Support Worker (Assessment And Referral) 

Salary: £23,690

Location: Croydon University Hospital

Contract: 1 year fixed term with the possibility of extension

Hours: 37.5 hours per week on a 7 day rota. Working on shifts which includes early mornings, late, evening and weekends and occasional nights.

Closing date: 16.10.19 at 9am

About our client

Our client are a leading homelessness charity in London, providing housing and support to over 2,000 people each year. Their aim is to help children, young people and adults who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to become independent and resilient. They believe in building on people’s strengths, aspirations and goals to help them break the cycle of homelessness.

About the Role

Our client are recruiting for an exciting, new project in Croydon called the Somewhere Safe to Stay hub (SStS). The Hub will act as a short-term assessment and sleep space for those both at risk of immediate rough sleeping and as a response to those verified as rough sleeping in London Borough of Croydon. It will divert those at immediate risk of rough sleeping and provide “Somewhere Safe to Stay” with intensive move on support.

About You

As an Assessment and Referral Support Worker you will support people accessing the Staying Safe Hub to identify their appropriate housing options, and to access this quickly to prevent homelessness or rough sleeping. You will carry out initial assessment and address immediate needs for people presenting at the Hub ensuring access to health care where necessary, and that basic needs are met. You will identify housing options and the most appropriate pathway, and complete the necessary referral forms, housing applications, benefits forms or other processes in order to effect resettlement. You will act as the link between the people we work with and a range of local authority, community and voluntary sector providers. 

Experience and knowledge required

• Experience of supporting vulnerable people to achieve resettlement.
• Provision of housing advice or experience of rapid assessment and referral work.
• An understanding of the reasons why people become homeless and the needs and challenges they face
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues and how they apply in day to day work
• Knowledge of statutory and voluntary resources available to homeless people including an understanding of housing and welfare benefits

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to document clear records and to evidence outcomes achieved with customers
• Ability to engage with customers to complete housing assessments and identify move on plans
• Ability to support customers to navigate swift resettlement and access a number of services
• Ability to work inclusively, as part of a team, and to give and receive support and constructive feedback and also to lone work when required
• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing, demonstrating a good standard of written and spoken English
• Competent in using Microsoft word, excel and inputting to database

Benefits:

• As part of your employment package with our client, they offer:
• a competitive salary, comprehensive training and development programme, 
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing each year to 30 days
• annual leave plus bank holidays after 5 years
• option to buy or sell annual leave up to one week’s annual leave
• a health cash plan providing cash back towards healthcare bills and other
• wellbeing benefits
• occupational sick pay
• contributory group pension scheme
• free life assurance
• cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans

Your application

Our client are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from all sections of the community, including people who have experienced homelessness themselves.