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Central is currently recruiting for a Specialist Intensive Housing Support Worker, to work in the Southend-on-Sea area. The service supports people who have experienced sustained or recurring homelessness with long-term housing and provides intensive wraparound support focussed on sustaining tenancies.

The successful candidate will be required to work 30 hours per week, between Monday – Friday 9AM - 5PM. There is a requirement for occasional availability on weekends. Temporary cover is required for approximately 3 months, with the possibility of extension. The pay rate is £13.89 per hour, with £2.02 holiday pay, totalling £15.91 per hour.

Please note; this role involves working in clients' homes and across the community.

In this position, you will be required to:

* Work as part of a community based team, working intensively with a small caseload of complex cases focusing on homelessness prevention

* Support customers around tenancy sustainment ensuring a person centred, strength based and solution focussed approach

* Ensure the service is delivered using Trauma informed and Psychologically informed systems and values

* Carry out an assessment of need with new customers to establish and develop an appropriate plan of support

* Where needed support and assist customers with all the practical aspects of moving and setting up a new home

* Participate in all parts of the service from the initial referral, being able to confidently triage to the right level of support, completing assessments and crisis support as required

* Provide in-depth advice and information to customers on various topics such as welfare benefits, education, employment and accessing services

* Provide advice and support to help customers sustain their housing and build a home, to access health care for physical and/or mental health conditions, explore work and training opportunities and offer encouragement to access support services

* Engage with appropriate stakeholders and specialist agencies to achieve positive outcomes; working collaboratively and adhering to the Social Care principle of ‘No decision about me, without me’ ensuring the customer is at the heart of any work carried out

* Support customers to develop independence so they can establish and maintain their own tenancies and accommodation

To apply for this role, you must have:

* Experience working with those who have slept rough/have experienced other forms of homelessness and those that present with complex/multiple needs

* Experience providing a visiting/floating support service

* Knowledge of Housing law and homelessness prevention legislation, including the HRA as well as Housing First and Housing First principles

* Experience achieving positive outcomes and working in a trauma informed way

* Ability to engage customers who are deemed hard to reach, including people in crisis and in chaotic situations

* Experience supporting interventions and techniques around homelessness prevention and tenancy sustainment

* Ability to carry out strength-based assessments and support planning along with providing advocacy and liaison on behalf of those worked with

* Knowledge of Safeguarding legislation and how it applies to vulnerable adults

* Numeracy skills sufficient to advise customers on benefit entitlements, debt issues and household budgeting and management

* Ability to use IT software packages (e.g. spreadsheets, word processing and databases)

* Beneficial: if the candidate drives and has a car. This is not essential as long as the candidate can travel around Southend

Further requirements:

In order to register with Central Recruitment Services for temporary agency work, candidates must meet the following criteria:

* Current valid right to work in the UK

* Minimum 12 months’ of paid experience in a front line social care role within the last 3 years* (unless recruitment criteria states otherwise)

* A fully enhanced DBS either registered on the DBS update service or issued within the last 12 months, or willingness to apply for one through Central (at a cost of £50)

* Employment or education history to cover the last 5 years which can be verified through the referencing process

How to apply:

If you feel that you fully meet the above outlined criteria for this role and would like apply for this post, please forward your CV for consideration.

*Please note the outlined experience is the 'minimum' first stage criteria, and we will therefore be unable to consider your application unless you are able to demonstrate a relevant work history in line with this position