Female Support and Advocacy Key Worker (Fixed Term 4 Months)

Salary: £36,198 per year

Salary: £30,165
Hours: 35 hours per week worked on a rolling rota (including weekends and Bank Holidays), NB this is a 4 months fixed term contract.
Holidays: 24 days, 26 after one year’s service, 28 after two years’ service
Location: Westminster, London

The Cardinal Hume Centre works to prevent and tackle youth and family homelessness, we:

• Provide a home to 39 young people
• Offer support to local children and families at risk
• Help families keep or find a stable home and manage their money
• Mentor people to find work or training
• Help people secure their legal right to remain in the UK and access homes, work and benefits.

Last year we helped over 1200 people including nearly 600 families and 230 children and young people. Our aim is to tackle homelessness, poor housing and poverty at a young age and break its cycle into later life. We want to see the value in each individual and nurture potential, helping young people and families to thrive. It recognises each individual is different, often with complex needs and so our response must be multi-layered. We therefore have six principal services: residential services for homeless young people; family support; housing and welfare rights advice; employment support; learning; and immigration advice and advocacy.

The Centre is based within five minutes’ walk from Parliament but works in an area where homelessness in nearly all its forms has increased. Around 3,500 children from Westminster are housed in temporary accommodation. Over a third of children live in poverty. With an annual income in the region of £3.25 million, the Centre currently employs around 60 dedicated members of staff and around 50 volunteers. In our most recent staff survey 93% of staff said they enjoy the work they do and 91% felt proud to work at the Centre.

Work collaboratively as part of a committed team to deliver an outstanding service and a range of personalised support that puts residents first and empowers them to achieve their goals and thrive in adult life. Contribute to the day-to-day services by undertaking a range of tasks to ensure the safe operational management of our supported accommodation services.

We use Psychologically Informed approaches and Trauma Informed Care principles to support our residents to develop new ways of thinking and to make steps towards independence. You will:

• Lead on co-producing bespoke support and move-on plans, involving key stakeholders
• Organise and carry out regular planned reviews of support and safety plans
• Assist residents with day-to-day support and tenancy-related matters.
• Signpost and accompany residents to appropriate internal and external support services.
• Support residents to be financially independent through budgeting plans and maximise income.
• Empower residents to move towards self-management of their medication
• Work with residents to maintain a safe environment by reporting and health and safety concerns.
• Resolve difficult situations in a sensitive and informed way
• Develop and maintain local partnerships to provide a holistic range of support for residents.
• Carry out day-to-day administration and other operational duties as required.
• You will participate in the service’s rota system to meet the needs of the young adults and service.
• Ensure residents are safe at all times – carrying out all of the Policies and Procedures
• Deliver your role in line with values and behaviours framework and theory of change.
• Participate in team meetings, attend regular supervisions and reflective practice sessions
• Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in consultation with your Line Manager.

Please note it is a genuine occupational requirement for this post holder to be female.

Person specification

• An understanding of the barriers and challenges faced by vulnerable young adults with complex needs.
• Experience of delivering structured, person centered support and safety planning.
• Be a team player with a caring, empathetic, flexible and have a resilient, can-do attitude.
• Previous experience in positively resolving incidents.
• Demonstrate initiative and confidence to make and act on decisions.
• Excellent verbal and written skills, including administrative and IT skills.
• Knowledge of Psychological or Trauma Informed approaches to support.
• Understanding of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
• Experience of working in challenging environments with the ability to plan, prioritise, organise tasks
• Experience of working in a care and support environment.

The following are required of all roles within our Supported Accommodation:

• Evidence of a strong commitment to the Centre’s mission, values and behaviours.
• Evidence of a positive attitude to working within a diverse team and with a diverse client group
• Evidence of a positive attitude to learning and development.
• An understanding of and commitment to diversity & equality

We are always looking for talented people from all backgrounds, to join us and help improve the lives of homeless young people, insecurely housed families and their children. We particularly want to encourage people from under-represented groups to step forward and apply to work or volunteer with us. The Centre requires its staff to recognise the valuable role that volunteers play in the work of the Centre and to welcome and support volunteers with whom they work.

Many of our staff work flexibly in different ways, including part-time. We welcome job share or flexible working proposals.

The Centre requires its staff and volunteers to undertake a DBS check to an appropriate level
We reserve the right to interview suitable candidates before the closing date. Please make your application as soon as possible

First

You may have experience or an interest in the following: Support Worker, Support Worker, Charity, Mental Health Worker, Healthcare Assistant, Care Staff, Community Development, Relief Care Worker, Vulnerable People, Social Worker, Not for Profit, NFP, Flexible Working etc.

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