Team Leader – Emergency Accommodation Service

Closing date: December 19th, 2023

Job Title:

Team Leader

Responsible to:

Service Manage/Operational Lead for Homeless Services/Team Leader

Responsible for:

Supervision of staff agreed with the Service Manager and the management of referrals and allocations into the service.

Hours of Work:

37.5 Hrs per Week – initially 9-5 Monday to Friday but may change to working as part of a rolling rota made up of earlies, lates and possible weekend shifts.

Location:

YMCA Together – Location to be arranged

Salary and benefits:

£28,438 per annum

  • 33 days annual leave including bank holidays per annum
  • Paid Medicash support
  • Birthday Day off
  • Spiritual 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/Interview/Assessment Dates:

  • Shortlisting 28th of December 2023
  • Interview/Assessment Day 4th January 2024

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

Your role will be to monitor and allocate referrals and placements into our new Emergency accommodation service from both families and single homeless adults.

You will be the initial YMCA point of contact with service users and will be the point of contact between Housing options and support staff.

You will work closely with our partner provider in effectively managing emergency referrals into accommodation that will prevent the need for a B and B placement.

You will show understanding to some of the contributing factors that may have led to homelessness and have knowledge around the complexities of rough sleeping.

You will understand the principles around a Psychologically informed environment and approach and work to embed this with your team.

You will work collaboratively with move on accommodation to ensure that a permanent home is secured for those that enter our service.

Hours of work

The post holder will be working shifts. initially, you will be expected to work 9-5 weekdays but this will change over time depending on the needs of the service and staff team.

Duties and responsibilities

  • Manage and allocate referrals into the service.
  • Work collaboratively with our partner provider to ensure that there is a smooth line of communication between the 2 teams.
  • Maintain excellent communication with YMCA Together Management team.
  • Attend, or in the absence of service managers, hold fortnightly team meeting.
  • Lead on the delivery of a forward-thinking support service that proactively meets the needs of those that use the service.
  • Identify any training needs within your team and address these alongside the L and D department.
  • Lead on reflective practise or commit to the 6-month CAT training course to ensure that this can take place.
  • Actively lead on managing the rota and ensuring that the service can fully operate while managing any staff absences/AL.
  • Build excellent links with all housing providers and partner agencies and feedback any learning around this to your team.

Responsibilities to the Support Manager

  • To compile and collate monthly reports on KPI’s.
  • Ensure YMCA Together complies with contractual requirements.
  • To make recommendations to the Support Manager on the development of the service which involve any financial commitments or alterations to service delivery
  • Attend and meaningfully contribute to weekly communication meetings with the Support Manager, submitting reports on request.

Representing YMCA Together

  • Attend all meetings both internal and external.
  • Attend stakeholder days, forums and other external events.
  • Represent YMCA Together at regional and national level from time to time.
  • Develop relationships with partner agencies, referral agencies and all other stakeholders.

Line Management and HR responsibilities

  • Support and develop the capacity and motivation of the team to deliver an innovative and high-quality support and housing service.
  • Line manages 3 team members.
  • Collate data on the performance of the service and team and make recommendations to the Support Manager to ensure the service achieves its KPI’s
  • Allocation of Service Users to support workers to ensure the residents have the most appropriate support worker assigned.
  • Ensure the induction of new staff to the service.

Working with Service Users

  • Manage initial sign ups into service.
  • Allocate service users to support staff ensuring that everyone receives the relevant support.
  • Take on some case management when needed .

Health and Safety

  • Ensure the safety of yourselves and others on the premises in which you work.
  • Ensure that all staff follow the lone working protocol and use the correct devices.
  • To report, log and communicate all incidents to the appropriate people.
  • To adhere to all risk management protocols.

Teamwork 

  • Develop trusting and secure working relationships with colleagues, sharing information and expertise, covering absence, and working together to deliver high quality services.
  • Maintain contacts with local statutory and voluntary agencies and organisations attending/ representing YMCA Together at relevant local community forums, seminars and conferences as required.
  • Contribute to the organisations formulation of policy and procedures
  • Attend and participate in team meetings to ensure good communications and liaison with colleagues.
  • Prepare for and attend supervision and appraisal sessions with the Support Manager taking direction as appropriate and contributing to the development of both you and the service.

General

  • Undertake own administrative services.
  • Uphold and develop YMCA Together Equal opportunities and Diversity policy of anti-discriminatory practices across all services.
  • Adhere to Protection from abuse policy.
  • Report and log all safeguarding incidents.
  • Observe and ensure compliance with the professional boundaries and data protection policy.

The post holder will be expected to carry out other duties consistent with the responsibilities of the post and may be requested from time to time, they will be expected to demonstrate flexibility in all areas of their work. They will be expected to carry out some out of hours duties such as emergencies and meetings called at short notice

Scope and limits of authority

Work within agreed policies recommending changes where necessary and co-operate with all other staff to ensure the best interests of YMCA Together are always a prime consideration.

Person Specification – Team Leader – Emergency Accommodation Service

Qualifications

Essential

  • Qualification or working experience in homelessness, mental health, or offending.

Desirable

  • Recognised management or training related qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with supporting people with multiple and complex needs who have experienced a period of homelessness.
  • Experience of leadership and managing a team

Desirable

  • Experience of delivering training
  • Experience of supervising staff

Knowledge 

Essential

  • Working knowledge of housing legislation, Health & Safety, protection of vulnerable adults, safeguarding,
  • A comprehensive working knowledge of the latest best practice in:
    • Risk Assessments
    • Creative support planning
    • Welfare Reform
    • Human Resource Management
    • Supporting complex needs

Desirable

  • Knowledge of day services
  • Working knowledge of health interventions
  • Knowledge of Trauma Informed Care

Skills

Essential

The technical ability to:

  • Manage referrals and allocations into the service.
  • Develop a high-quality person-centred approach to support.
  • Develop the potential of individual staff via supervisions and appraisals to facilitate effective succession planning
  • Must be computer literate in MS Word, MS Excel, MS office and have the ability to learn new software packages

Behaviour/Attributes

Essential

Must have the Interpersonal ability and skills to:

  • Develop a strong culture in accordance YMCA Together values
  • Develop and sustain excellent working relationships with partners, the city council officers and commissioners.
  • Develop and sustain sound working relationships with local people and local community groups.
  • Enthusiastic, self-motivated, and passionate about their work
  • Flexibility, adaptability and ability to work as part of a team.
  • Work within the ethos and philosophy of the YMCA Together

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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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