This Will Be Provided Through

Job Description

JOB TITLE / HOMELESS PREVENTION WORKER
REPORTS TO / YOUTH HUB MANAGER
HOURS / (FULL TIME) 37.5 HOURS PER WEEK
SALARY / SCALE 5, POINT 22-25, £19,370 - £21,244 PER ANNUM, PRO RATA
BASED FROM / ST BASILS, SOLIHULL YOUTH HUB
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The main focus of the role will be to assist in the delivery of asingle point of access “Youth Hub”, for all youngsingles peopleaged 16 to 24, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Solihull.

This will be provided through:

Quality assessments, homeless prevention (to include mediation and home visits) and home options support to all cases where it is appropriate.
Manage a referral process into existing commissioned supported accommodation and identifying a wide range of suitable accommodation options.
Support for complex cases through partnership working with relevant agencies
Ensure appropriate support is in place once a young person moves into their own tenancy.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council recognizes that the most effective response is provided through partnership working;to maximize the effective use of resource, staff skills and expertise, to provide the best possible accommodation and support options to prevent homelessness.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
MAIN DUTIES / ASSESSMENT/ SUPPORT

To undertake comprehensive and detailed risk and needs assessments, to ensure the prevention of homelessness, where safe to do so.
To ensure relevant background checks are undertaken to assist in the development of a robust risk management plan.
To maintain accurate and professional case records, ensuring internal monitoring systems are kept up to dateat all times.
To providehigh quality homelessness and housing options to young people, ensuring that their needs are met and expectations managed.
To build and maintain effective and professional working relationships with internal and external partners/agencies.
To provide a holistic multi agency response to young people’s housing and support needs.
To develop detailed support/ action plans to ensure young people are referred on and signpost appropriately to relevant services e.g. Floating Support, specialist agencies and to follow up on engagement.
To safeguard young people and vulnerable adults at risk, through appropriate escalation and reporting to statutory services e.g. Inter-agency referral and follow up work.
To operate within a duty system at the Youth Hub.

HOME VISIT & MEDIATION

To undertake mediation sessions with young people and their excluders to improve relationships and prevent homelessness incl. initial meetings and family sessions.
To utilise agreed assessment tools to identify the needs of a young person and their families, so that plans made are shared, evidence based and agreed to by all.
To manage a small caseload of young people and families that require on-going/ follow-up work to reduce the risk of homelessness.
To undertake home visits and accompany young people to appointments, where appropriate.
To plan, implement, review and evaluate interventions to ensure positive outcomes for young people and their families.

ADVOCACY /

To assist young people through the application processes ensuring that they are supported to fully understand the outcomes and where required, provide assistance in the appeal process i.e. Homeless Application, Initial Assessments.
To advise and advocate on issues relating to benefits, housing rights etc. ensuring the young people are fully supported through application processes.
To utilise legal advice services to enable you to effectively advocate on a young person’s behalf

GENERAL /

To maintain up to date relevant information and resources.
To represent and promote the work of the agency and/or project at relevant external and internal meetings and forums.
To assist in the development of promotional materials e.g. leaflets, fliers, websites. To attend and participate in promotional events.
To promote and facilitate the participation of young people in the management of the project e.g. service user questionnaires, forums etc.
To manage and report all incidents in line with St Basils procedures
To undertake all relevant administrative duties
To highlight trends, gaps in service provision and improvements required to Line Manager.
To liaise with key partners/funders as appropriate
To be involved in making funding applications, where required.
To contribute to project performance indicators and targets.
To contribute to service development and business planning, where required.
To attend and actively participate in supervision, PDR, training, team meetings and case reviews.
To be involved in the induction of new staff, to support volunteers, trainees and students.
Promote good practice in equal opportunities in all aspects of the post holder’s work.
To share the duties of other members of the team who may be absent.
To attend staff meetings and other meetings deemed necessary by the Line Manager or Senior Management Team.
To undertake any duties deemed necessary by the Line Manager in order to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the service and organisation as a whole.
It is expected that the post holder will not pursue any other paid employment which would interfere with the proper discharge of their duties
St Basils is dependent upon its ability to raise funds in order to sustain and develop its work with young people. Therefore, all employees are expected to support the work of the Fundraising Department an, wherever possible, to be involved in Fundraising Events.

MEDIA /

To consult with his/her Line Manager and/or the agency’s PR/Media Officer when likely to be involved in any campaigning issues or before any involvement with the media on matters relating to St Basils.

ESSENTIAL RECORD KEEPING /

Ensureall informationrelatingtoservices are accurateandup-to-date
Maintainaccuraterecordsofprogresstowardstheachievementofagreedgoalsfor service
Followpromoteall policiesandproceduresatalltimes

HEALTH & SAFETY /

Ensure that Health Safety regulations are met and that Fire regulations, risk assessmentandbehaviormanagementproceduresareadheredtoatalltimes

ACTIVELEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE TEAM /

Liaiseandcommunicatewithotheremployeesandexternalprofessionalsappropriately to ensureacoordinatedapproachtoprogrammeplanningisinplace.
Attendandcontributetoteam meetings
Advise themanagementteam of anyconcerns,changesor supplementaryservices needed
Besupportiveandrespectful to colleagues andmanagement

CONFIDENTIALITY /

Confidentialityisofthe utmostimportanceandmustbemaintained atall times

PersonSpecification

HOMELESS PREVENTION WORKER – SOLIHULL
APPLICANT SHOULD ENSURE THAT THEY ADDRESS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE POST WITHIN THEIR APPLICATION
ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE
QUALIFICATIONS /

NVQ 3 Advice & Guidance, Health & Social Care or equivalent or working towards

Youth Work, Social Work, or equivalent
ROLE EXPERIENCE /

Working with young people in the following settings/Types of work – Youth Work, Residential or Social Work, Probation, Community Work, Education and Training, Housing.

Working with Volunteers/Students

KNOWLEDGE /

Housing Rights, Welfare Reform Knowledge
Knowledge of Children’s Act i.e. Section 17, 20 and 47
Knowledge of and Commitment to E.O.P/Anti-Discriminatory practice
Knowledge of Social Skills/Job Training skills.

Relevant Legal knowledge relating to homelessness
Ability to work with figures
Ability to drive
Ability to maintain and improve standards

SKILLS /

Ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally

Ability to Mediate and Advocate
Ability to manage conflict
Ability to relate to those in authority

Ability to relate, motivate and enthuse young people
Ability to integrate projects/agency as a whole
Ability to follow through decisions and monitor
Ability to relate to external agencies

MOTIVATION /

Commitment to task
Commitment to ideas of the organisation
Stress tolerance

Career Ambition

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Wherever you are initially based, it must be recognised that the company reserves the right, giving reasonable notice, to re-locate the post holder, dependent on the requirements of the Agency, at any time. All employees MUST abide by the Terms and Conditions as per St Basils Staff Handbook and Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy document.
HOURS OF WORK / LUNCH BREAK/HOLIDAYS / 37.5 hours per week, which excludes half hour for lunch. Evening / weekend work is required and will be compensated with time off in Lieu in negotiation with Line Manager.
You will be entitled to 28 days per annum, plus 8 Statutory Bank holidays per annum, pro rata