Trainee Support Practitioner

Job Title:	Trainee Support Practitioner
Responsible to:	Service Manager
Responsible for:	N/A
Hours of Work:	37.5 hrs per week
Location:	YMCA Together Alt Bank House
Salary and benefits:	£18,802 Holiday entitlement is 25 days plus bank holidays Company Contributory Pension Scheme Medicash

YMCA Together 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.

 

Main Purpose of Job

This is a Trainee role for applicants who are new to the field and would like to commit to a program of training and development alongside practical working experience. Support caseloads will be allocated as appropriate and as the Trainee gains experience, with a view to eventually progressing within the organisation to a Support Practitioner Role as part of their development plan.

We are particularly interested in candidates with Lived experience and/or anyone interested in gaining qualifications within the homeless sector.

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.

Hours of work

The hostel will be staffed 24/7 and the post holder will be working a rota of early, late and late, 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. These duties will be carried out with the support of the wider team and Lead Practitioner.

• Support Planning and risk assessing
• Conduct Mainstay assessments with homeless individuals presenting at the service
• Carry out new resident welcomes, inducting residents into the service including registering with doctors’ etc
• Ensure that residents have a full understanding of their rights and responsibilities during their stay at the YMCA
• 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 Together policy and procedure
• Ensure residents shape their own support and take part in activities
• 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 and eviction, and the ability to manage specific incidents of violence or aggressive behaviour with the use of short term exclusions
• 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 AMIS and in resident’s files
• Conduct monthly/quarterly risk assessments of residents keeping all relevant parties informed of updates/changes
• Conduct regular room checks and support residents in the management of their room and relationships with others and to report any health and safety issues to the Housing Manager
• Participate in the planning and delivery of group work and activities e.g. Independent Living Skills. Support claims on behalf of residents for housing and other welfare benefits
• Provide information and advice to members in accordance with their support plans
• Motivate and challenge members so they realise their goals
• Assist with securing move-on to appropriate accommodation
• Liaise between members and external agencies regarding the provision of specialised support when appropriate
• Encourage involvement and participation among members in the running and shaping of the service provided by planning and attending regular member meetings
• Deal promptly with all complaints and protection from abuse disclosures
• Provide clear, accurate and good quality information in respect of all members 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.

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 building
• To report incidents, in line with Liverpool YMCA’s licence agreement, to tackle any nuisance caused by members’ behaviour or their visitors
• Adhere to member 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 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 Liverpool YMCA performance targets
• Sharing information and expertise with colleagues, covering absence and working together to deliver a high quality service
• Uphold and develop Liverpool YMCA’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 

Qualifications

Desirable

Qualification in IT

Level 2 Qualifications.

 

Experiences

Essential

Experience being able to work alongside other people

Experience of communicating with a range of people

Experience of engaging people in activities

An understanding and awareness of the effects of homelessness on an individual

A willingness to promote service user involvement.

Desirable

Experience of working within a support setting.

 

Knowledge

Essential

Knowledge of the support sector

Understanding of equal opportunities

Demonstrate effective communication skills including tact, diplomacy and empathy.

Desirable

Knowledge of Support and Risk assessments

Knowledge of health & Mental Health interventions Knowledge of Substance Misuse.

 

Skills

Essential

Computer literate, competent in working with Microsoft word, outlook , windows

Excellent communication, engagement and interpersonal skills

Excellent administration skills.

Desirable

Analytical, data collation and reporting skills.

 

Behaviour/ Attributes

Essential

Committed to improving the lives of people with complex needs

Committed to own personal development

Energetic, highly motivated

Excellent interpersonal/ communication 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.

 

YMCA Together does not accept C.Vs. All applications must be made using the YMCA Together application form.

To apply, please email your completed application form to recruitment@ymcatogether.org.uk