Support Worker

**Band B: £21,499 per annum full time equivalent, plus London
Weighting of £4,000 per annum (FTE), plus anti-social hours payment
of £650 per annum (FTE). Total Salary: £26,149 per annum

Job Purpose:
To work as part of a small team helping with all aspects of running of the service, motivating and empowering Service Users towards independent living in sustained tenancies within the community. To provide basic life skills advice, information and guidance and support
individuals to move on and access appropriate additional services.

Organisation Context:
Oasis Community Housing is a Christian homelessness charity. Working across North East England and South London, our ambitious new strategy aims to widen our reach and amplify our impact for men, women and vulnerable families facing homelessness.
We help more than 1,000 people every year by providing housing, specialised support and, more fundamentally, a place where they feel they can belong.
Oasis Community Housing is part of the Oasis Charitable Trust group of charities, which has education and community development projects (UK and overseas) working to a common vision of creating communities in which everyone can thrive and reach their God-given potential.
We welcome applicants from all faiths or none however, we ask all that all employees understand and sympathise with the charity’s Christian vision, ethos and culture. For some specified roles, it will be an occupational requirement that a practising Christian is needed and this will be clearly stated in the Job advert and in the Job description’s qualifications section.
Oasis Community Housing is a growing charity, with its Central Office in Gateshead and projects in London. This post is based in London.

Project specific:
Southwark North Service is an accommodation based service funded by Southwark Council to provide supported accommodation to young people experiencing homelessness. The main office of the project is situated at No3 Peckham with a number of satellite offices across the Borough. The service provides support, housing and resettlement services for Southwark young people who have the status of being looked after children or care leavers, or young people at risk of homelessness.
The service will support young people to maintain and develop skills to live more independently in order to safely and successfully leave the service, reducing homelessness and the risk of homelessness.
The primary age group is 16-21, however individuals are accepted up to the age of 25 on a case-by-case basis.

Duties & Responsibilities:
• Interview and assess homeless applicants
• Provide support, advice and guidance across a number of relevant domains
• Motivate and empower Service Users to work towards independence
• Provide creative, varied housing-related support to a caseload of clients
• Navigate difficult situations effectively and sensitively, including warnings and evictions
• Accurate money collection and recording
• Accurate, timely and effective record keeping
• Liaise with neighbours and various professionals relevant to the project
• Support Service Users to move on from the project
• Regular cleaning duties within the projects and Service User properties
• Support Service Users to access appropriate external support services
• To provide on call support during unsocial hours (you may also occasionally be required to provide sleep-in duty)
• Represent the ethos and values or the Organisation to Service Users and professionals
• Any other reasonable duties as required by the Project Manager.
• To be able to work in any Oasis Community Housing projects as required

Personal Specification/Key Competencies:
Qualifications:
• Relevant qualification to NVQ 2 or equivalent (essential)
• Other relevant qualifications (desirable)
• Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (desirable, however if you do not have this qualification OCH will support you to attain this)

Knowledge and Experience
• Experience of working with young people in a paid or unpaid capacity (essential)
• An understanding of the benefits system including sanctions (essential)
• Knowledge of substance misuse and its impact (essential)
• An understanding of safeguarding and domestic violence issues (essential)
• The ability to type and use software packages, i.e. Microsoft Office and type professional letters (essential)
• Experience of drawing up support plans (desirable)
• An awareness of the impact of worklessness on young people (desirable)
• Knowledge of mental health issues and their impact (desirable)
• Sound knowledge of issues facing young homeless people (desirable)

Competencies
• Be able to manage time and resources effectively (essential)
• Be able to travel between different projects/houses (essential)
• Be consistent and inspiring and inspiring trust in others (essential)
• Be able to develop effective working relationships and networks in difficult situations (essential)
• Have and be able to maintain excellent professional boundaries (essential)
• Be able to react calmly and professionally in a crisis and at times of heightened emotion (essential)
• Be able to work well individually but also as part of a team (essential)
• Be inclusive of people from all backgrounds and cultures (essential)
• Able to be flexible in working arrangements (essential)
• Be sensitive and diplomatic in difficult/emotional situations (essential)
• Have a positive outlook (essential)
• Have good listening skills (essential)
• Have a strong sense of team spirit (essential)
• Emotionally resilient (essential)

Motivation:
• Be in sympathy with the Christian ethos and values of the organisation (essential)
• Be committed and enthusiastic (essential)
• Be passionate about working with the client group (essential)
• Have a desire to make a positive impact on the lives of disaffected young people (essential)

Benefits:
Oasis Community Housing operates a contributory group personal pension plan and in accordance with the Pension Act 2008, if eligible,
you will be automatically enrolled into the Oasis Trust pension scheme. Currently all staff in our pension scheme are required to
contribute a minimum of 2% of their salary. The employer contribution is currently set at a contribution of 7%.
Oasis Community Housing life assurance policy, through Omnilife, is open to all staff who earn in excess of £6000 per annum.
25 days holiday per year, plus statutory holidays, increasing to 30 days per annum after 2 completed years’ service.

To apply, email Andreia at andreia@southwarkworks.org.uk