Community Support Worker

Emmaus St Albans Community Support Worker Job Description

Location: Emmaus St Albans, Hill End Lane, St Albans, AL4 0FE Accountable to: Community Support Manager Responsible for: Companions in conjunction with the support team Hours: 8.30am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday Salary: £24,000 per annum Fixed term contract: November 2017 – December 2018

Overall Purpose of the Job

The main purpose of this role is to manage a caseload of up to 16 Companions and to ensure that new companions get the information and support they need to help them settle in quickly and easily to the community. Other parts of the role include assisting the support team in the running of the Emmaus Community, ensuring that the welfare and development needs of companions are met effectively and Social Enterprise business activity is run successfully.

Budgetary Control

The post holder will have no specific budgetary control. Emmaus Communities aim to be self-sustaining financially and the Community Support Worker is expected to contribute towards this goal, adopting ‘value for money’ principles.

Main Responsibilities

 Assisting companions with making and attending appointments, and acting as an advocate where appropriate, in accordance with accepted procedures (for e.g. health, legal assistance, court. housing, benefits, training, etc).  To assist the support team in registering new companions with the local GP clinic and applying for HC2 certificates where required.  To undertake administration relating to the running of the community and its business, including Housing Benefit claims and other relevant policies and procedures.  Ensure that the Community environment is kept safe and that all policies are followed including health and safety, food handling and hygiene, fire, first aid, building maintenance, working with violence and aggression etc.  Responsible for compliance with current health and safety regulations and relevant legislation within the Emmaus community and all related activities  Provide on-going monitoring, in accordance with community licences, including random drug testing, random room checks and breathalyser tests for alcohol levels  Assisting integration of new companions into Community life through a structured induction  Liaising with the CEO, Community Support Manager, Trainee Community Assistant, Retail Manager, Operations Manager and Workshop Manager to ensure the appropriate use of companions, matching skills and abilities to tasks and the needs of the social enterprise and producing effective rotas for different aspects of the work to fit the needs of both the companions and the business.  Assist with the referral process including carrying out risk assessments, prison visits when necessary and liaison with referring agencies  Maintaining and promoting professional links with local homeless agencies, local authorities, charities, prison teams, probation, and any other referral agencies  Take responsibility for the welcome, booking in, risk assessment and induction of companions  To keep the Companions Handbook up to date and ensure every companion is given a copy.  Develop companions’ skills to enhance their own personal and work-related growth both for their own benefit and that of the community  Help to maintain community discipline through discussing issues with companions as soon as possible and issuing warnings and or bans where appropriate  Help to identify companions’ needs and cater for them in a supportive and encouraging way  To supervise and co-ordinate the management of companions in their work and in the community.  To undertake administration relating to the running of the community, its business, and its policies and procedures.  To conduct support plans, development plans, support sessions, disciplinary hearings and associated activities relating to companions and in compliance with our Emmaus ethos, strategic aims, organisational objectives, policies and procedures.  To cover additional duties, for which the Community Support Manager is responsible, in the Community Support Manager’s absence.  To deliver informal training as required and as supported by the Community Support Manager (e.g. housekeeping, basic money management, goal-setting, literacy skills)  Support companions in their leisure activities and encourage active and healthy life styles  Assist in the day-to-day administration, organisation and effective operation of the community and the maintenance of appropriate records following appropriate training  To organise the distribution of protective clothing and equipment and keep accurate records of this.  To maintain records of companion holiday due dates / dates taken, appointments, and other matters relating to companion’s time within Emmaus

Other Duties

 Agree to participate in a rotation to ensure 24 hours, 7 days per week community and companion support.  Perform sleep in duties in order to respond to incidents relating to Health and Safety, security or other emergencies  Perform any other tasks or duties deemed necessary by the CEO, Community Support Manager and Assistant Community Leader.  To attend support staff meetings arranged by Emmaus UK.

General

Emmaus works with vulnerable people. Staff and volunteers must observe the proper demarcation and professional boundaries while performing their role. The Community Support Worker must always act in a way which will maintain the good reputation of Emmaus St Albans, upholding the policies and procedures of Emmaus. The Community Support Worker will strive to preserve good working relationships with Staff, Volunteers, Companions and the Trustees, keeping the appropriate key personnel well informed of significant matters relating to the Community

Staff are also expected to participate in and support solidarity activities undertaken by the Community. Solidarity within the context of Emmaus is the working with groups and individuals towards the alleviation of poverty, social exclusion and suffering, and responding to local, national and international appeals for relief and support.

We expect you to carry out your role in an environmentally aware manner. Our aim is to ensure all resources are utilised effectively and efficiently.

In Emmaus, volunteers are an important resource and make a vital contribution to Emmaus’s aim to take action to help disadvantaged people. You will be expected to encourage, develop and support volunteer involvement in our work. Community Support Worker Person Specification

Essential Desirable

Education: Education:  Good general education  Degree in support related field  NVQ 2 or Level 3 in support related field Skills: Skills:  Active listening skills  Negotiation and mediation  Effective written and verbal communication  Assessment and planning support for people  Report writing and record keeping  Conflict management  Managing meetings  Solution focussed approaches  Time management and prioritisation  Networking and partnership development  Maintaining professional boundaries  Managing confidentiality  Microsoft Office

Experience & Knowledge and / or Experience & Knowledge and / or Understanding: Understanding:  Working or volunteering in a charity or social  Experience of administering housing benefit enterprise environment  A good knowledge of local resources and  Understanding of homelessness, housing network of local contacts and social exclusion  Understanding of working with people who have drug /alcohol addictions, criminal convictions and mental health issues

Other:  A belief in the potential of each individual and an understanding of the importance of the Community in helping an individual achieve their potential  Effective team worker  Ability to work under pressure  Empathetic and understanding of a wide range of needs and experiences  Empowering approach  Can be a leader and mentor for companions, ensuring the best possible outcome for their journey within Emmaus  Awareness and acceptance of own limitations  Confidence to take on and resolve difficult issues  Commitment to environmental sustainability and social development  Awareness and understanding of Equal Opportunities  Able to welcome people into the community with no prejudice  Able to work unsocial hours