camera system and monitor and report faults

6To control the residents key system: organise labelling, storage, safekeeping, distribution and re-collection (charge for lost keys) of premises keys, including residents bedroom keys and safe keys.

Housing Management Work with Residents

1.To deal supportively with any general housing management related enquiries from residents who come to the office for assistance, and to refer residents onto support staff where they need direct support work

2.To liase and co-operate with all partner agencies including statutory, public, private and voluntary agencies e.g. doctors, health visitors, social care services, police and the local authority staff etc

3.To be familiar with all Calico Group / SafeNet policies and procedures, paying particular attention to action Health and Safety policies and procedures and supporting the Housekeeper with health and safety administration tasks ie recording repairs and assisting with visiting contractors etc.

Other Responsibilities and Tasks

1To attend appropriate training courses, workshops as required.

2To attend and contribute to regular staff / team meetings.

Policy, Practice and Conduct

1.The post holder must maintain the standards set out in SafeNet and Calico Group Codes of Practice, Policies, Procedures and practices at all times.

2.The post holder is required to arrange holidays in consultation with team members to avoid inadequate staffing levels and will be required to provide cover for annual leave and staff sickness within the refuge team, on the request of the Team Leader or SafeNet Managers, as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

*Candidates will be assessed on their ability to meet the criteria detailed in this Person Specification. Please show how you meet these in your application.

Recovery Refuge Assistant (Day)

Work Related Experience & Knowledge Essential / Desirable

1experience of working in a busy office environment, reception dutiesE

2experience of providing support and administrative duties to a multi-disciplinary team E

3experience of working in a supportive non-judgemental way with clients E

4an understanding of domestic & sexual abuse and violence and its impactsE

5Knowledge of complex needs, how they impact on supporting clients to

maintain independent livingE

6Knowledge of agencies/services and ability to advocate/liaise with agenciesE

7Knowledge and understanding of the diverse and additional needs of refuge residents from different cultures and backgrounds E

Skills and Attitudes

7to be computer literateto the appropriate level for this postE

8excellent time management and organisational skillsE

9Communicate clearly with women and children from different backgroundsE

10 to be conversant in an additional community languageD

11 Ability to think clearly and act appropriately in a pressured environmentE

12Ability to work responsibly and on own initiative, as requiredE

13Commitment to a team orientated environmentE

14Use appropriate work behaviours: passionate about customers; rising to the challenge; maximising potential and commitment to SafeNet/Calico E

Special Working Conditions

15Attend all team meetings as requiredE

16Provide cover for other support assistant workers during periods of sickness

and holiday including Bank HolidaysE

JD&PS HJG AA Feb 2017