Service Swanswell

Location Birmingham

The Cranstoun Group is a charity empowering people to live healthy, safe and happy lives. Our skilled and compassionate teams work with service users, families and communities, helping them to make positive changes. We offer a wide range of services across England, including community-based outreach, treatment and recovery, detox, supported housing, and specialist services for young people and families and carers. We’ve been making a difference since 1969 by combining our expertise with innovative approaches, and putting people at the heart of what we do.

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Support WorkerPost Information Pack

JOB DESCRIPTIONJob purpose / Context:

Swanswell support workers are responsible for offering practical support to service users, so that they can change their lives and be happy. The role requires excellent communication skills and the ability to connect with people. You’ll work with service users in the community and their own homes, supporting them to develop skills and work towards independent, fulfilling and enjoyable lives. You will deliver high quality person centred housing support.

Support workers manage a caseload of people, which may include children, young people and adults, helping them to learn and develop skills that will help them to make sustainable changes to their lifestyle. This may include supporting them to:

• prevent homelessness by finding and/or maintaining accommodation• live within supported accommodation • live safely and independently in their own home• Access primary health care services• improve and maintain mental health and wellbeing• maximise their income• Budget money and pay bills• maintain or achieve training, education and employment (voluntary or paid)• develop a healthier lifestyle• develop leisure interests

You’ll need to have good writing and computing skills, and be able to work confidently with all Microsoft programs. You’ll also need to be very organised, and have the ability to work to deadlines.

Responsible to:

Senior Support Worker

1. Duties and Responsibilities

Manage a caseload of service users, helping them to maintain their accommodation and work towards an independent lifestyle. This may include giving advice and support on setting up their home, getting the right benefits, budgeting, health issues, getting access to training and employment and other independent living skills.

Work with the service user and other professionals to identify individual service user needs and ensure that an appropriate, purposeful programme of support is prepared, implemented, recorded and regularly reviewed.

Manage and attend appointments with service users in community settings or the service user’s home. The frequency of appointments will depend on the individual needs of the service user.

Contribute to the initial and ongoing assessment (including risk assessment) of service users.

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Liaise and cooperate with relevant professionals from housing, health and social care agencies, the local community and relatives of the service user. This will ensure that all appropriate resources are identified and used for the benefit of the service user.

Work effectively in partnership with other service providers, to find solutions that will benefit the service user.

Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in accordance with organisational and national standards.

Keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the field and contribute to the continuing development of Swanswell’s services.

Prepare reports when required. Maintain high standards of office security, confidentiality and

administration. This includes ensuring the safe and secure keeping of files on Swanswell premises and any premises used by Swanswell.

Carry out all aspects of the role cost effectively and in line with Swanswell’s policies, the requirement of funders and all relevant clinical standards/frameworks. You’ll need to consult appropriate sources of expertise where necessary.

Take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of yourself, service users, relevant others (particularly children and vulnerable adults) and members of the community.

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PERSON SPECIFICATIONEssential Requirements

Evidenced willingness to take part in proactive supportive activity for other people Ability to Facilitate Groups

Understanding of safeguarding issues for children and adults, an awareness of sexual exploitation and an ability to respond appropriately

Take responsibility for relations with external partners Be part of the corporate entity through your communications and behaviour Participate in multi-agency relationship building and working Ability to engage fully with people Set clear boundaries across relationships Adopt a person-centred focus to communication

Team work Participate and collaborate with internal and external teams Liaise with other agencies to support service users Proactive engagement with change, progressive concepts, openness to learn

Problem solving Identify and be alert to risk and manage contingency plans effectively Ability to learn and apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations Spot links between issues to solve a problem Show creativity and innovation Ability to make critical decisions in a timely, considered manner

Managing effectiveness Ability to manage own time, prioritise activities, and maintain accountability

for workload and service users Maintain confidentiality of all data and information related to service users

and business Accurate record keeping Ability to work non-judgementally Awareness of range of cultural differences

IT Good IT skills and ability to use MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) Able to use a computerised client record database for case file management

Desirable

Qualification or demonstrable relevant experience at NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care

Evidence of a good knowledge and understanding of welfare benefits and housing related services

Understanding of community care issues Knowledge of harm reduction principles and practice Ability to speak a second language e.g. Polish, Punjabi, Urdu

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