EMMAUS LANCASHIRE
WE NEED NEW HEROES!
Do you want to make a real difference to formerly homeless people’s lives? Do you have the skills, experience, knowledge and most importantly real empathy for the people we support, that could support them to move forward? Can you search Are you a team player and happy to face a challenge? WE NEED YOU!
SALARY - £13.75 per hour
Monday – Friday 0900 – 1700 (35 hours per week – unpaid breaks one hour per day)
We are looking for a motivated and compassionate Progression Worker to join our Head of Support and team of two Companion Development Workers to support people experiencing homelessness to overcome barriers, develop their skills and move towards sustainable employment and into their own home.
The successful candidate will work closely with individuals to understand their goals and aspirations, develop personalised progression plans and provide practical support to help them achieve realistic training outcomes, be employment and tenancy ready supporting them into their own paid employment and home.
The role will involve building positive relationships with our Companions, identifying with other CDW staff their strengths and support needs in regard to move-on, arranging access to training and qualifications, creating work-experience opportunities, building tenancy sustainment skills including budgeting and basic house skills and supporting them into suitable employment and their own home.
Companion Development Worker (Progression Worker)
Emmaus Lancashire is part of an International Charity (EMMAUS) providing accommodation, support, training and work experience to formerly homeless people (we call them Companions). We aim to be self-funding and run social enterprises to pay for our Emmaus in Lancashire with no grant or government funding. There are 29 communities across the UK (providing 1,000 beds for formerly homeless people) and over 300 across the world and each work as part of a federation with local control. Emmaus is not a HOSTEL but provides a home, work experience, support and training for as someone that needs it. Our accommodation in Preston provides twenty-six ensuite rooms for our Companions and in Burnley twenty-four ensuite rooms.
OUR SUPPORT VISION
MAKE A LASTING, POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR COMPANIONS THAT ENSURES THEIR FUTURE PATH IS SAFER, HAPPIER, FULFILLING AND MORE PRODUCTIVE FOR THEM AND SOCIETY
Walk with them on their journey - sometimes in front, sometimes alongside, sometimes behind ……until eventually they walk the journey without us
Focus our work to challenge them, supporting them to overcome barriers, achieve their realistic goals and look at a new future
Make their time with us rewarding, hopeful, inspirational, transformative and successful
Job Description
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
Assessment and Personalised Support
Build trusting, respectful and professional relationships with people experiencing homelessness.
Complete comprehensive assessments and develop individualised training, employability and move-on plans with residents.
Complete initial assessments to identify individual strengths, skills, paid employment and move-on aspirations and barriers to independent living.
Develop and regularly review personalised progression and employment plans.
Help Companions set realistic and achievable goals and recognise their progress.
Provide practical, motivational and solution-focused support throughout their journey.
Encourage residents to develop confidence, independence and decision-making skills.
Support residents to prepare for and successfully transition into suitable move-on accommodation.
Work with residents to identify appropriate housing options and develop realistic pathways towards independent living.
Training and Skills Development
Identify appropriate training, education and qualification opportunities.
Support Companions to access and successfully engage with training.
Help individuals develop essential skills such as communication, confidence, timekeeping, teamwork, digital skills and workplace behaviour.
Work with training providers and other organisations to create suitable progression opportunities.
Encourage Companions to recognise and build on existing skills and experience.
Support residents to prepare for and successfully transition into suitable move-on accommodation.
Work with residents to identify appropriate housing options and develop realistic pathways towards independent living.
Work Experience and Volunteering
Liaise with retail staff to ensure in-house work experience is maximised, both learning and training opportunities are delivered and recorded appropriately and skills are improved.
Develop relationships with employers, community organisations and other partners to create work-experience opportunities external to the community.
Match Companions to suitable work placements based on their interests, abilities and goals.
Prepare Companions for work placements and provide ongoing support.
Monitor placements and obtain feedback from Companions and employers.
Use volunteering and work experience as positive stepping stones towards paid employment.
Employment Support
Support Companions to become work-ready, including CV preparation, job applications, interview skills and workplace expectations.
Develop positive relationships with local employers and identify suitable job opportunities.
Support Companions with job searching, applications, interviews and recruitment processes.
Advocate for Companions where appropriate and help employers understand the strengths and abilities of individuals who may have experienced homelessness.
Provide follow-up and in-work support to help Companions sustain employment.
Celebrate achievements and identify further opportunities for career development and progression.
Tenancy Sustainment
Develop residents' understanding of their responsibilities as tenants.
Support residents to understand and manage rent, service charges, utilities and household bills.
Assist residents with budgeting, financial planning and accessing appropriate benefits or financial advice.
Develop practical household-management skills, including cleaning, cooking, shopping, laundry and maintaining a safe and healthy home.
Support residents to understand tenancy agreements, reporting repairs and communicating effectively with landlords and housing providers.
Identify early signs of tenancy breakdown and work proactively with residents and partner agencies to prevent homelessness.
Life Skills and Independence
Support residents to establish healthy and sustainable daily routines.
Encourage residents to manage appointments, correspondence and important documentation independently.
Support residents to access education, employment, volunteering and training opportunities where appropriate.
Encourage positive social networks, community involvement and meaningful activities.
Promote independence while ensuring residents understand when and how to seek support.
Partnership Working
Work closely with homelessness services, housing teams, health and wellbeing services, training providers, employers and other agencies.
Make appropriate referrals to specialist services where additional support is required.
Attend relevant partnership meetings and contribute to coordinated support plans.
Develop and maintain a network of employers and training providers.
Monitoring and Administration
Support the Head of Support in the referral process ensuring that appropriate Companions join the Community
Maintain accurate and confidential participant records in accordance with organisational policies.
Record outcomes, progression and engagement accurately and on time.
Contribute to monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and follow safeguarding, health and safety, equality and confidentiality procedures.
Community Management
· As a member of the staff team make a positive contribution to the development of all aspects of Community life including the home, solidarity and social enterprise.
· As members of a small staff team work flexibly responding positively, amongst other things, to telephone enquiries, Companion enquiries and any other duties requested by the Community Director including holiday and absence cover.
· Support the Head of Support in ensuring room lettings are maximised.
Person Specification
Essential
Great I.T. Skills using Microsoft Products, Internet, Emails and input data into a CRM system
Experience of supporting people who face multiple barriers to employment.
Experience of working with people experiencing homelessness, unemployment or social exclusion, or in a similar support environment.
Experience of providing one-to-one support and developing personalised action plans.
Knowledge of barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness when accessing training and employment.
Ability to motivate and encourage people who may have low confidence or previous negative experiences of employment.
Good communication, interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
Ability to work effectively with employers, training providers and partner agencies.
Good organisational and administrative skills.
Ability to maintain accurate records and manage a caseload.
Commitment to equality, diversity, safeguarding and person-centred practice.
Desirable
Experience of employment support, employability programmes or vocational training.
Knowledge of local employment and training opportunities.
Experience of developing employer relationships and work placements.
Knowledge of housing, welfare benefits and other services supporting people experiencing homelessness.
Relevant qualification in employability, advice and guidance, support work, housing, youth work, social care or a related field.
Experience of supporting people into sustained employment.
Personal Qualities
We are looking for someone who is:
Compassionate and non-judgemental, with a genuine belief in people's ability to change and progress.
Motivational, able to encourage people to recognise their strengths and potential.
Resilient and patient, understanding that progression may not always be straightforward.
Practical and solution-focused, able to turn goals into achievable actions.
Positive and proactive, with the confidence to develop new employer and community partnerships.
Reliable and organised, able to manage competing priorities and maintain accurate records.
Inclusive and respectful, treating every participant with dignity and respect.
What Success Looks Like
The Progression Worker will help Companions to:
Engage positively with support.
Identify their skills, strengths and employment goals.
Access appropriate training and qualifications.
Develop confidence and essential workplace skills.
Gain meaningful work experience and/or volunteering opportunities.
Become ready to apply for and secure employment.
Move into suitable paid employment.
Build life and tenancy skills.
Progress to their own accommodation.
Note:
No job description can be entirely comprehensive and the jobholder will be expected to adapt and carry out such other duties as may be required from time to time, on the understanding that they will be within the individual’s remit and capability, and consistent with the status and responsibilities of the role within the organisation.
General:
Emmaus Lancashire runs its business operations seven days a week and provides support to the Community every day of the week 24/7. Although staff have agreed hours of work they are expected to be flexible to respond to the unexpected.
The Companion Development Workers must always act in a way which will maintain the good reputation of Emmaus Lancashire, upholding the policies and procedures of Emmaus and striving to preserve appropriate working relationships with companions, staff, volunteers, and trustees.
Work is conducted in an environmentally-aware manner with the aim of ensuring all resources are utilised effectively and efficiently. Sound “value for money” principles are necessary in undertaking purchasing or supply of goods and services.
You will be joining a happy small staff team across Emmaus Lancashire who come to work to make a difference to others so if you want job satisfaction and to be part of a great team this is the job for you.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £25.025 for 35 hours
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £13.75 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Shift:
Experience:
- IAG: 1 year (preferred)
- Support Work: 1 year (preferred)
- working with homeless: 1 year (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
