Homelessness Support Worker

About The Role

The Support Worker will provide a structured, personalised resettlement service to every service user at Mildmay House. To seek to support service users who have experienced homelessness to move into their own homes in a planned and supported way. To offer advice, training, information and one-to-one/group support to help service users through this process. The support offered very much depends on the individual, but can include advice on housing rights, accompanying individuals to meetings, and practical support to move in, such as obtaining furniture and setting up payment plans for household bills. Ensure that service users who are ready to move on are given the security and support to maximise their independence, dignity and choice, in accordance with the aims and objectives of the project.

Please note this is a full time role working on a rota basis - generally a week of day shifts, a week of night shifts and working every other weekend.

What you will be doing:

• Providing service users with information on housing options, assist them to make applications for accommodation, advocate on their behalf with housing providers and accompany them to interviews and viewings if appropriate.
• Acting as a key-worker to a caseload of residents, enabling them to take ownership of their journey with Salvation Army Homes.
• Ensuring that clients receive the necessary practical help to move in, either directly or through liaison with other support services. This would include, personal and housing benefit claims, assistance with community care grants, domestic fuel connections etc.
• Carrying out a strengths-based assessment with applicants, facilitating the co-production of a person-centred plan, that enables individuals to achieve their goals and aspirations and the opportunity to identify and develop their talents.
• Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with specialists and agencies who might offer resources, funding, or individual services relevant to service user needs, e.g. Registered Social Landlords, Local Authority, Community Psychiatric Services, Benefit Agency and other government agencies, referral agencies, charitable trusts, other voluntary agencies.

About the Service:

Mildmay House is a 47 bed supported accommodation service for single homeless males and females aged 16 upwards. Clients who live at our service come from a variety of backgrounds/circumstances including relationship breakdowns, rough sleeping, mental health, drugs & alcohol use. At Mildmay we seek to provide a warm, respectful and supportive environment for clients. We want every person who walks through the door to feel that Mildmay is their home from Day 1. Staff aim to support and encourage clients throughout their stay/journey with us as they move towards independent living.

What our Staff Say: I love working at Mildmay House because there is never a dull moment. The relationships that are developed with the clients are extremely important and I think that it is one of the key things that supports us truly transform lives.

This role is known internally as Support Worker.

About The Candidate

A Support Worker will instinctively share Salvation Army Homes delivery values and behaviours, loving your work, helping people to thrive and always finding a way to be effective. You will need to:

• Have experience of or knowledge related to working with homeless people.
• Have experience of working with clients to overcome the barriers to effective resettlement.
• Proven ability to network with outside agencies and develop partnerships that support effective resettlement.
• Proven capacity to deal successfully with difficult and complex situations.
• Capacity to understand individual action plans, personal development programmes and need and risk assessment.
• Be a confident and capable communicator, not fazed by difficult situations.
• Be able to build trusting, professional relationships and have a high level of resilience.
• Take an asset-based approach to empowering people to develop their skills, strengths and talents.

Benefits of working as a Support Worker:

• 26 days annual leave rising to 31 days.
• £100 when you start work, plus £250 at 6 months’ service and another £250 at 12 months’ service.
• An extra day off on your birthday.
• A High Street discount scheme (great savings both on and off-line).
• Pension with life assurance.
• Discounted private medical insurance.
• Loans available for financial emergencies.
• Occupational Sick Pay.
• A full Induction package and training relevant to the role.
• Long service awards from 2.5 years.
• Support to learn and develop your career.

About The Company

A registered social landlord and one of the leading providers of supported housing in the UK, Salvation Army Homes is dedicated to transforming lives by providing accommodation and support for some of the most vulnerable members of society - mainly people with complex needs and/or experiencing homelessness. Salvation Army Homes is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Our aim is to work with individuals to build on their strengths, creating person centred, individualised strategies and plans that transform lives, support recovery and enable positive behaviour. In order to succeed, however, we need the right people in place. Our workforce is one of our greatest assets, but only by recruiting the very best can we continue to deliver comprehensive, good quality housing services, support and resettlement services to our residents. That’s where you come in.

As an equal opportunities’ employer, Salvation Army Homes is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We invite and welcome applications to apply for Salvation Army Homes opportunities without concern of bias or discrimination.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.