Night Support Assistant – Homeless services
Closing date: October 11th, 2024
Job Title:
Night Support Assistant
Responsible to:
Team Leader
Responsible for:
N/A
Hours of Work:
38.6 hrs per Week (Average)
Location:
YMCA Together – Leeds Street
Salary and benefits:
£24,086
- 33 days annual leave including bank holidays per annum
- Paid Medicash support
- Birthday Day off
- Charity day of your choice
- Well-being Hours
- Cycle To Work Scheme
- Refer a Friend Scheme
- Company Pension Scheme 4%
- Funded Training Opportunities
Shortlisting and Interview/Assessment Day:
Shortlisting: 14th October 2024
Interviews: 17th October 2024
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
To assist in the provision of effective, high quality support services to vulnerable, homeless adults with the aim of promoting independent living. To assist residents to engage with support activities such as; key working sessions, group work sessions, resident meetings and other activities that promote development.
Our Approach
YMCA Together operate a flexible approach with ‘elastic tolerance’ when supporting people in crisis. This allows us to swiftly build a therapeutic rapport and remove any barriers to people engaging with support.
Duties and responsibilities
- To work as part of the Night Support Team
- To provide an accommodation-based support service to people within a psychologically informed environment that is underpinned with a Trauma Informed Care approach on waking night shifts
- Assist with room checks and support residents in the management of their room and relationships with others and to report any health and safety issues
- Assist the Support Worker with new resident welcome as required into the service and with conducting risk assessments of residents
- Motivate and support residents so they realise their goals
- Encourage involvement and participation amongst residents in the running and shaping of the service
- To maintain and update resident’s electronic records and rent payments on DAVE Housing Management System
- Provide clear and accurate information in respect of all residents in line with agreed procedures such as daily handovers ensuring that appropriate information is communicated with the team.
Specific Duties
- Undertake initial needs & risk assessments
- Preparation of room prior to move in being completed
- Carry out induction to all new residents of the service
- Completion of housing benefit application and YMCA Together License Agreement
- Complete the welcome process to the service – which may include supporting with the preparation of food & drink
- Carry out evening welfare checks in during every shift
- To monitor residents emotional & mental well being
- To socially engage with residents outside of designated timetabled activities to reduce social isolation & promote inclusion
- To deal promptly with all serious incidents, complaints and safeguarding/abuse disclosures
- To creatively support and engage with residents that have a wide range of complex and challenging support needs
- To monitor rent & personal service charge payments using housing management systems
- To support & facilitate residents move-on from the service
- Assisting service users in their personal hygiene and of their room
- To support in the turning around & cleaning of void rooms within limited timescales.
Health and Safety
- To liaise with all emergency services when necessary
- Ensure at all times the safety of yourself and others on the premises in which you work
- To conduct nightly Health and Safety checks
- To report, log and communicate all incidents to the appropriate people in line with YMCA Togethers license agreement
- Tackle any nuisance caused by residents’ behaviour or their visitors, including the consequences of continuing with anti-social behaviour
- Conduct welfare checks as specified during the shift
- Ensure adherence to YMCA Together visitor’s policy and procedure
- To adhere to all risk management protocols
- Ensure that risk assessments are updated
- Assisting service users in their personal hygiene and of their room
- Conduct landing, welfare and observation checks as specified throughout the shift
- Ensure that all communal and outside areas are clean and tidy
- Cleaning and general tidying of the following areas; main office, reception area, main lobby, staff kitchen and facilities along with additional cleaning as required at weekends
- Completion of daily task sheet after each shift.
Teamwork
- To share information and expertise with the team, covering absence, and working together to provide a high-quality service
- To contribute to the formulation of policy and procedures in relation to support services
- To attend and participate in regular team meetings to ensure good communication.
Professional Practice and Development
- Attend regular supervision sessions with the Housing Manager in accordance with the supervision contract
- 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
- 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
- Uphold and nurture YMCA’s Equal Opportunities policy of anti-discrimination across all services
- Ensure compliance with code of conduct, including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times.
It is recognised that the organisation 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 – Night Support Assistant
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to level 2 or equivalent qualification
Desirable
- NVQ in Customer Service
- Qualification in Welfare Rights
- Qualification in IT such as CLAIT, ECDL, ITQ
Experience
Essential
- A minimum of one year’s experience of working within a hostel setting or similar
- Relevant experience in homelessness, housing, health or offending
- A minimum of one year’s experience in dealing with front-line customer service needs
- Working experience of maintaining up to date electronic records and calendars
Desirable
- Experience of working within a psychologically informed environment (PIE)
- Experience of Trauma Informed Care and of working in a therapeutic environment
Knowledge
Essential
- A working knowledge of providing support
- A working knowledge of Health & Safety issues within a hostel setting
- A clear understanding of dealing with customers who have complex and challenging behavioural needs
- Knowledge of safeguarding protocols
- Working knowledge of providing support in accordance with the YMCA’s equality and diversity strategy and policy
Desirable
- Knowledge of working with a housing management IT system, databases and spreadsheets
- Awareness of the barriers that members may display when accessing services.
- Awareness of Benefit system, universal credit and welfare reform
Skills
Essential
- Ability to conduct accurate risk assessments with vulnerable people
- Computer literate, competent in working with Microsoft word, outlook, windows
- Excellent communication, engagement, interviewing, assessment and interpersonal skills
- Excellent administration skills and the ability to accurately and concisely record information and write reports.
- Ability and willingness to work unsupervised
Desirable
- Committed to improving the lives of homeless vulnerable people with complex needs
- 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 peers
- Excellent interpersonal/ communication skills
- Excellent negotiation/ mediation skills
- Committed to own career development
- Ability to work within & have commitment to YMCA ethos, philosophy and SHREK values, Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness
- Commitment to promoting equality and diversity across the service
- Energetic, dynamic and self-motivated
If you would like to apply for this role please click here APPLY NOW
To download a copy of our application form, please click here
If you would like to apply not directly through the website, please email your completed application form to recruitment@ymcatogether.org.uk