RSI Support Practitioner

Closing date: August 25th, 2023

Job Title:

Responsible to:

Service Manager

Responsible for:

N/A

Hours of Work:

18.75 Hrs per Week

Location:

YMCA Together – Based in Leeds Street with Outreach Work based with the Dispersed Team

Salary and benefits:

£13,160.50

33 days annual leave including bank holidays per annum (Pro Rata)
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

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

This role for the Rough Sleeper Initiative is funded for a period of 12 months. This is the continuation of the existing RSI established service. The aim is to continue the work with rough sleepers to assist in the provision of effective, high quality support services to vulnerable, single homeless individuals who have complex needs such as offending behaviour, substance misuse problems, mental health issues and who are vulnerable to rough sleeping with the aim of promoting independent living. The emphasis will be on ensuring that existing clients will be ready and able to mange to live independently at the end of this project.

To work closely as part of a team with the Director of Homeless Services and OLT in the development of operational planning and service delivery to the highest standards.

Hours of Work

The RSI Team works closely with support staff within our Leeds Street Hostel which is staffed 24/7 and the post holder may be working a rota of early and late shifts over 7 days including weekends and bank holidays.

Duties and Responsibilities

The specific areas of responsibility are set out below. These are subject to regular review in order to meet the changing needs of the organisation and the environment in which it operates.

Support planning and risk assessing

Provide a high level of direct support to prepare client for independent living
Be clear on objectives of the service and the expectations that the support has an end date.
Creatively support and engage clients that have a wide range of complex and challenging support needs
Ensure that residents have a full understanding of their rights and responsibilities during their stay at the YMCA or other accommodation.
Support residents to achieve their goals and targets as defined/ agreed within their support plans and support contracts
Manage, update and communicate resident risk assessments in line with YMCA Liverpool & Sefton policy and procedure
Ensure residents shape their own support and take part in activities
Work closely with Whitechapel, Outreach and Rough Sleeper services
Hold planned key-work sessions each week with residents using a person centred flexible approach.
Offer a creative but assertive approach in order to seek to re engage rather than taking the route of punitive action that may lead to disengagement.
Assess support needs via Outcomes Star assessments, ITEP mapping and plan support around individual need. Regularly review and develop mutually agreed support plans with residents and any other professional involved in the support of those individuals e.g. Social Workers, CPNs, Probation Officers.
Hold 3 way meetings and coordinating the support of residents with other professionals
Up to date records must be kept on both support planning systems like MainStay and DAVE and in any resident’s files.
Conduct monthly/quarterly risk assessments of residents keeping all relevant parties informed of updates/changes.
Conduct regular health and safety checks and support residents in the management of their accommodation and relationships with others and to report any health and safety issues to the Housing Manager.
Provide information and advice to the people we support in accordance with their support plans.
Motivate and challenge the people we support so they realise their goals.
Where needed Assist with securing move-on to more appropriate accommodation.
Liaise between the people we support and external agencies regarding the provision of specialised support when appropriate.
Encourage involvement and participation among the people we support in the running and shaping of the service provided by planning and attending regular resident meetings.
Deal promptly with all complaints and protection from abuse disclosures.
Provide clear, accurate and good quality information in respect of all residents in line with agreed procedures ensuring that appropriate information is shared with the line managers.
Demonstrate creativity in overcoming obstacles and a commitment to working with and providing support to vulnerable people
Liaise with accommodation providers and private landlords ensuring that support is tailored to what works for the specific individual
Inspect prospective resettlement accommodation with clients and landlords
Liaise with accommodation providers where appropriate to negotiate move in dates, repairs, decoration, deposits, advance rates, connection of utilities and furnishing prior to move in
Arrange follow up support after move on to assist client in maintaining their accommodation
Demonstrate creativity in overcoming obstacles and a commitment to working and providing support to vulnerable people

Health and Safety

Liaise with Emergency Services; Fire, Police and Medical.
Ensure at all times the safety of yourself and others on the premises in which you work.
Conduct routine Health & Safety inspections throughout the accommodations.
To report incidents, in line with YMCA Together’s licence agreement, to tackle any concerns caused by residents’ behaviour or their visitors.
Adhere to checks, handover and incident process
Ensure that all communal and work areas are clean and tidy.

Teamwork

Attend to all enquiries and pass messages onto relevant people.
Develop excellent and robust relationships, protocols, contacts and service level agreements with referring agencies, statutory services and wider stakeholder
Contribute to the formulation of policy and procedures in relation to support services.
Attend and participate in regular team meetings and reflective practice to ensure good communication.

General

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.
Undertake own administrative services and report writing.
Prioritise work load
To work to agreed individual, team and organisational objectives and to work towards YMCA Together’s performance targets.
Sharing information and expertise with colleagues, covering absence and working together to deliver a high quality service.
Uphold and develop YMCA Together’s 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.

Relationships

The post holder will be required to have contact with a variety of people during the course of their work. The context of this contact will vary from formal ‘Key working’ to informal networking and relationship building with the Local Authority and other relevant agencies.

Annual appraisal and regular work review with line managers is an operational requirement, as is attendance at weekly support team meetings.

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 – RSI Support Practitioner

Qualifications

Essential

Qualification or working experience in homelessness, mental health or offending.
Driving licence with access to a vehicle.

Desirable

A recognised qualification in substance misuse or mental health.
Qualification in welfare rights.
IT qualification such as CLAIT, ECDL, ITQ.

Experience

Essential

At least 1 years experience of supporting clients with a history of rough sleeping or similar and a working knowledge of support planning, welfare rights, benefits advice, mental health issues, offending, drug and alcohol misuse, working with partner agencies, safeguarding and resettlement.

Desirable

Outcomes Star
Experience working with refugees.
Experience of co coordinating three way meetings.
Experience of outreach working
Experience of resettling individual into independent living

Knowledge

Essential

Working knowledge of Health & Safety
A working knowledge of resettlement and move on services.
A clear understanding and specific knowledge of complex needs support issues such as homelessness, mental health, substance misuse and offending
Knowledge of safeguarding protocols.

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 the people we support.
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 residents, 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.
Ability to prioritise work load and meet deadlines

Desirable

Analytical, data collation and reporting skills

Behaviour/Attributes

Essential

Highly committed to improving the lives of people with complex needs.
Committed to personal development and able to identify own personal development needs.
Friendly personality with a good sense of humour.
Ability to work within/ have a commitment to the YMCA’s ethos, philosophy and SHREK values (Strength, Humility, respect, empathy & kindness)
Energetic, dynamic and self motivated, with a reputation for being held in high regard by peers and the ability to contribute to quality team work.
Ability to self reflect and be self aware
Be able to work flexibly and confident to lone-work

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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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