Job Description
Do you want to support change in people’s lives? Would you like to help build something exceptional and transformative? Working alongside those rebuilding their lives?
Connect Community Church are delighted to be in a position to recruit a Housing First Peer Support Specialist 21 hours a week. You will be part of a dynamic team serving and supporting vulnerable adults across Mendip with a main office base in Wells.
PLEASE DO NOT APPLY USING INDEED - PLEASE APPLY USING THE WEBSITE APPLICATION FORM.
Job Vacancies — Connect Community Church (connect-centre.org.uk)
ABOUT THE ROLE: Housing First provides person centred, strengths based support to a small group of Housing First residents and potential residents. Housing First works with single people who have various and/or extended experiences of rough sleeping and who may have multiple and complex challenges which have historically made finding, securing and maintaining accommodation extremely difficult.
All aspects of the role are informed by core Housing First Principles:
1. People have a right to a home
2. Support is provided as long as it is needed.
3. Housing and Support are separate.
4. Individuals have choice and control.
5. Strengths Based, goal and aspiration oriented approach.
6. Active engagement approach is used.
7. A harm reduction approach is used.
This job description indicates the general level of responsibility and standards expected of the post. The detailed duties may vary or develop over time according to needs without changing the nature of level of responsibility of the post. This job description does not form part of your contract.
POST:
Peer Support Specialist – Part Time 21 Hours Six Months Fixed term contract.
SALARY:
£20,500 per annum for part time employment, depending upon experience and qualifications. All salaries for part time employment will be pro rata.
DEPARTMENT:
Connect Centre – Connected Housing First
LOCATION:
The Somerset area, primarily the District of Mendip – Various locations; based in Wells
REPORTS TO:
Connected Housing First Service Lead
BACKGROUND:
Connect Community Church is a part of Elim, a world-wide mainstream Christian Church. Our aim is to serve the social, physical, spiritual, mental and emotional needs of the community in an accessible way.
OVERALL PURPOSE:
Housing First provides person centred, strengths based support to a small group of Housing First residents and potential residents. Housing First works with single people who have various and/or extended experiences of rough sleeping and who often have multiple and complex challenges which have historically made finding, securing and maintaining accommodation extremely difficult. All aspects of the role are informed by core Housing First Principles:
· People have a right to a home
· Support is provided as long as it is needed.
· Housing and Support are separate.
· Individuals have choice and control.
· Strengths Based, goal and aspiration-oriented approach.
· Active engagement approach is used.
· A harm reduction approach is used.
OBJECTIVES:
· Peer Support specialist collaborates with participants to provide individualised and flexible support to engage and integrate them into the community helping to facilitate their access to resources and support to maximise their independence and potential and promote their recovery.
· Peer Support Specialists have gone through a process of recovery and have obtained peer support related training to assist others with mental health challenges to identify and achieve life goals as part of their own recovery. In collaboration with the Housing First team, the Peer Support Specialist uses empowerment and recovery-oriented approaches with individuals and groups to help combat stigma, raise self-esteem and mastery, improve self-concept, and instil hope.
· Actively engaging participants who may have a history of disengaging from services, through adaptive, flexible practices which are resilient to challenges and rejections.
· To collaborate with the Connect Team to provide flexible, compassionate, community-based services that promote stability, recovery and community reintegration of individuals.
· Ensuring Connected Housing First continues to develop with high fidelity to the Core Principles.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Delivering trauma informed support to people with multiple and complex challenges, increasing independence and maximising connectivity with the local community.
2. To create a peer support network at the Connect Centre. Supporting Housing First participants to access community resources, to develop positive peer networks and meaningful leisure opportunities
3. Raise awareness of the peer pathway with partner organisations
4. Working with Housing First participants to help them articulate their goals and aspirations offering person centred support in appropriate community settings, including home visits.
5. To oversee those with life experience of homelessness and trauma and facilitate their support.
6. To behave ethically, demonstrate competence in effective communication and team building, demonstrate effectiveness in working in a collaborative environment, and demonstrate confidence in decision-making and in building relationships.
7. Maintaining accurate, up to date records manually or electronically on the chosen case management system and maintaining confidentiality.
8. To adhere to good practice Safeguarding procedures to ensure the wellbeing of vulnerable people.
9. To contribute to regular reports on the service evaluation project as required. To keep numbers and paperwork as needed in relation to grants.
10. To participate in reflective practice to support and enhance wellbeing in the workplace and personal development.
11. Record all petty cash and other expenditure of project monies in line with Connect Centre policy.
12. Work within the Connect centre Lone Working Policy and other Connect Centre Health and Safety Policies as appropriate at all times.
13. Participate in team meetings and work with other members of the wider Connect Centre team. Attend regular supervisions with the Project Leader and identify own training needs.
14. To work flexibly with the team and support the success of project.
PERSON SPECIFICATION & MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE
APPLICATION INFORMATION
please ensure you do NOT apply with INDEED, but apply using the website
The application deadline is: 09/03/2023
Please apply using the Application Form downloadable from our website
The completed ‘Application Form’ should be emailed as an attachment to the individual named on the job description (available from the website)
with the following text entered exactly in the subject line:
Application for Peer Support Specialist (H02)
All applications should be submitted via email (if you are unable to submit your application electronically please contact us in advance to make another arrangement).
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted on 10/03/2023
The interview date is week beginning. 13/03/2023
The anticipated start date 1st April 23 DBS dependant
Please note: We will endeavour to contact you, but if you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, your application has not been successful on this occasion.
Job Type: Part-time
Part-time hours: 21 per week
Salary: £20,500.00 per year
Schedule:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Wells, BA5 2BE: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 09/03/2023
Reference ID: HF02
Expected start date: 01/04/2023
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