DATE:April 2017

POST:Senior Progression Coach

CONTRACT:Permanent

HOURS:37.5

SALARY: £23,700pa (FTE)

HOLIDAY:33 days including bank and statutory holidays

RESPONSIBLE TO:Programme Manager

RESPONSIBLE FOR:Progression Coaches, Housing Management Workers, Volunteers, Professional placements

An enhanced DBS check is required as this position will involve directly working with vulnerable young people or adults at risk.

BACKGROUND

Depaul UK delivers a wide range of support and housing services for young people and adults at risk of homelessness. We specialise in the provision of services that; prevent homelessness, increase the resilience of those we work with and energise opportunities for employment, education, training and volunteering in the communities we work within. Our organisation reaches from Newcastle to London, Greater Manchester to Sheffield and Kent.

SUMMARY OF JOB

To work as a senior member of a team delivering an assessment, support and move on service to vulnerable clients in supported or community based accommodation. Your work will be underpinned by the Depaul Endeavour model of assets based, psychologically informed delivery, the aim of which is to ensure that every client leaves a Depaul service with the skills and resilience to be confident and self determining in their lives.

The Senior Progression Coach is responsible for ensuring the effective and safe management of the service on a day to day basis. As well as holding a small case load of clients, you will hold line management responsibility for a number of staff, volunteers and possibly students on placement, and hold responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of all clients, volunteers, visitors and staff in the service.

In accommodation based services you will lead on ensuring that the physical environment is properly maintained and the service supports clients to sustain their tenancy, develop skills and resilience, and participate in positive and successful move on.

Where the accommodation is in the community you will ensure that the team is deployed appropriately to support the development and aspirations of clients and enable them to sustain their tenancy.

The role will have responsibility under Depaul’s commitment to support the successful delivery of the contracted outcomes.

KEY DELIVERABLES

  • You will ensure the safety and wellbeing of clients in the service at all times including ensuring that Safeguarding and emergency alert procedures are followed as laid out in Depaul’s Policy and Procedures
  • You will carry a caseload of clients for whom you will be the named key worker, and you will ensure that there is a whole team approach to the support of all clients in the service
  • You will ensure the high quality of risk and needs assessments SMART outcomes based support plans and case files for your key clients and those of your line reports.
  • You will deliver one-to one and group support opportunities within their accommodation and in the local community aimed at increasing resilience in the clients we work with.
  • You will proactively lead on partnerships with local agencies including statutory teams, to support the well being of Depaul clients in accordance with data protection and information sharing protocols.
  • You will be flexible, reflective and creative in your engagement with clients and personalised in your support to them.
  • You will involve clients in the decisions made about them and encourage participation in Depaul’s wider community programme of activities
  • You will support all clients to participate in Education, Training, Employment and Volunteering opportunities as appropriate to the development of their skills, assets and aspirations, through facilitating the work of Depaul’s Community Programmes Team.
  • You will participate in a rota which may include unsocial hours and weekend working
  • You will hold specific responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of the environment for clients, staff, visitors and volunteers through regular risk assessment, health and safety checks and reporting in accordance with the Health and Safety Policy.
  • You will hold line management responsibility for Progression Coaches, and any other staff as deemed appropriate by your line manager, including undertaking supervision and appraisals and all other aspects of staff management
  • You will liaise with Depaul’s internal departments including Finance, HR, Fundraising and Business Development as necessary to ensure the smooth running of the service.
  • You will ensure the accurate collection and recording of rent, charges and petty cash and the countersigning of invoices to support good financial management in the service.
  • You will retain oversight of repairs and maintenance reporting to ensure the building is kept in good order and safe for clients to reside in.
  • You will deploy and supervise the work of the volunteers who add value to the work that we do
  • You will support the service manager to recruit and induct new staff and will act as a positive model at all times.
  • You will participate in an on-call rota
  • You will fully understand the requirements of the contract, any relevant grants and the housing management obligations that apply to your service.
  • You will undertake further duties as commensurate to the role, in line with Depaul Policies and Procedures and as identified by your line manager.

What we are looking for from you – Person Specification

When completing your application form please address all the points set out below.

  • Experiencing of supervising the work of others
  • An understanding and commitment to working in an assets based way
  • Experience of working with people who have experienced homelessness, poor mental health, substance use or have a history of living in care.
  • Experience of using Risk Assessments and Support Planning.
  • Good literacy, numeracy and IT skills
  • Experience of operating safeguarding requirements and procedures
  • Commitment to working in a manner, which promotes diversity and equality ensuring that everyone is treated with respect and dignity and no one, suffers from discrimination.
  • Commitment to promoting an environment, which has the highest regard for the Health and Safety of others.
  • Personal and professional integrity
  • High level understanding of professional boundaries and ability to maintain boundaries
  • Effective collaborative working
  • Ability to effectively reflect on own practices for ongoing learning and development
  • Respect for the values and ethos of Depaul and its founding partners.

What we will do to support you in this role

Will provide the following resources to assist in the successful achievement of the responsibilities outlined above:

  • A full induction and training to enhance the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills required’.
  • Training in the Depaul Endeavour model
  • Continuous support and supervision including reflective practice to develop your learning and skills as a practitioner.

Vincentian Values

The Depaul Group began in the UK in 1989 at the initiative of the late Cardinal Basil Hume, as a response to the needs of the growing numbers of homeless people on the streets of London.

Vincentian values are at the heart of what we do, they focus on:

  • A commitment to rights and responsibilities
  • A focus on putting our words into action
  • Taking a wider role in civil society
  • A belief in the potential of people

You can read more about St Vincent Depaul, Depaul UK and Depaul International on our website.

THE DISCLOSURE & BARRING SERVICE – DISCLOSURE

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

As Depaul UK 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.

This job description is a statement of requirements at the time of writing and is not contractual. It should not be seen as precluding future changes after appointment to this role.

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