LGBTQ+ Project Worker (Supported Housing)

JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

LGBTQ+ Project Worker (Supported Housing)

This role provides support to LGBTQ+ people who are living in Stonewall Housing supported accommodation or in the community. The goal is to help people prepare for independent living in their own tenancies. People usually stay with us for 6 – 18 months and the project worker will meet with each resident to assess their needs and agree goals which will help them achieve independence. The Project Worker then puts together a support plan and meets regularly with residents to provide support, challenge and encouragement as they make their journey.

Collaborating closely with our housing providers, our project worker will actively develop fresh partnerships within the local community to enhance the support and services available to our residents.

 

Key Responsibilities

·         To provide a high quality, flexible and responsive support service to LGBTQ+ people, supporting them for independent living or suitable alternative housing through the provision of 1-1 support sessions and group work.

·         To assess the individual needs of each person and provide a bespoke support plan.

·         To ensure that effective service user participation mechanisms are in place.

·         To ensure a high level of customer care and practice at all times.

·         To develop links with relevant external agencies.

· To work 2.5 days per week in Newham and 2.5 days per week in Ealing, working flexibly across both sites with a total of 12 residents.

 

Main Duties of the Post

Support Sessions

·         To give holistic support to LGBTQ+ people accessing our supported accommodation service and to provide proactive support to these service users who are sometimes hard to engage.

·         To meet service users regularly to provide structured support, in relation to LGBTQ+ and Housing specific issues, such as gender identity pathways, mental health services, health issues, safeguarding, liaising with the professional network.

·         To work with LGBTQ+ people accessing supported accommodation to develop and review individual support plans and risk assessments.

·         To liaise with other service providers ensuring service users receive the necessary support to sustain their accommodation, acquire relevant independent living skills, maintain or improve positive physical and mental health and access into meaningful occupation of their time.

 

Financial Support

·         To assist service users in maximising and managing their income including universal credit, ESA, PIP and Housing Benefit.

 

Semi-independent Living Support

·         To work with service users to enable them to develop the life and social skills necessary to sustain their accommodation and prepare them for independent living.

·         To assess individual service user’s suitability for independent accommodation.

·         To act quickly to manage incidents and to advise, support and assist service users unable to maintain supported accommodation into more appropriate housing options.

 

Resettlement

·         To support service users in the completion of application forms necessary to support move-on housing, including the private rented sector.

·         To ensure that all service users are provided with information about local services whilst in supported accommodation and during their move on.

·         To ensure all service users are fully aware of their rights and responsibilities in their home.

·         To work with housing providers, both public and private, to negotiate move on options.

 

Groupwork, Consultation and Participation

·         To work as part of a team in developing user participation.

·         To identify and develop appropriate and flexible processes for consulting with our service users, via social media platforms, newsletters, events and workshops.

·         To devise innovative and creative ways of involving LGBTQ+ people in the running of the schemes with an independent approach.

·         Supporting our residents to participate in group and peer support and to access online support mechanisms.

·         Facilitating and promoting an LGBTQ+ group work programme.

 

Other Duties

·         To establish and maintain accurate and complete records in all areas of work.

·         To complete statistics for the collation of performance and funding information.

·         To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation and regulations in relation to funders and other key areas.

·         To participate in individual and clinical supervision meetings, annual appraisals and training.

·         To act in accordance with the organisation’s Diversity Policy, Health and Safety Policy, Code of Conduct and all other corporate policies and procedures.

·         To act in the best interests of Stonewall Housing and its clients at all times.

·         To work evenings as necessary.

·         To promote Stonewall Housing at external meetings and community events.

·         To carry out any other duties commensurate with the aims and objectives of the post that may be require.

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Experience

·       Lived experience, or experience of working with homeless people or vulnerable LGBTQ+ people, in a voluntary or paid employment setting.

·       Experience of working with and delivering services to a diverse client group with a wide range of support needs.

·       Experience of lone working and working as part of team.

 

Essential Knowledge

·         Knowledge and understanding of the causes and effects of homelessness, particularly in relation to LGBTQ+ people.

·         Knowledge of the current benefits available to single people.

·         Knowledge of common themes, trends and issues within supported and shared accommodation.

·         Knowledge of pathways into medical and social support for LGBTQ+ people.

 

Essential Skills and Abilities

·         Ability to provide a range of housing related support services, i.e. assessment, developing and using support plans, support planning, key working, independent living support, welfare benefits advice and providing resettlement support.

·         Ability to manage challenging behaviour and complex needs, report and raise incidents and safeguarding alerts.

·         Ability to prioritise and maintain case work across multiple projects at the same time.

·         Excellent recording and reporting skills to accurately reflect work with young people.

·         Excellent written and verbal communication with vulnerable people.

·         Ability to effectively involve and engage LGBTQ+ people in services.

·         To be resilient in regard to working with challenging behaviour from service users who may have experienced trauma leading them to be mistrustful of support providers.

 

As with all members of Stonewall Housing’s Team, the postholder will also:

·       Be an adept and nimble multitasker who relishes being busy and can keep multiple plates spinning.

·       Have strong networking and relationship-building skills.

·       Have a positive and can-do attitude.

·       Be able to adapt to changing circumstances with flexibility, and to work well under pressure.

·       Be required to support the wider Stonewall Housing team when needed, to ensure the smooth running of the organisation.

·       Join Stonewall Housing’s All Team meeting in person (held near Liverpool Street Station) once per month.

·       Be able to travel occasionally around the UK for key events.

·       To work as part of a mostly-remote team, embracing online communication and collaboration tools.

·       To receive regular supervision from the line manager and attend training courses as required.

 

Your attitude and personal attributes

·       A commitment to equal opportunities in all aspects of work.

·       A commitment to the aims, values and beliefs of the organisation.

·       Ability to empathise with vulnerable LGBTQ+ people.

 

Conditions:

This job description does not constitute a ‘terms and conditions of employment’. It is provided only as a guide to assist the employee in the performance of their job. Stonewall Housing is an evolving organisation and therefore changes to the employees’ duties may be necessary from time to time. The job description is not intended to be inflexible or a finite list of tasks and may be varied from time to time after consultation/discussion with the post holder.

 

More about who we are:

Stonewall Housing is the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ homelessness charity. We help LGBTQ+ people in the UK who are experiencing homelessness or living in an unsafe environment.

Founded in 1983, we provide specialist housing advice, advocacy and support for LGBTQ+ people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. We have specialisms in Mental Health, Domestic Abuse and Supported Accommodation.

We’re a team of caring, driven people, fighting to end homelessness and ensure that everyone has a safe and secure space to call home.

 

Our Values:

·       We are LGBTQ+ informed.

·       We are tenacious.

·       We are empowering.

·       We are collaborative.

·       We are inclusive.

 

What we can offer you:

Whatever stage of your career you may be at, we’ll support you with the training and development that you to reach your goals.

 

Our benefits include:

·       Competitive salary

·       Flexible working

·       Generous annual leave – 30 days (FTE)

·       An additional ‘Stonewall Housing’ day off per year

·       Pension scheme

·       Employee Assistance Programme

Stonewall Housing’s core hours are between 10:00 – 16:00 and staff can agree regular working patterns with their line manager.

 

Applying for the role:

No formal qualifications are needed for this role, and we encourage everyone with the appropriate skills, experience and potential to apply. We welcome applications from those who are able to understand and show empathy with our mission and purpose.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that represents the people we support. We particularly welcome applications from people who are Black, Asian or from other minority backgrounds. We welcome difference whether it’s gender, gender identity or expression, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, national origin, or pregnancy and maternity status; so please be yourself! Additionally, we particularly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience of homelessness who we believe are an essential asset in our sector.

For more information about us, please visit our website and follow Stonewall Housing on our social channels.

Equity is important to the success of our team and work. We don’t want any barriers to applying so if you want to discuss particular aspects of our approach, or get a better understanding of whether Stonewall Housing (or this role) is right for you, then please contact John, our Services Manager, on john[at]stonewallhousing[dot]org.

Interesting in researching more about us? If you're looking us up online to help with your application, bear in mind that Stonewall Housing is both a Community Benefit Society and Charitable Foundation. Our company number is IP24277R and our charity number is 1187437. You can find Stonewall Housing Charitable Foundation (SHCF) on the Charity Commission Register, and Stonewall Housing Association (SHA) on the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) Register.