Tenancy Sustainment Worker
Employer: Look Ahead Care Support and Housing
Close date: Thursday 13/02/2020
Look Ahead Care and Support have a current vacancy for a Tenancy Sustainment Worker, a full time permanent role working within their Kent Homeless Connect contract. The Tenancy Sustainment Workers will provide support to customers who are assessed as having a complexity of needs to help them develop the life skills they require to meet those needs. They will work with customers to promote social inclusion and alongside other members of the team to promote independent living, encouraging customers to maximise their skills and choices.
Look Ahead operates trauma and psychologically informed approaches, ensuring that their customers benefit from being supported through strengths-based practices. Tenancy Sustainment Workers share responsibility by ensuring that a holistic and cohesive model of customer support is embedded across West Kent.
Key Responsibilities:
- Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers who may be living in their own accommodation or within other landlord's accommodation
- Working proactively with other members of the team to handle the service caseload and administrative responsibilities
- Supporting key customers to set personalised goals in the form of a Support Plan
- Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
- Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of 'positive risk taking'
- Providing support with daily living activities, including practical assistance where skills are not yet developed, to ensure that customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation
- Proactive development of links with local statutory and voluntary organizations to provide a range of engagement opportunities for customers in the community
- Involving customers in the design, development and delivery of the service
- Empowering customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to
- Encouraging and enabling tenants to pay their rent and ensure that rent accounts are managed
- Ensuring Look Ahead Health and Safety policies are adhered to at all time and to uphold all health and safety responsibilities within relevant policies and local protocols
- Adhering to all other Look Ahead's policies and procedures. Engaging in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills
- Engage positively in reflective practice sessions with colleagues
- Undertaking any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Team Leader/ Manager
Area Manager
Employer: Ashford Borough Council
Close date: Sunday 16/02/2020
Are you a competent Housing Manager? Are you already providing a multi-disciplinary estate-based service to tenants?
Ashford Borough Council have a current vacancy for an experienced full time Area Manager to work within their Neighbourhood Management team who are responsible for delivering a range of estate-based services to tenants and residents. The successful candidate will work as part of a team of Area Managers delivering housing management and patch management processes and out-turns; and will liaise with tenants and residents to promote community cohesion and engagement.
As an Area Manager you will need to have experience of working within a housing service for a local authority or a housing management focused organisation. You should also have an understanding of housing related legislation including anti-social behaviour and welfare rights. You will be responsible for delivering the day to day income arrears management ensuring welfare and debt management is provided for tenants, liaising with internal and external partners where necessary. Additionally you should possess an ability to develop relationships and communicate effectively with others; plus with a willingness to work in a team and develop effective and supportive relationships with colleagues. You will be able to demonstrate that you can think creatively, work under pressure and prioritise effectively. Lastly you will be able to react to challenging circumstances while being sensitive and diplomatic.
For an informal discussion about this role please contact Anthony Crossley on 01233 330464.Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (FTC until March 2021)
Employer: loo
Close date: Sunday 16/02/2020
Look Ahead Care Support and Housing have a current vacancy for an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate. This is a role on a fixed term contract until March 2021, working full time.
The role of an IDVA is to address the safety of victims and survivors at high risk of harm. IDVAs work with their customers from the point of crisis by safety planning and risk assessing using the DASH to ascertain the level of risk to the victim. The post holder will be required to work alongside refuge staff to support customers with complex needs who have been referred into the refuge and to work in the community supporting male domestic abuse victims.
Key Accountabilities:
Look Ahead IDVAs have the personal qualities required to manage customer expectations alongside the responsibilities of their role. Day to day IDVA activities include:
- Manage customer referrals, completing Dash Risk Assessments and obtaining and maintaining all relevant paperwork
- Working to raise the awareness of male domestic abuse in the West Kent community as directed by line manager
- Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and creating a positive atmosphere
- Knowledge of the criminal justice system and understanding of Marac protocols
- Regular attendance at Marac and completion of all Marac referrals
- Support Customers to obtain Non Molestation orders where needed and any other civil remedies available to them.
- Working proactively with other members of the team to handle the service caseload and administrative responsibilities
- Attending all court and Case Management hearings with or as a representative for customers
- Supporting customers to set personalised goals in the form of a safety and support Plan
- Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
- Assisting in the recording and reporting of customer incidents
- Safety planning with customers
- Developing productive relationships with partner organisations to improve service outcomes
- Adhering to lone working protocols and maintaining high levels of awareness in relation to the health and safety of yourself and colleagues
- Encouraging customers to attend relevant programmes when appropriate i.e. Freedom Programme /Recovery Toolkit to support successful move on
- Ensuring Look Ahead Health and Safety policies and local protocols are adhered to at all times e.g. fire risk assessments, fire alarm checks etc.
- Adhering to all other Look Ahead's policies and procedures
- Engaging in learning and development activities to increase knowledge and skills
- Undertaking any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Contract Manager
Project Officer
Employer: Look Ahead Care Support and Housing
Close date: Sunday 16/02/2020
Look Ahead Care Support and Housing have a current vacancy for a Project Officer, a full time role on a fixed term contract until June 2020. The post holder will be responsible for providing administrative and technical skills to support the Head of Operations (Kent) in the management of Look Ahead's Kent Homeless Connect services and the Young Peoples' Supported Accommodation and Floating Support Services. The post holder will process referrals into both services and work with Contract Managers to agree the best placement for new customers within the pathways.
As first point of contact for sub-contractors, the post holder will support the central services to collate performance data and budget management information in accordance with deadlines. Meetings will be organized and the relevant documentation made available to participants before hand.
The post holder may be required to work flexibly across the county on occasions and will use technology where appropriate to ensure time is effectively used across the service provision.
Key Responsibilities:
- To process referrals into the pathway from the single point of access helpline (Kent Homeless Connect) and KCC (YP Services)
- To collate performance and financial data from sub-contractors and Contract Managers and collate and disseminate the data accordingly
- To manage the project plan by updating progress, identifying key deadlines and highlighting potential risks
- Provide general administrative duties for the Head of Operations (Kent)
- To book meetings and training as directed, including meeting rooms, documentation and refreshments (if appropriate)
- To record minutes of meetings and distribute in a timely fashion if requested
- To act at all times in accordance with the aims, philosophy and practice of the project
- To treat all information - both verbal and written - in accordance with Look Ahead's policy on confidentiality
- To maintain good relationships with all involved professionals and agencies
- Report any observations relating to customers welfare
- Adhere to all the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care, Support & Housing plus those specific to the project including any statutory requirements
- Ensure Look Ahead Health and Safety policies and local protocols are adhered to at all times
- Maintain records as required at the project under the direction of management
- Participate in team meetings/reviews and the general development of the service
- Engage positively in reflective practice sessions with colleagues
- Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned
Personal Support Assistants (Bank Staff - Zero Hour Contract)
Employer: Look Ahead Care Support and Housing
Close date: Monday 17/02/2020
Look Ahead Care Support and Housing have a current vacancies for Personal Support Assistants. Colebrook Hostel in Tunbridge Wells is a 14 bed hostel providing support to single homeless people with complex needs. They are currently recruiting for bank staff to cover wake in nights, week days and weekend day shifts on a flexible basis. It is desirable but not essential that you have some experience of working with homeless people or an understanding of their support needs. Most importantly is your enthusiasm and availability to cover a range of shifts.
They would particularly welcome applicants who would be willing to help cover wake in nights.
Key Responsibilities:
PSAs providing Assistant/Support worker services will:
- Support customers to undertake tasks wherever possible, including practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills, to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation
- Prepare and serve an evening meal and carry out light communal cleaning duties
- Enable customers to make full use of community facilities by providing support as directed. Engage the customers in activities held in the scheme
- Support customers to attend external appointments
- Support customers to integrate into the community, for example accompanying the customer to enquire at colleges about possible courses, to visit various public amenities etc.
- Maintain records as required under the direction of Look Ahead staff and management
- Support customers to undertake domestic tasks in the home wherever possible, including practical assistance in developing skills to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation. E.g. cleaning, vacuuming, washing, ironing, simple home decorating, sewing, light gardening