Housing Support Worker

ROLE PROFILE

Job Title Housing Support

Area Plymouth Team HISS (Housing Information, Sign-posting and
Support service)

Reports to Path HISS Manager Hours 37 pw

Location Outreach but based at The Harwell Centre

Shift Pattern Mostly office hours; but some evening and weekend work may be required.

Enhanced CRB check required

Service
Housing Support Workers (HSWs) provide housing advice and support to people at risk of homelessness. That could be clients in their own homes or at a number of locations in the City, provide housing information and support in order for clients to secure, set up, manage and maintain accommodation. This entails supporting clients on a variety of issues, from benefits to health matters, working - often with other professionals - to enable clients to gain accommodation and / or to live independently in their own homes. A specific aim is to promote tenancy sustainment, independent living and good health, enhancing the ability of people with social needs to hold and sustain tenancies and enable planned disengagement from services.

Aims of service
The aims of HISS include commitments to:

• Prevent and address homelessness
• Prevent re-offending
• Support vulnerable people to access and maintain suitable accommodation
• Promote equality and social inclusion
• Prevent re-admission to hospital and reduce health inequalities
• Support vulnerable people to develop skills, self confidence and self esteem for independent living

Aims of role

1. End and prevent homelessness and events that result in homelessness
2. Reduce tenancy breakdowns in social and private rented housing sectors
3. Promote engagement with community and positive social networks
4. Promote access to health and social care services and opportunities

Potential client groups

The primary client groups are likely to be people who are vulnerable to homelessness and are:

• engaged with probation
• using mental health services
• using drugs services

Clients may be:

• needing supported accommodation (inc hostels)
• needing to secure or change their accommodation / tenancy
• struggling to maintain an existing tenancy
• have other accommodation-related needs that this role can support

HSWs assess and support clients’ needs in terms of:

• current housing circumstances
• housing need, preferences and options
• level of support need
• vulnerability
• safeguarding issues
• which other services are involved.

Duties

1. Housing Support work

• To respond to referrals, such as by gathering or confirming information re needs and risk, keeping referrers and potential clients informed of progress
• To meet with and assess the needs of new and existing clients, working with them to develop and implement a support plan
• To work with, and refer to, a range of other services, particularly using needs assessments to identify and respond to clients’ needs across health, housing and other social inclusion, if and as needed
• To therefore take on, build relationships with and to support clients on a range of issues that may relate to them living independently
• Specifically and directly, to provide support with benefits, setting up or managing utilities and other tenancy-related matters, taking specific responsibility for this housing-related support
• To support clients, where relevant, in seeking and securing accommodation, working with partners in Path, hostels and other services
• To monitor and record support given to - and the progress of - clients, including carrying out formal reviews, using HISS systems

2. General

• Promoting social inclusion and equality and working within an anti-discriminatory framework
• Developing and providing information re this service and the wider HISS work.
• Building and maintaining relationships with relevant partners, other services.
• Contributing to the wider HISS work, if and as needed within reason.
• Participation in team, staff and other meetings, as required
• Covering for other workers, when needed, including staffing drop-ins
• Carrying out, maintaining and reporting on monitoring.
• Other duties as required by line manager or Director
• Compliance with Path Worker Conditions.

3. Targets

• The worker is expected to have a caseload of 20 clients at any time
• As clients would usually be worked with for a maximum of 6 months, it is expected that 40 to 45 clients will be supported pa.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: From £22,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• Childcare
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexitime
• Wellness programme
• Work from home

Schedule:

• Flexitime
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Plymouth: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

Education:

• GCSE or equivalent (preferred)

Experience:

• housing and homelessness: 1 year (preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Plymouth