Support Practitioner | Wernham House

Company Description

At Aberdeen Cyrenians, we support people to make positive change. We have spent over 50 years providing a range of support and care services to vulnerable people and those in crisis.

Starting life as a soup kitchen organised by Aberdeen University students, we have grown to support and assistance to rough sleepers, those needing to flee unsafe home environments, couch surfers with no permanent address, people who find it difficult to maintain their tenancy due to mental health or addiction issues, ex-prisoners with nowhere to go, those in a time of crisis that find themselves vulnerable and at risk of losing their home and those that want to remain independent and need support to stay within their home.

Now in 2021, the organisation is known as a pioneer in homelessness, complex care and support needs services and mental health support. From opening the first ‘wet’ hostel, allowing residents to drink safely while engaging with services to tackle underlying need, a model now used globally, and opening the first women’s hostel in Aberdeen; to leading on the new pathfinder project, implementing the Scottish Government’s Housing First policy recognising that to assist those with multiple and complex needs, the first step is a secure and ongoing tenancy that can be retained, whilst also providing wrap around support. Organisational growth and innovation continues, this year winning commissioned services as a key partner of an innovative third sector led consortium for Care at Home.

Our philosophy is built on the Cyrenian Movement; organisations that reach out a helping hand to those that stumble in life, helping them to get back on their feet. While we are a secular organisation, we are named after Simon of Cyrene famed for helping Jesus as he stumbled carrying his cross. We support people of all faiths, and those of none.

As a local independent charity, we work in partnership with a wide range of local organisations and collaborate with other similar organisations in a national forum.

Our Ethos

• Our services are person-centred, flexible, inclusive, compassionate and friendly
• We help people live fulfilling lives working towards goals that matter to them
• We work alongside people to reduce and overcome barriers that they face·
• We empower people by building skills and resilience
• We know life is complicated and offer support that encompasses multiple needs·
• We are specialists in providing care and support.

Position

Job Title: Support Practitioner | Wernham House

Responsible to: Lead Practitioner & Service Manager

Salary: £19,506.00 - £23,533.00

Hours of Work: 39hrs per week - Shift Work

Main Responsibilities

To be pro-active in the support and delivery of a holistic, flexible, person centred care home and respite service.

Job Activities

• Form, develop, sustain and maintain relationships with service users through which the other job activities can be accomplished.
• Assess and review service users’ strengths and needs through accurate & appropriate information gathering.
• Ensure that the basic needs of service users are addressed and met (food, shelter, warmth, bathing, clothing, etc.).
• Support service users with substance misuse/mental health issues using harm minimisation approach and recovery models
• Intervene in a crisis to effectively pre-empt and/or de-escalate accidents and incidents.
• Engage in partnership working by liaising/working with a range of agencies on behalf of services users including social work, housing, health, police, courts, utility companies, debt agencies, Department for Work & Pensions and other voluntary sector organisations
• Ensure that services users’ views remain paramount and that potential obstacles such as literacy & numeracy are assessed and addressed.
• Advocate on service users’ behalf and generally assist with communication issues
• Work with service users to tackle debts, budget and maximise their income
• Provide emotional and practical support to service users
• Assist in protecting service users from risk of abuse and work with other agencies in the regard.
• Plan/participate and assist service user involvement in quality social activities on a one–to–one and group basis.
• Where required, assist service users with medication
• Where required, assist service users with personal care (food, bathing, continence, etc.)
• Assist with the day-to-day issues relating to the building from where the service is delivered (health & safety, cleaning, other maintenance, etc)
• Carry out other relevant work commensurate with the post as required

Systems

• Maintenance of paperwork – Utilisation of InForm to record all information in relation to Service User Management. Writing letters on behalf of service users, report writing, H&S logs, diary entries etc.
• Order, receipt & dispense of medication.
• Day-to-day operation of service (budgeting, appointments, planners, meetings).
• Service finance (petty cash, service user finances).
• Computers/IT systems – Word, Excel, email, databases.

Quality Standards

• Working to the appropriate Care Inspectorate standards
• Working to the appropriate Scottish Social Services Council standards for the registration of staff.
• Working to the appropriate Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator standards.
• Working to the appropriate organisational standards and in partnership with the commissioner.
• Working to the appropriate Environmental Health standards.

General Terms of Reference

In carrying out the above activities, the Support Practitioner will:

• Work shifts including evenings/weekends/night hours.
• Work on your own and as part of a team.
• Maximise their own performance and contribution;
• Ensure they comply with internal and external regulations, procedures and other requirements appertaining to the project;
• Maintain the good reputation of the organisation;
• Keep abreast of developments and legislation relevant to the project's range of activities;
• Seek to improve their knowledge and skills by both formal and informal means;
• Carry out other relevant work commensurate with the post as required by service management.

Requirements

Essential

• A qualification of N/SVQ3 in Care, or equivalent or the willingness and ability to attain this within five years.
• Literacy and numeracy at a level to maintain all the appropriate paperwork, write support plans and give budgeting advice.
• Able to use computer applications such as Word, databases.
• Demonstrable understanding of the work carried out by Aberdeen Cyrenians
• Able to work unsocial hours

Desirable

• An understanding of social justice issues such as homelessness, substance misuse, mental health.
• An understanding of legislation/practice pertaining to the work.
• Minimum 6 months experience in a social care environment in a voluntary or paid capacity.
• Experience of working with disadvantaged people.
• Driving/clean licence

Key Capabilities

Interpersonal understanding – listens and understands expressed feelings; demonstrates concern for others; encourages others to express themselves.

Emotional awareness – manages strong emotions and responds constructively; keeps own feelings in check; deals with stress.

Service user orientation – strives to meet and surpass service users’ expectations; maintains appropriate contact until problem is resolved; makes self available to service users at critical periods; able to advocate on behalf of service users.

Flexibility – adapts easily to changes at work; modifies behaviour in response to a situation; sees the merits of differing viewpoints.

Initiative – takes responsibility; looks ahead and anticipates what needs to be done.

Team working – contributes fully to team work; establishes positive relationships with the team.

Working within Professional Boundaries – Demonstrates professional curiosity; accepts responsibility for own work; seeks and uses professional support; understands the principle of confidentiality.

Leadership – gives recognition and credit; generates enthusiasm and commitment.

Developing others – assumes responsibility for addressing service users’ skills; encourages initiatives in problem solving and making choices.

Other information

You can expect the following working for us:

• Comprehensive training through our online Learning Management System
• Opportunity to pursue on the job qualifications and career progression
• Online timesheets and expenses
• We are a Living Wage Foundation accredited employer - pay is reviewed annually each April
• Benefits including Bike to Work Scheme and an Employee Assistance programme
• A warm and friendly team environment where everyone is valued.
• Mileage paid at the national rate.

It's important to us that we recruit people who share our values and who want to make a difference. Our interview process is designed to get to know you better and to find out why you want to work for us. If you are nervous, please don't be - there are no right or wrong answers.

Because we work with vulnerable people, we have a responsibility to safeguard them. We undertake background and reference checks, and it is a term of employment with us that all employees register with the Protecting Vulnerable Groups ("PVG") scheme operated by Disclosure Scotland.

We guarantee an interview to candidates who have lived experience within the areas of society and the issues that we support and those who are care experienced, subject to meeting the minimum criteria for the role.

We're an equal opportunities employer and value diversity - exclusion has no place in our workplaces. If you need us to make reasonable adjustments to allow you to attend an interview with us, just let us know.

We regret that due to current Home Office rules, we are not able to sponsor applicants for this role, so you must be eligible to live and work in the UK without sponsorship.

The closing date for this position is 5pm on Sunday 31st October 2021.