At a Glance
- Tasks: Support individuals experiencing homelessness, creating a safe and empowering environment.
- Company: YMCA Together, a compassionate organisation dedicated to community support.
- Benefits: Personal fulfilment, professional growth, training opportunities, and a supportive team culture.
- Other info: Open to all applicants, valuing diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while developing your skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in charity work or supporting vulnerable individuals is preferred.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 42000 £ per year.
As a Support Worker at YMCA Together, you will be an empathetic and caring individual dedicated to providing unconditional support to those experiencing homelessness and the effects of past traumatic incidents. Your role will involve creating a safe environment that empowers residents to make positive changes in their lives. Everyone goes through periods of crisis at some point, and some individuals require additional support to navigate these challenging times. Your responsibility will be to assist our clients in a trauma-informed manner, enabling them to progress, whether that means following a recovery pathway or transitioning to more independent living. You will work as part of a team to achieve these goals alongside the person you are supporting, ensuring you always work with a person-centred approach.
What your week may look like:
- Welcoming new residents in line with the service's policies and procedures, carrying out risk assessments and support plans.
- Ensuring the basic needs of residents are met, including good quality accommodation and facilities, healthy food, advice and guidance and activities.
- Maintaining excellent relationships with our key referrers, responding to referrals promptly and communicating daily with external agencies on behalf of the residents.
- Work alongside the people in our services to ensure they are getting the best out of their stay.
- Holding daily activities in service and encouraging participation, and ensuring involvement from the residents.
- Carrying out the immediate support needs of residents as appropriate, providing crisis intervention where necessary and working with services.
- Ensuring all health and safety and maintenance issues are raised promptly.
- Participating in team meetings, supervision and reflective practice, encouraging open, honest and transparent feedback where continuous improvement is encouraged.
- Being flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the service, ensuring our SHREK values run through all of the work that you do.
- Promoting a supportive and inclusive culture within the service, valuing people and their diversity.
What can we offer you:
Working with YMCA Together comes with a whole host of benefits. We hope that people will find deep personal fulfilment and purpose by working alongside people in our services. Our teams are compassionate and supportive, fostering a strong sense of community. With opportunities for professional growth, YMCA Together offers training to support your role and personal development.
The skills we are looking for:
- EXPERIENCE: Ideally, you will have a background of working within a charity, community project and/or previous involvement in homeless service or working with women with complex behaviours. You will know about supporting people with challenging and complex behaviours, including substance misuse and Mental Health, within a 24-hour residential support service.
- KNOWLEDGE: A basic understanding of relevant and appropriate legislation, including welfare benefits and housing law. An understanding of health and safety requirements in the workplace.
- COMMUNICATION: Excellent communication, fostering a respectful, collaborative and professional approach to the people who you work alongside, ensuring confidentiality at all times.
- EMPATHY and RESPECT: The ability to empower people to make positive changes, showing empathy whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
- COMMITMENT: The ability to work in an innovative and solutions-focused way, including reflecting and learning as you go, and a willingness to flex and adapt approaches as needed.
- ORGANISATION: Strong time management and the ability to manage to prioritise tasks.
- COMPUTER LITERACY: You will be IT literate and have experience of working with multiple software programs such as Microsoft Office and Outlook.
What is a nice to have:
- NVQ/L2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent.
- Experience of working within a psychologically informed working environment.
- Knowledge of housing management and IT databases.
- Aware of benefits and how they work including Universal Credit and other welfare systems.
Even if you don't feel that you have all of the relevant skills and "nice to haves" we would still like to hear from you and invite you to fill out our application form. YMCA Together is an equal opportunities employer, values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.
Support Practitioner Homeless Service in Liverpool employer: YMCA Together
YMCA Together is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and professional growth of its staff while fostering a compassionate and inclusive work culture. As a Support Practitioner in our Homeless Service, you will find deep personal fulfilment in empowering individuals to overcome challenges, supported by ongoing training and a strong sense of community among colleagues. Our commitment to diversity and equal opportunities ensures that every employee feels valued and respected, making it a truly rewarding place to work.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Support Practitioner Homeless Service in Liverpool
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at YMCA Together.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from YMCA Together!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like YMCA Together, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at YMCA Together or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Support Practitioner Homeless Service in Liverpool
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to YMCA Together:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to YMCA Together! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at YMCA Together
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
