Everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
Company Limited by Guarantee number 1741926 Charity Number 287779 Registered in England as Single Homeless Project
shp Single Homeless Project
Job title: Floating Support Worker
Delegated Authority: Level 7
Team: Westminster Floating Support
Responsible to: Team Manager
Responsible for: N/A
Job purpose
As part of a dynamic and diverse team, you will work with clients from a variety of backgrounds, offering tailored support that helps them sustain their tenancies, improve their wellbeing, and work towards achieving their personal goals. Your day to day responsibilities will include delivering psychologically informed support, ensuring clients are actively engaged in their journey, and working collaboratively to ensure holistic and meaningful outcomes. The impact you’ll have will be significant, helping individuals thrive in their own homes and build lasting resilience.
The Westminster Floating Support Service, funded by the Westminster Council, offers vital housing related support that enables individuals to maintain independent living, regardless of their tenancy type. Our service is built on respect for each person’s unique cultural, religious, and personal identity, ensuring that everyone’s dignity is upheld. You will be part of a comprehensive network of professionals, working in partnership to offer seamless support.
At Single Homeless Project (SHP), we believe in continuous professional growth, providing all staff with ongoing learning opportunities through an extensive in house training programme. This role not only offers the chance to make a direct, positive impact on people’s lives but also provides a clear pathway for career development within a supportive and forward-thinking organisation.
Key accountabilities
Key working
To key work a given number of clients, holding regular meetings and assist them to reach their goals by working with them through their support plans and review them regularly in a way that is focused, and client led.
Housing related support
To provide housing advice to clients in order for them to maintain their tenancies including advising clients of their rights and responsibilities as well as advocating on their behalf as necessary.
To support clients to upskill regarding daily living skills, to enable them to sustain their accommodation independently, including bill management, and household management.
To support clients to develop and maintain the social skills necessary to ensure positive neighbourhood relationships are developed and maintained.
Resettlement support
To provide a shorter intervention for clients who are moving from temporary to permanent accommodation, or for other reasons. This will include but not exhaustive of: supporting clients to bid and view properties; support to coordinate packing up of their property which may include support to pack up lighter items; and supporting to set up in a new accommodation.
To liaise closely with the City Councils housing pathways.
Support planning
To work in partnership with the client and any significant others involved in their support, to ensure assessed needs are translated into action plans that are SMART and give scope for progression. All support plans will be client-led and reviewed regularly to ensure they are relevant to the client’s changing needs.
Work with clients to draft and implement realistic support plans and risk assessments, to ensure they receive an individual package of support that meets their needs.
Risk assessment and management
To produce comprehensive and high-quality risk assessment and risk management plans.
To minimise risks to clients by identifying, reporting and following up any safeguarding concerns and incidents.
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To work alongside other professionals involved in the case to support risk management and to escalate concerns where necessary.
Partnership working
To work in partnership with other SHP departments and external agencies to ensure that client needs are assessed and addressed appropriately. To take personal responsibility for a professional approach that enhances the reputation of the service both internally and externally.
To proactively liaise, communicate and negotiate with internal and external specialists and external agencies in order to maximise client support services, resources and funding.
Social inclusion
To support clients to access activities which will assist them in working towards gaining greater independence within the wider community. Take part in running activities or groups in response to identified client needs or as part of SHP’s Opportunities Programme.
To support clients that are ready to move into work, education or training to access suitable courses or placements.
Information management
In line with SHP’s policies and procedures, to ensure all client contacts are recorded appropriately and accurately on the SHP database and in line with SHPs policy and procedures. To contribute to effective service delivery and evaluation by ensuring all relevant casework forms and recording systems are up to date and that key performance information is correctly recorded.
Teamwork and personal development
To demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to share skills and knowledge and support colleagues. To participate in team meetings, regular supervision sessions, performance reviews and training by being fully prepared, ready to share and discuss ideas and offer solutions.
To take personal responsibility for own ongoing development and learning.
Service development
To promote the service’s internal feedback methods such as the complaints procedure and to respond positively to suggestions.
To take personal responsibility for feeding back to colleagues/managers any information or comments that would contribute to ensuring the service is relevant and responsive.
Office duties
To participate fully in rotas covering duty sessions and any related service activities.
Health and safety
To work in accordance with SHP’s Health & Safety policies and procedures and the law around health and safety at work. To ensure that local procedures are followed.
To be aware of and comply with project policies and procedures for safe working practices for staff and service users.
Miscellaneous
SHP is at discretion to amend your responsibilities and, in addition to these, you may be required to perform other duties as may be required for the efficient running of the organisation.
To create inclusive working environments and cultures to enable colleagues and clients to feel safe and empowered to achieve their full potential.
Technical and professional know-how needed for position
When completing your application, you will be required to address (using examples) some of the points below
Experience and Knowledge
Understanding of how to support clients to carry out tasks such as budgeting, calculating benefit entitlements and understanding rent arrears and housing options.
Experience of working in a client-centred support service working with vulnerable people presenting significant levels of need and risk, with an ability to devise and deliver on action plans through high quality risk management and needs assessment.
A demonstrable level of experience and/or understanding of the range of approaches appropriate to working with issues such as substance use, mental and physical ill health, dual diagnosis, challenging behaviour, risk of homelessness, offending, antisocial behaviour, social isolation, domestic violence, gang-related issues, young parents, leaving care and learning disabilities.
The ability to effectively liaise with a range of service providers and agencies in order to establish or improve services for clients.
A good and current understanding of safeguarding issues and the ability to undertake comprehensive risk assessments.
Able to evidence experience of delivering on the principles underlying a quality service, which is client-focused and with a proven ability to empower clients.
Skills and Abilities
The ability to work within a strengths and recovery based model, and engage and motivate people to move towards an appropriate level of independence and inclusion.
The ability to be self-motivating and manage time effectively, prioritising different areas of work according to need to ensure deadlines are met while maintaining work of a high standard.
The ability to use a computer to input data accurately, to communicate effectively through emails and to produce good quality minutes of meetings, client notes, letters and reports.