Senior Rough Sleeping Hub Support Worker - Portsmouth

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act. We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed.

We are looking for a Senior Rough Sleeping Hub Support Worker to join our Housing Needs, Advice & Support team, working directly with customers to help deal with housing issues and prevent homelessness in the city. This is a full-time role based at the Rough Sleeping Hub in Portsmouth.

The Rough Sleeping Hub provides help for people who are street homeless, or at risk of becoming street homeless. People can access friendly and personalised support in a safe space which is open 8am - 4pm, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The Hub aims to provide a range of facilities and support for its service users, including:

• a breakfast and hot drinks
• shower and laundry facilities
• lockers to store valuables and belongings
• access to computers and the internet
• support with healthcare needs and on-site access to Homeless Health care professionals
• housing advice
• use of the building as a ‘care of’ address
• support with benefits and bank accounts
• general guidance and signposting to other services based on their personal situation

Reporting to the Rough Sleeping Operational Manager, you will be responsible for leading a small team of Rough Sleeping Hub Support Workers which will staff the Hub, providing rough sleepers access to the facilities and services offered. The Rough Sleeping Hub is open seven days a week, including all bank holidays, and accordingly you will work on a rota that enables this level of provision. You will be required to ensure the Rough Sleeping Hub environment is safe, secure and of high standard.

Somebody who:

• Ideally has experience working with vulnerable and homeless people, or households with housing problems, and a desire to work with them to resolve these issues.
• Has an awareness of the Equality Act 2010 and the Care Act 2014, and of adult safeguarding principles and procedures.
• An awareness of relevant housing legislation such as the Housing Act 1996, Homelessness Act 2002 and Homeless Reduction Act 2017 would be beneficial for this role.
• Is able to advocate for customers by developing positive relationships with other agencies (ie mental health services, probation, substance misuse services) and be the single point of contact if required.
• Is confident in making risk assessments in relation to customers' circumstances, including identifying potential safeguarding concerns, to ensure a safe working environment at all times.
• Is able to listen to people and not rush to conclusions or judgements before fully understanding what is needed or wanted by a customer.
• Has tact and diplomacy; the ability to deal with sensitive and confidential issues that may require a variety of responses.
• The right person will be able to manage challenging situations whilst remaining professional and objective.
• Possesses negotiating and advocacy skills.
• Able to work on their own initiative and who can be proactive, and solution focused.
• Able to work well within and lead a highly functioning team, supporting your colleagues and line reports to manage a caseload of clients.
• Is emotionally resilient and able to deal with the impact of being exposed to customers' difficult circumstances.
• Can maintain accurate records of all clients who you come into contact with to enable concise data collection.
• Has the ability to communicate clearly to colleagues, partners and customers, verbally and in writing.
• Is competent in the use of IT to manage and monitor a small team's caseload effectively, recording information appropriately on the required management information system.
• Basic ICT skills, including the use of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Outlook and other Office 365 applications such as SharePoint.
• Is able to work flexibly as part of a rota, which will include shifts on some weekends and bank holidays.

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work/personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had.

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