Outreach Team Leader for Worcestershire's homeless people

NOTE: APPLICATON FORM ATTACHED - PLEASE APPLY WITH APPLICATION FORM ONLY VIA EMAIL TO : .

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: WEDNESDAY 4 APRIL 2018 AT 5PM.

Main Purpose of Job:

To promote, and help maintain, a settled way of life for Service Users who are street homeless or at risk of it. The project is called 'MOATS' - 'Maggs Outreach and Transition Services'

This project will initially run for 3 years and is funded by the Big Lottery for this period.

Maggs Day Centre is an equal opportunities employer.

Detailed Duties and Responsibilities

1.Engagement

1. To assertively engage with individuals who become known to the service either through agency / self referral or through contact on the streets.
2. To ensure that the Service User's rights are upheld and promoted in all aspects of the work.

2. Assessment

1. To assess Service User need in relation to housing, mental health and wellbeing, physical illness, alcohol and substance dependency; and to tackle these with the Service User by providing appropriate support, joint working with, or referral to, other services and develop an holistic support plan in conjunction with the Service User utilizing MEAM principles To undertake regular planned key working sessions, reviews and assessments with Service Users Where relevant to work with other services for the purpose of assessment, referral and support. Complete Service User risk assessments and in conjunction with the Service User develop appropriate risk management plans.

3. Service User Support

1. To support individuals to meet their aspirations away from the streets through pro-active support planning. To actively assess and prioritise Service Users for access to housing and other services and where appropriate. To use wherever possible a harm minimisation approach. To work pro-actively to divert Service Users where possible away from the streets. To ensure that Service Users are given accurate information and advice including details of services available. To signpost Service Users to services taking into account their entitlement and aspirations. To carry a caseload and maintain accurate records; to convene case work meetings with Service Users, other workers and professionals and to implement agreed support plans.

4. Multi-Agency Working

1. To liaise with allied services and agencies in order to improve access for Service Users, individually or as a group. To develop and maintain positive professional relationships with these agencies. To promote positive relationships with the local community and businesses, including dealing sensitively and professionally with any complaints

5. Street work

1. To carry a standard means of identification and engagw with rough sleepers. To comply with Maggs Day Centre Lone Working Policy and other Health and Safety measures as regards street work. To participate in street counts / audits as appropriate to the post.

Further responsibilities as Team Leader:

6. Staff & Service User Meetings

Attending staff and service user meetings and contributing to the consultation and communication within the service as a whole.

7. MOATS Team Meetings

To facilitate regular MOATS service meetings to allocate work, discuss potential new clients, discuss problems and provide a forum for team decision making.

8. Staff Supervision

• To undergo formal supervision with the Chief Executive
• To provide day to day supervision for the MOATS team including formal supervision sessions

9. Day-to-Day Operations

Ensuring that the following day to day operations are carried out efficiently and effectively:

10. Referrals and Allocation of Work

• To receive, assess, prioritise and allocate referrals to the outreach team.

11. Quality Assurance

• To ensure all MOATS staff understand the "outcome" focus of all work ie the changes planned and achieved with service users' individual lifestyles, living circumstances, employment, and integration into local communities
• Ensure records, returns and annual monitoring forms are completed on time as required
• Ensure that the project adheres to budgets

12. Support Plans

• To help workers to assess clients and formulate support plans with them, ensuring that the primary target of personal independence for the client always comes first, by doing things with them rather than for them wherever possible and enabling them to set their own targets

• As appropriate, to involve services in the wider community eg medical, housing and social services to participate in the formulation of individual support plans

• To encourage and support the use of community facilities and assist clients to access them such as, furniture from Armchair, clothes and domestic items from the clothing project and grants from charitable trusts etc
• To assist service users in the location of appropriate accommodation and to offer an appropriate level of support.

• Assisting clients who wish to acquire and develop self help skills, domestic, budgeting, shopping and life skills generally
• Helping clients at risk of becoming homeless to tackle the causes including paying any rent or arrears due and/or possibly reuniting estranged clients with partners, family and friends etc

13. Continuity of Support

• Keeping in touch with clients temporarily absent from the centre eg those excluded, or in hospital, prison etc, but who are expected to return, in order to pick up the plan where it was left off

14. Reviews

• Regularly reviewing support plans in relation to progress, or lack of it, and reaching decisions

15. Team Cover

• To ensure that MOATS team rotas are efficiently managed and that adequate cover is available at all times.