Empowerment Practitioner – Fixed Term until 31st March 2023

Closing date: June 10th, 2022

Job Title:

Empowerment Practitioner

Responsible to:

Service Manager

Responsible for:

N/A

Hours of Work:

37.5 hours per week

Location:

YMCA Together – Domestic Abuse and Respite Service

Salary and benefits:

  • £25,555 per annum
  • Holiday entitlement is 25 days plus bank holidays, pro rata for part time
  • Company Contributory Pension Scheme
  • Medicash

YMCA Together has been voted No1 Charity to work for by our employees in 2022. YMCA is a registered charity and company Limited by Guarantee. We were founded in 1846 and so we build on a long history of providing a place for people experiencing challenging times in their lives.

YMCA Together is a truly value driven organisation.

Our vision is that everyone should feel safe, understood, empowered and positive for their future. We meet our vision by working within our values of Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness. These SHREK values run through all that we do from recruitment to how we work alongside people in our services to our partnership approach with other providers.

Our clear vision and values come together to help us in our mission to inspire and support people to change their lives by instilling hope, valuing the person and maximising potential.

Job Purpose

Respite rooms are a safe space, with appropriate support, for vulnerable rough sleepers. The service  is delivered by staff with expert knowledge and experience in supporting vulnerable rough sleepers including those with histories of domestic and sexual violence and abuse.

To effectively manage an assigned caseload contingent on needs, strengths, abilities and preferences of the service user served.

Provide assessment, monitoring, planning, linkage and advocacy for women fleeing from or at risk of domestic violence.

Hours of work

The hours of work are 37.5 hours per week and may include some bank holidays.

Duties and Responsibilities

Respite rooms work to support people experiencing homelessness and additionally vulnerabilities such as:

  • Domestic Abuse
  • Sexual Assault
  • Rape
  • Physical Assault
  • Stalking / Harassment
  • Exploitation by other rough sleepers
  • Sex Work

Some may also have additional support needs or face barriers to accessing support which local authorities should consider how best to address.  This includes where individuals have:

  • No Recourse to Public Funds
  • Substance misuse support needs
  • Mental health support needs
  • An offending history
  • Protected characteristics
  • Any other ongoing support needs

 The Empowerment Practitioners (EP) will be skilled in delivering a range of interventions to adults, to build strength, enhance resilience and encourage progress. The post holder will be responsible for managing a small case load and will have the primary role of providing and co-ordinating support interventions and multi-agency activity.

All EP’s will undergo Cognitive Analytic Therapy Skills Training (CAT) this will provide a framework for understanding and working with service users. Training will also be provided around Trauma Informed Care. These approaches will be used for planning and assessing effectiveness of a variety of interventions and risk management.

Support Planning and Risk Assessing

  • Provide a high level of therapeutic support as the lead case worker to service users, that empowers them to plan a positive and sustainable future
  • Support service users to achieve their goals and targets as defined/ agreed within their support plans
  • Manage, update and communicate risk assessments in line with policy and procedure
  • Plan and facilitate workshops to individuals and groups that inform/ teach service users around healthy relationships, parenting skills, promote healthy lifestyles, how to manage a tenancy, manage a home and live independently
  • Ensure households shape their own support and take part in activities.

Household Involvement and Engagement

  • Encourage involvement, participation and co-production from service users in the running and development of the service
  • Provide a safe, welcoming environment with excellent standards and an ethos of service delivery that encourages service users to engage
  • Ensure appropriate recommendations are made for the use of the Service User Personalisation Budget.

Multi Agency Working

  • Encourage and support to service users with additional needs ensuring all appropriate referrals are made
  • Promote and encourage the pathway to independence
  • Acting as nominated champion to maintain key partnerships and links.

Resettlement

  • Create a platform for move on to independent accommodation
  • Provide intensive resettlement support to service users who move on from the service.

Reporting/ Monitoring

  • Monitor positive feedback from service users and external agencies
  • Ensure referrals to the programme are processed thoroughly and within the correct time frames.

Internal relationships

  • Excellent communication with all YMCA Together staff
  • Flexible and positive approach with all team members
  • To be committed to learning and personal development both as an individual and as part of a team
  • Sharing information and expertise with the team, covering absence, and working together to provide a high-quality service.
  • Attend team meetings as required.

External Relationships

  • Develop excellent working relationships with the City Council Commissioners and multi-disciplinary team and ensure successful delivery of outcomes
  • Develop excellent and robust relationships, protocols, contacts and service level agreements with referring agencies, statutory services and wider stakeholders
  • Attend meetings with external partners as required to develop the service model and ensure all the KPI’s and outcomes of the service are met.

General

  • Ensure compliance with Code of conduct, including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times
  • Deal promptly with all complaints
  • Report all safeguarding incidents
  • Familiarise yourself with and ensure compliance with all YMCA Together policies and procedures
  • Conduct Mainstay assessments and related tasks
  • Prepare for and attend supervision and annual appraisal with your line manager taking direction as appropriate and contributing to the development of both yourself and the service.

Health and Safety

  • Monitor and assess risks in accordance with YMCA Together Risk Assessment Policy and to consult with management as appropriate in accordance with established procedures
  • Proactive approach to safeguarding service users through adherence to policy and procedures
  • Work positively and constructively with risk, fully appreciating service users strengths through collaborative working
  • Exclude people, when necessary, where they pose a potential risk to the security of the property or health and safety of staff and or residents, in accordance with policies and procedures
  • Monitor and record effectiveness of health and safety checks in accordance with policies and procedures
  • Ensure electronic records and databases in relation to health & safety are updated and accurate at all times
  • Promote safe working practices in and out of the service
  • Carry out regular checks of fire alarm, property conditions and emergency call systems as agreed with the Housing Manager
  • Ensure all equipment is clean, working and well maintained.

Teamwork

  • Attend to all enquiries and pass messages onto relevant people
  • Attend and participate in weekly team meetings
  • Sharing information and expertise with colleagues, covering absence and working together to deliver a high-quality service
  • To have a flexible and positive attitude to all team members
  • To be committed to learning both as an individual and as part of a team.

Professional Practice and Development

  • Adhere to YMCA Togethers Confidentiality Policy and ensure that all information of a confidential nature gained in the course of duty is not divulged to third parties
  • Ensure the standard of accommodation and grounds are of a consistently high level through communication and practical means.  This includes assisting with cleaning service user accommodation, identifying and reporting repairs and maintaining
  • Uphold and develop YMCA Togethers Equal Opportunities Policy of anti-discriminatory practices across all services
  • Observe and ensure compliance with the Service Code of Conduct including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times
  • Ensure adherence to YMCA ‘visitors’ procedure
  • Dealing promptly with all complaints in line with YMCA policies and procedures
  • Prepare for and attend supervision and appraisal sessions with your line manager, taking direction as appropriate and contributing to the development of both you and the service
  • Maintain good professional practice and ensure ongoing development, through use of supervision and training
  • Respect the confidentiality of residents using the service and be responsible for the security of personal and confidential information
  • Carry out all these duties within the organisation’s safety guidelines
  • Ensure personal records are correctly maintained
  • Ensure effective communication with staff within YMCA Together
  • Work flexibly to meet the changing needs of the organisation
  • Undertake any other duties that may be reasonably requested
  • Flexible and positive approach with all team members
  • To be committed to learning and personal development both as an individual and as part of a team
  • Ensure compliance with code of conduct, including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times
  • The Postholder may be required to work outside of normal working hours on occasion of which time off in lieu will be given.

The post holder will be expected to carry out other duties consistent with the responsibilities of the post and to demonstrate flexibility in all areas of their work including the willingness to attend team meetings and training outside of your normal working hours.

It is recognised that the association is operating in a dynamic environment and as such this job description may be varied in consultation with the post holder to reflect evolving needs of the business and changing nature of the job.

PERSON SPECIFICATION – Empowerment Practitioner

Qualifications – Essential

  • Qualification or significant relevant working experience in a women’s refugee, homelessness, mental health, housing or advice services

Qualifications – Desirable

  • A recognised qualification in mental health/therapeutic practices.
  • Qualification in welfare rights.

IT qualification such as CLAIT, ECDL, ITQ.

Experiences – Essential

  • Experience of working with women with a history of domestic violence, mental health, homelessness or substance misuse
  • At least 2 years experience of working within a hostel or support service
  • Experience of partnership working
  • Experience of creative support planning and target setting
  • Experience of support planning using “The Outcome Star”
  • Experience of formulating risk assessments

Experience of resettling individuals into independent accommodation

Experiences – Desirable

  • Outcomes Star and Rickter Scale.
  • Experience working with refugees.
  • Experience of co coordinating three-way meetings.
  • Experience of working with end of life

Experience of resettling individual into independent living

Knowledge – Essential

  • A working knowledge of Health & Safety issues
  • A clear understanding and specific knowledge of complex needs support issues such as domestic violence. homelessness, mental health, substance misuse and offending
  • Knowledge of Safeguarding protocols
  • Knowledge of “Empowerment Star”

Knowledge of health intervention and services for women

Knowledge – Desirable

  • Knowledge of the Cognitive Analytical Therapy (CAT) framework

Knowledge of health intervention and harm reduction

Skills – Essential

  • The ability to conduct comprehensive and accurate risk assessments.
  • To provide effective and consistent support planning with service users.
  • Excellent IT, communication, interpersonal, interviewing and assessment skills.
  • Excellent administration skills and the ability to accurately and concisely record information and write reports.
  • Plan and deliver workshops and training sessions to service users, staff and partner agencies.
  • Computer literate and competent in using Microsoft Word, Outlook and Windows.
  • Demonstrate creativity in overcoming obstacles and a commitment to working with and providing support to vulnerable people
  • Ability and willingness to work unsupervised.

Skills – Desirable

  • Analytical and reporting skills

Behaviour/ Attributes – Essential

  • Committed to improving the lives of women fleeing from or at risk of domestic violence
  • Committed to own personal development and CPD planning
  • Creative and dynamic approach with the ability to “think outside of the box” when providing solutions
  • Energetic, highly motivated with a reputation of being held in high regard by their peers
  • Excellent interpersonal/ communication skills
  • Excellent negotiation/ mediation skills
  • Committed to own career development
  • Reliable
  • Ability to work within and have commitment to YMCA ethos, philosophy and SHREK values, Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness.

Energetic, dynamic and self-motivated

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If you would like to apply not directly through the website, please email your completed application form to recruitment@ymcatogether.org.uk

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