Do you want the opportunity to make a difference? Do you have the creativity to find solutions to make a change? Do you have belief in others and trust the process? Do you have the kindness and integrity to work with vulnerable individuals? If so, this job may be for you.
Keystage Housing is a supported accommodation provider within Luton and North Herts which provides accommodation opportunities for adults who have experienced a variety of complexities and inequality, we have a range of services to meet their individual needs on a proactive and flexible basis. Our aims are to provide safe and supportive accommodation for those who are rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness, providing respite from rough sleeping, with a trauma informed supportive plan to enable individuals to access appropriate support and build a pathway into more permanent accommodation. We ensure that individuals with complex needs receive enhanced support to access treatment and wider services as part of their journey.
As an Accommodation Support Worker, you will manage a caseload of individuals in a community setting with effective management of intensive support for individuals who have criminal justice experience, experienced multiple exclusions homelessness and/or face multiple disadvantages, mental health, substance misuse, dual diagnosis and learning disabilities. You will be required to apply a strength-based and trauma informed approach and provide interventions which enable and empower individuals to make positive and safe choices. It is essential for the role that you have experience of providing high quality and skilled support and have an excellent knowledge in health and social care or mental health legislation as you will be responsible for overseeing that individuals are supported effectively throughout their accommodation pathway.
Our Values
- Opportunity – We work tirelessly to make the impossible, possible.
- Creativity – We are imaginative, receptive of change, always looking for better solutions.
- Integrity – We are honest and open, always seeking to do the right thing.
- Kindness – We are friendly, generous, and considerate to everyone.
- Belief – We trust people, have faith in them, and work collaboratively with everyone.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
- Providing accommodation and support to individuals who are currently rough sleeping, at risk of homelessness or prison release.
- Providing individuals with personalized support towards their needs.
- Support individuals to create a housing pathway, support any appropriate interventions to enable successful move on into private accommodation.
- Coordinating referrals for new service users. This may include attending local housing panels and professionals' meetings.
- Work with internal and external partners including Responsible Officers, Probation Officers, Care Co-Ordinator and additional support providers, facilitate clear communication and information sharing in line with Keystage Housing and legislative data protection and confidentiality safeguards.
- Key working an allocation of service users from initial assessment, creating a personal outcome plan, reviewing the plan whilst working towards tangible move-on options.
- Create robust risk assessments to manage any safeguarding factors in relation to an individual’s needs.
- Helping increase the availability of private sector accommodation and the chances of successful move on into private sector tenancies through positive landlord engagement and landlord support.
- Recording all service user contact including updating personal outcome plans, resettlement plans, contact details and risks as necessary.
- Facilitation and leading of multi-disciplinary meetings where appropriate to ensure all agencies work together in a transparent and solution focused, strength-based approach.
- Building positive partnerships with the local authority to increase participation, health and wellbeing, social inclusion, volunteering opportunities and pathways into paid work.
- Co-ordinate and support the management of property management, maintenance and repairs for the building via our Maintenance systems and protocols.
- Develops working knowledge of industry regulations, restrictions, and laws; ensuring that all services adhere to all regulations.
- Facilitate regular property meetings within services/properties as appropriate
- Provide effective communication with service users via a variety of communication methods ensuring as far as reasonably possible accessibility for service users living within our accommodation.
- Facilitating conflict resolution and mediation for disputes, supporting service users through ASB policies and procedures.
- Develop working knowledge of industry regulations, restrictions, and laws; ensuring that all services adhere to all regulations.
- Provide effective communication with service users via a variety of communication methods ensuring as far as reasonably possible accessibility for service users living within our accommodation.
- Actively promote and advertise supported housing and void properties within the local community and to other agencies to maintain healthy waiting lists and re-let properties to reduce voids.
- Conduct regular condition inspections and facilitate accommodation reviews as required to support successful accommodation sustainment.
- Facilitating conflict resolution and mediation for disputes, supporting service users through ASB policies and procedures.
- Co-ordinate and support the Revenues team and the individual with the management of rental agreements, addendums, and securing of additional information required for Housing Benefit teams.
- Organizing and facilitating assessments, and sign ups for new tenants, effectively communicating with providers, referrers and applicants to invite and support any additional requirements.
- This post may require working outside normal office hours sometimes. To develop the group’s commitment to equal opportunities and to promote non-discriminatory practices in all aspects of work undertaken.
Person Specification
Our person's specification sets out the essential and/or desirable experience and abilities needed by a successful candidate for this job role. Please consider these when applying for the role as these requirements will be considered at both the shortlisting and interviewing stages.
Qualifications, Experiences, Knowledge & Abilities Essential:
- Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent
- IT literate in relevant computer systems to include full Microsoft Office Suite
- Understanding and practical application regarding social care, housing, mental health, Learning disabilities and criminal justice
- Ability to maintain accurate records, write effective reports and manage bespoke computer software packages
- Proven ability to form professional and effective relationships
- Commitment to respect diversity with a high standard of integrity and fairness.
- Excellent communication skills both oral and written both internally and externally, with the ability to adapt communication methods to suit service user needs.
- Clear evidence of experience of delivering housing related support to a variety of service user groups within the community
Desirable:
- Demonstrate a commitment to help, support, motivate, and encourage others.
- Ability to utilize resources effectively and efficiently and to support the Supported Housing team to develop strategic plans, systems and structures to reach our organizational aims and goals.
- Knowledge of Health and Safety, Housing and Equality practices.
- Knowledge of Housing Management and tenancy sustainment.
Skills
- Solving sensitive tenant issues and dealing with unpaid rent.
- Good conflict management skills.
- Having competent communication abilities.
- Having budgeting knowledge.
- Being proactive.
- Having problem solving abilities.
- Having strong organizational skills.
- A combination of interpersonal skills combined with steadiness and analytical skills.
- Helping tenants to understand their housing rights according to government legislation.
- Providing correct information to tenants regarding re-housing, benefits or any other relevant tenancy issues.
- A robust understanding of Safeguarding practices and experience of taking the lead in Safeguarding matters
Ideal shifts would be 9am to 5pm, however, this is flexible and subject to change to accommodate our service needs and/or shift handovers etc.
Working days cover weekdays & bank holidays on a rota system but flexibility is required to be able to work on weekends as necessary.
Application Process:
Interested candidates should submit CV via Indeed, once this has been screen, if successful an application form will be sent out.
There is no option to offer sponsorship or transfer of sponsorship.
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Pay: £26,436.80 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Health & wellbeing programme
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (required)
Experience:
- supported accommodation: 1 year (required)
Language:
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
