Job Description

WE NEED NEW HEROES!

DO YOU LOVE RETAIL AND WORKING IN A SHOP? CAN YOU SELL AND SUPPORT OTHERS TO SELL? ARE YOU CONFIDENT ON A SHOP FLOOR? WANT TO DO THIS IN A DIFFERENT WAY?

We aren't looking for shelf stackers we are looking for life changers!

Do you want to make a real difference to formerly homeless peoples lives? Do you have the skills, experience, knowledge and most importantly real empathy for the people we support, that could support them to move forward? Happy to learn new skills? Are you a team player and happy to face a challenge?

WE NEED YOU!

Retail and Sales Assistant (Companion Development Worker)

SALARY -

25,792 for 40 hours (After 6 months pay rises to 26,450)

NOTE WEEKEND WORK REQUIRED (Days off Monday and Tuesday)

Wednesday - Saturday

Hours 0830 - 1730

Sunday Hours

1030 - 1730

This job will be based in our in our shop in Preston Fishergate Centre.

Companion Development Worker (Support and Retail)

This is an exciting role and we will teach you how to provide a wide range of support to formerly homeless adults, adding to your already established retail skills

Emmaus Lancashire is part of an International Charity (EMMAUS) providing accommodation, support, training and work experience to

formerly homeless people (we call them Companions)

. We aim to be self-funding and run social enterprises to pay for our Emmaus in Preston with no grant or government funding. There are 29 communities across the UK (providing 1,000 beds for formerly homeless people) and over 300 across the world and each work as part of a federation with local control. Emmaus is not a HOSTEL but provides a home, work experience, support and training for as long as someone needs it. Our accommodation in Preston provides twenty six en-suite rooms for our Companions and a further house in Burnley with twenty four rooms for Companions.

We run the former Debenhams in Preston, a 120,000 square foot department store where we sell a mix of donated and brand new furniture, white goods, toys, clothes, bedding and run a cafe too! We do not get grant funding so the income from this store directly pays for the people we support so the more we earn the bigger difference we can make.

We want you to spend most of your time working on our shop floor alongside our Companions working with our Area Retail Manager to teach them selling and retail skills, support them on the till, teach merchandising, support them doing window displays improve their confidence and then work with our Head of Support on supporting them to move on to new challenges.

We will provide you with a range of training to give you the skills to support people suffering from family breakdown, bereavement, mental health issues and addiction to wherever possible move forward, gain qualifications, paid work and their own accommodation.

OUR SUPPORT VISION

MAKE A LASTING, POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR COMPANIONS THAT ENSURES THEIR FUTURE PATH IS SAFER, HAPPIER, FULFILLING AND MORE PRODUCTIVE FOR THEM AND SOCIETY

Walk with them on their journey - sometimes in front, sometimes alongside, sometimes behind ......until eventually they walk the journey without us

Focus our work to challenge them, supporting them to overcome barriers, achieve their realistic goals and look at a new future

Make their time with us rewarding, hopeful, inspirational, transformative and successful

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Retail:

Lead on working alongside Companions in all aspects of Social Enterprise activities to ensure an understanding of the Companion and Social Enterprise needs so that training and personal development plans can be effectively designed.

Develop Companions retail skills passing on your knowledge and experience.

Companion Development:

Ensure that all support activities and personal development of Companions in accordance with Emmaus Lancashire ethos, culture, policies and procedures.

Ensure that support work with Companions explores and identifies choices in terms of lifestyle and life skills so that Companions can make informed decisions including move on plans.

Effectively communicate Companion needs within the wider staff team to ensure that there is a holistic approach to supporting Companions.

Ensure effective induction of Companions into the Social Enterprise.

Ensure that Companions understand the Community rules and that they comply with them taking remedial action where necessary.

Administration:

Support the Head of Support in the referral process ensuring that appropriate Companions join the Community.

To provide effective Companion related administration.

Ensure that all Companion Risk assessments are accurately carried out in a timely way.

Administer termination of licences ensuring that all internal and external requirements are met.

Develop and maintain good working relationships with referral agencies and external support providers to ensure effective outcomes.

Ensure that administration actions are in place so that Companions are registered with local agencies (e.g. doctors) and that Housing Benefit is claimed in a timely way.

Ensure that all IT records are kept up to date including all aspects of Companion records.

Community Management:

As a member of the staff team make a positive contribution to the development of all aspects of Community life including the home, solidarity and social enterprise.

As members of a small staff team work flexibly responding positively, amongst other things, to telephone enquiries, Companion enquiries and any other duties requested by the Community Director including holiday and absence cover.

Support the Head of Retail in the recruitment, support and development of volunteers ensuring benefits for both the volunteer and Community.

General:

Emmaus Lancashire runs its business operations seven days a week and provides support to the Community all week. Although staff have agreed hours of work they are expected to be flexible to respond to the unexpected.

The Companion Development Worker will carry out work alongside Companions in the Retail units and therefore needs to show flexibility in all aspects of retail activities. The Companion Development Worker will need to work collaboratively with the Head of Retail who has overall responsibility for retail operations.

The Companion Development Workers must always act in a way which will maintain the good reputation of Emmaus Lancashire, upholding the policies and procedures of Emmaus and striving to preserve appropriate working relationships with companions, staff, volunteers, and trustees.

Work is conducted in an environmentally-aware manner with the aim of ensuring all resources are utilised effectively and efficiently. Sound "value for money" principles are necessary in undertaking purchasing or supply of goods and services.

You will be joining a happy small staff team across Emmaus Lancashire who come to work to make a difference to others so if you want job satisfaction and to be part of a great team this is the job for you.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 25,792.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Employee discount Health & wellbeing programme On-site parking Sick pay Store discount
Experience:

Cashing Up and Using a Till : 1 year (required) Retail sales: 3 years (required)
Licence/Certification:

Driving Licence (preferred)
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person