Temporary Duty Support Worker

Gloucestershire Nightstop Theory of Change Summary

Providing young people with somewhere safe and secure, as a foundation for fulfilling and independent adulthood

Job Purpose

1. To provide temporary cover and be an active part of a team that delivers and develops high quality services for young homeless people aged 16 - 25 in Gloucestershire.
2. To be part of the team at Gloucestershire Nightstop arranging and providing emergency accommodation for young homeless people in the homes of trained and vetted volunteers.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. To be part of a team arranging and providing emergency accommodation and any other accommodation available via Gloucestershire Nightstop for young homeless people in the homes of trained and vetted volunteers and elsewhere as appropriate.

2. To provide safe face to face meetings with young homeless people by way of assessing their suitability for Gloucestershire Nightstop services

3.To act as the duty officer operating the duty system as required arranging placements for young people with our Hosting Volunteers. It is envisaged this will be 3 days a week

4. Ensure thorough assessments are carried out on all referrals in line with policy and procedure requirements.

5. To provide empathetic support for young people using Gloucestershire Nightstop emergency service.

6. To conduct regular outcome interviews for young people supported by Gloucestershire Nightstop.

7. To ensure that access to Gloucestershire Nightstop services for young people is as available as possible, keeping in regular touch with hosts and team members about this as necessary

8. To provide support directly to young people on a range of matters including (but not limited to) life skills, practicalities, activities, and other areas.

9. To participate in the on-Call System providing emergency overnight and weekend support for young people and Hosting Volunteers.

10. Undertake a range of duties to support the work of Gloucestershire Nightstop

ADDITIONAL DUTIES:

It is the nature of the work of Gloucestershire Nightstop that tasks and responsibilities are, in many circumstances, unpredictable and varied. All staff are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises when tasks that are not specifically covered in the job description must be undertaken. These additional duties will normally be to cover unforeseen circumstances or changes in the work, and they will normally be compatible with the regular type of work. If the additional responsibility or task becomes a regular or frequent part of the member of staffs’ job, it will be included in the job description in consultation with the member of staff.

HEALTH & SAFETY: To be familiar and comply with Gloucestershire Nightstops policy on Health & Safety at Work. SAFEGUARDING Young people and VULNERABLE ADULTS: To be familiar and comply with Gloucestershire Nightstops Safeguarding policies safeguarding is everyone’s business. There is an expectation that staff will pass onto the appropriate manager and local authority any child welfare concerns that may arise in the course of their duties.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY: To be familiar with and promote Gloucestershire Nightstops Equality and Diversity policy in all aspects of your work. GOVERNANCE: To be familiar with and adhere to all Gloucestershire Nightstops operational policies. CONFIDENTIALITY: Acknowledging the need for appropriate sharing of information with professional colleagues and as required in relation to operational policies (in particular relating to Safeguarding Young people and vulnerable adults’ issues) the worker is required to maintain strict confidentiality of information conveyed to them by young people or external professional colleagues. Breach of information by a member of staff could result in disciplinary procedures being instituted.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Hours: 22.5 hours per week including some evening and weekend work. Includes 1 evening on call .

Weekend oncall friday 5pm to Monday 9am £200 per weekend.

Salary £15per hour

Holidays: 25 days per annum in addition to statutory Bank Holidays pro rata

This job description sets out the task and skill requirements associated with this post. Along with the staff handbook and the Statement of the Main Terms of Employment it forms the terms and conditions of employment with Gloucestershire Nightstop.

Person Specification

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

At least two years’ experience of working with vulnerable or disadvantaged young people /essential

Knowledge of youth homelessness issues and legislation affecting young people /desirable

Knowledge of local housing provision and services for young homeless people /desirable

Educated to A Level / NVQ standard or equivalent /desirable

ABOUT YOU

To possessgood communication and assessment skills

To possess good interpersonal skills with the range of Gloucestershire Nightstop stakeholders to include colleagues, volunteers, young people, and external agencies

Have theability to work as a positive part of a team providing support and services to young people in need

Have the ability to work alongside and build relationships with young people experiencing homelessness

Ensure the ability to adapt and be flexible in response to the evolving requirements and circumstances of young individuals and the provision of Gloucestershire Nightstop services.

Effective listening skills

The ability to work within a culture of confidentiality, inclusion, and safeguarding

Confident with the basics within the Microsoft Office Software Suite including Word, Outlook, and client data base

The ability to learn new tasks and processes on the job quickly

The ability to remain positive and optimistic when working with young people experiencing homelessness

To hold a full, clean UK driving license and access to a car for work