Job Description

Information about our Floating Support Service

The Service aims to provide support and assistance to families and vulnerable adults who are homeless or at risk of homelessness due to housing related issues. The service provides Floating Support input to ensure that families and vulnerable adults maintain their accommodation within the community in the long term. This is achieved by offering structured support packages tailored to meet individual need. The aims and objectives of the service are to engage with the individual or family through flexible needs assessment and support planning approaches that responds to the needs and preferences of the service users.

The objectives are:

1. To assist families, vulnerable Adults and young people to secure and or maintain themselves successfully within their accommodation. Through allocated key worker links to enable homeless families, vulnerable adults and young people to acquire the skills necessary to maintain themselves in accommodation within the community.

2. To provide an accessible single point of contact.

3. To coordinate the delivery of comprehensive support packages to the identified needs of the service user and to ensure continuity of support in keeping with their assessed needs.

4. To offer mediation as a preventative measure to service users at risk of homelessness.

5. In the event of homelessness, assist service users in finding appropriate accommodation that meet their specific needs.

6. To ensure that service users have the necessary skills and support to maintain a tenancy.

7. To sign post service users to appropriate agencies to maximise their support network and ensure that their specific support needs are met.

ASSESSMENT OF NEED

The floating support workers role will be to carry out a holistic needs/risk assessment to address the support needs of the service user to address the following issues:

The individual/family's accommodation/ housing situation and needs Their income/ education/ employment and training needs Their support networks, including links with family friends and other professionals Their health, both physical and mental Their health and safety, including both risks from others and risks they themselves might pose. Included in this is also their history of offending. Their use of alcohol and drugs Their social and leisure interests Their cultural and faith needs Independent Living Skills
The service user, via cyclical monitoring, review of need will, alongside allocated Support Worker identify areas that they feel they will need support with, these assessments address areas of:

Practical Support, looking at areas such as housing rights and responsibilities, budgeting, benefits entitlement, independent living skills and if the service user needs support to monitor repairs, make adaptations to properties due to a disability and all encompassing tenancy sustainment support.

Self Development/ Advocacy Support, looking at areas such as support when dealing with other statutory or voluntary agencies, support with building better relationships with family, support with tackling loneliness and isolation, support with building confidence and self esteem, emotional support, and building social skills.

Connecting To The Community / Opportunities, looking at areas such as, information and support to integrate into local community, Support in the resolution of neighbourhood disputes and problems with NIHE, Information on who to contact in an out of hours situation, facilitating access to health, leisure and transport, facilitate opportunities in education, training and employment.

From this information, a support plan is drawn up with the service user; this plan is individual to the individual and will offer variable levels of housing related support.

The overall ethos of the service is to enable homeless families and vulnerable adults to successfully uptake and maintain accommodation within the community. We have found as an organisation working with people who have chaotic or erratic lifestyles has led to an inability to maintain them in accommodation, thus increasing the likelihood of revolving door homelessness. The ethos of the service is to promote positive change to enable them to manage a home within the community.

FIRST HOUSING AID & SUPPORT SERVICES JOB DESCRIPTION

Title:

Floating Support Worker

Reports To:

Floating Support Coordinator

Purpose &

Objectives:

To implement a floating support service to vulnerable young people (16-25 years) who are or have been experiencing housing difficulties and related issues, in particular those with substance misuse issues, mental health issues and those at risk of offending behaviour within the Western Health & Social Care Trust area.

To act in a professional, proactive capacity that will contribute to the strategic aims of the organisation in enhancing the wellbeing of its service users through a network of support.

Location:

Based in Derry/Londonderry (Home Based with travel within and facilitating the Northern Sector of the Western Trust Area)

Salary: 24,696 per annum

Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week

Probationary Period: 6 months

Annual Leave: 5 working weeks, exclusive of bank and customary holidays

Sickness Scheme: 3 working weeks contractual pay in any 12 month rolling period under current terms and conditions of employment

Pension: Company pension available, details on request

MAJOR TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. To form relationships with vulnerable young people referred to the service, assess their needs and obtain their inclusiveness on how the service should be run.

2. Use a range of non face to face communications that best suits the needs of the service user, as well as face to face meetings in the community, where appropriate.

3. To tailor individual holistic responses to the collective family and individual needs of clients on health awareness, harm reduction, emotional, psychological, social and housing factors, at all times implementing on the organisation's Vulnerable Adults Policy.

4. Monitor service user's housing and support needs as well as reviewing plans to take account of any change.

5. Provide service users with information and encouragement to help them integrate into the local community.

6. Assist service users in sustaining and maintaining their tenancies.

7. Offer comprehensive benefits advise to client groups, ensuring that income is maximised in view of effective home management.

8. Offer advice and assistance in dealing with practical matters throughout their tenancy where required. (ie Arranging gas and electrical services, acquiring essential furniture etc.)

9. Negotiate service delivery and advocate on behalf of tenants to ensure that services are provided by statutory or voluntary health and support agencies as appropriate.

10. Visit clients regularly, building a relationship of trust, understanding and support.

11. Assisting in the resolution of neighbourhood disputes and problems, liaising with the Housing Executive when relevant.

12. Advocate for tenants and make referrals for aids and adaptations, or in the event of their property needing repair.

13. To assist in the preparation of leaflets/literature which describe the work of the Floating Support Service for prospective service users and profiling of service.

14. To maintain written case management files.

15. To attend regular staff meetings with direct line management.

16. To provide regular reports and updating on current issues to the Service Co-ordinator.

17. To use databases and other electronic management systems focused towards service provision improvements and quality outcomes, which will include secure remote access to third party systems such as that of the NIHE.

18. Any other duties appropriate to the post

RELATIONSHIP WITH FIRST HOUSING

To be an active team member, supporting colleagues, being prepared to receive support as necessary and contribute fully to team workload.

To participate in staff meetings as required.

To participate in staff development and review.

To attend training as identified and required in relation to personal and professional development.

To comply with the policies and procedures in place that meet with health and safety legislation.

To respect our policy of promoting equality/valuing diversity.

All staff members are required to adhere to the implementation of recording and monitoring procedures as set out within the 'Supporting People' Quality Monitoring Tool.

To ensure adherence to Northern Ireland Social Care Council standards of conduct and practice (where NISCC registration is required)

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Floating Support Worker, (FSW-R17-01)

Qualifications / Education / Training:

Minimum of three GCSE's at grade C or above (or equivalent) including English Language

NVQ Level II (or equivalent) in Health & Social Care OR relevant equivalent qualification in Social Work, Community Work or Housing Care

A valid driving licence and access to a car. (if disability prohibits driving, the applicant must be able to organise suitable alternative arrangements)

Experience:

Minimum of 2 years recent experience providing support to service users; in particular, those with challenging behaviour, substance misuse issues, mental health issues and those at risk of offending behaviour

- Working with people that are homeless or those leading an unsettled lifestyle

Assessment interviewing

Managing a caseload

Providing a frontline service to the public

. The post holder must be able to demonstrate a good attendance/performance work record

Ability to deliver concise recording systems and reports

Ability to work effectively and meet deadlines

Knowledge of the support needs of vulnerable service users

Knowledge of Adults at Risk/ Child Protection Policy and Procedure

- knowledge of the work of the statutory, voluntary agencies associated with Homelessness

Skills & Competencies:

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, particularly able to work with the public

Competent in the use of IT software such as word-processing, databases, spreadsheets, internet and e-mail

Flexible, approachable and can work under pressure

Able to work both independently and as part of a team.

Willingness to take managerial direction.

Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise workloads to deliver within agreed deadlines

Ability to work with challenging behaviour

Personal Attributes:

Ability to retain confidence and discretion.

Other:

No health problems which would adversely affect ability to carry out all the duties of the post.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 24,696.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension
Application question(s):

Have you a minimum of three GCSEs at grade C or above (or equivalent) including English Language? Have you a relevant recognised qualification in health and social care or related field (Minimum NVQ level II or equivalent)? Have you IT skils? Have you 2 years experience?
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: On the road

Application deadline: 30/05/2025
Reference ID: FSW-R17-01