Apply here: https://housingjustice.org.uk/donate-or-get-involved/vacancies
Company Description
Housing Justice brings together communities and finds solutions to homelessness by building personal connections, a sense of belonging, and creating justice in the housing system. We train and support volunteers to provide personalised assistance to help individuals access relevant accommodation options, local services and to address their other needs. Through compassionate, courageous, and collaborative action, we implement innovative solutions to tackle housing injustice, enhance the quality of housing, and elevate the voices and experiences of groups affected by homelessness to both local and national governments.
Role Description
Working alongside the Senior Citadel Coordinator and volunteers, the Citadel Support Worker will provide high quality, short term, intensive support to individuals accessing the service. This may be in tandem with our Citadel Volunteers or until the individuals are ready to ‘step-down’ to volunteer led support.
The role focuses on support delivery, advocacy and multi-agency working. The Support Worker will work alongside individuals to deliver and review individual support plans, advocate for access to appropriate services, and address practical and systemic barriers to resettlement and tenancy sustainment.
You will need to be confident in working directly with vulnerable adults, those individuals with more complex needs and committed to trauma-informed, empowering and collaborative practice. A key aim is to enable those we support to build the skills and knowledge to manage independently in the future.
The successful applicant will work as part of a friendly remote team of Housing Justice staff across Wales and England and will be fully integrated within the Citadel Hastings community of volunteers and individuals in support.
Support, advocacy, advice and empowerment
- Manage a caseload of individuals in support and provide responsive support at times of crisis. Assist with the coordination of volunteer support where tandem support is in place and lead handover meetings as individuals step-down.
- Work collaboratively with individuals to deliver support plan goals and review personalised support plans and Staying‑Safe Plans.
- Provide holistic, person‑centred advice and advocacy, addressing barriers to resettlement and tenancy sustainment.
- Advocate on individuals’ behalf with statutory and voluntary agencies, thinking creatively to overcome obstacles. This will include attending and supporting appointments and multi‑agency meetings.
- Support individuals to access services including housing, benefits, debt advice, substance misuse services, mental health support, legal advice, education, volunteering, employment and training.
- Support individuals with income maximisation and debt reduction, including help with benefit applications, budgeting plans, charity applications.
- Assist clients with physical and mental health, plus substance misuse needs, including signposting/referring to appropriate services.
- Actively promote involvement of individuals in support, including with Citadel activities and events and in their wider community.
- Develop and maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of relevant systems, including housing, welfare benefits, health, immigration and employment.
Coordinated support and partnership working
- Liaise closely with referral partners and other agencies to ensure coordinated, appropriate and timely support in line with individuals’ support plans.
- Work alongside volunteer matches to ensure support complements specialist advice and advocacy.
- Promote a strengths‑based and trauma‑informed approach that empowers individuals and supports opportunities for participation and “giving back” where appropriate.
- Identify, respond to and report safeguarding concerns in line with Hastings Borough Council’s and Housing Justice policies and procedures. Ensure all recording and monitoring requirements are fulfilled.
- Maintain accurate, timely and confidential case records, outcomes and monitoring data using Inform and other systems as required.
- Ensure personal data is stored securely in line with GDPR and Housing Justice data protection policies.
Event organisation
- Support with the set up and running of Citadel events and activities to bring volunteers and people we support together, including in evenings.
Team working and organisational responsibilities
- Attend and actively contribute to case meetings, team meetings and organisational events.
- Contribute to monitoring and evaluation, including supporting with compiling reports for funders.
- Keep accurate records of expenses.
- Engage in supervision and ongoing professional development, including attending training as required.
Other duties
- Carry out any other duties consistent with the role and reasonably required by the Senior Citadel Coordinator or Head of Citadel.
- Some evening or weekend will be required. This time is taken back following the organisation’s TOIL policy.
- Alongside travel across Hastings and St. Leonards-on‑Sea, there will also be some instances in which travel in England or Wales will be required (e.g. for Company Away Days). Travel and subsistence costs incurred due to duties at work can be claimed back.
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