The Community Link Worker programme, funded by EVOC & Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership, is delivered in partnership with GP Practices and the 3rd sector to support people to live well through strengthening connections between community resources and primary care.

The Community Link Worker will be employed by Caring in Craigmillar and will work as part of two practice teams (Restalrig Park and Baronscourt) in North East Edinburgh, to provide 1:1 person-centred and practical supports to people in contact with the GP practice team.

Taking a person-centred approach, you will work with individuals to enable them to identify personal outcomes and priorities for their health and well-being and link them to local, city and national activities and support services.

The postholder must have experience of working with people who are facing complex social and emotional circumstances, a strong understanding of the challenges affecting people living in areas of disadvantage in relation to living well, extensive effective interpersonal skills in working with people on a 1:1 basis as well as experience in networking and relationship building with other professionals and organisations.

PVG: This post requires membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. Application will be processed for the successful candidate.

Your work will be challenging but it will transform lives for generations.

Simon Community Scotland is the largest provider of homelessness services in Scotland.

Our vision is for everyone to have a safe place to live with access to the support they need. Every day we help make positive things happen for people facing extremely difficult circumstances.

Everything we do is about and for people: the people we support, our staff, our partners and everyone affected by homelessness.

Our values are built into every area of activity and tell the story of how people remain at the heart of the Simon Community.

Job Summary

The Simon Community is Scotland's leading homeless charity. We are creative and innovative. We get things done with care and compassion that make a difference to our community, being true to our values. We are a community of staff, volunteers and the people that we support.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about changing expectations and experiences of people we support, many of whom have experienced significant trauma, exclusion and stigma. They often engage in risk taking behaviours that put their physical and mental health, and their lives at risk. Despite the challenges they face they have incredible resilience, survival skills and a wicked sense of humour. They know what a good, and not so good service looks like.

As a residential support worker you will:

• support the development of life skills and homemaking in preparation for a tenancy,
• provide emotional support,
• help to reduce harm caused by homelessness and trauma.

There is a rolling rota including night shifts and / or sleepovers.

Job Purpose

As a support worker it will be your job to work with a team to:

• Help people in our community to manage and recover their mental health
• Support people who use drugs and alcohol to do so as safely as possible
• Support people who choose to reduce or stop their drug and alcohol use to do so safely
• Help people in our community to build a positive network of connections that will help them to gain and sustain their own housing
• Provide emotional and practical support to our community
• Any other duties directed by your service lead

Key Responsibilities

Our values support:

• Warmth and positive regard
• Inclusion and participation
• Innovation and personalisation of care and support
• Ambition
• Partnership
• Learning and leadership

Your key responsibilities to support those values will be:

• Developing honest and open relationships with our community that foster trust
• Using our training and reflective practice to develop additional skills to support and respond appropriately to our community who have experienced trauma
• Working with people in our community with a wide range of experiences and cultural backgrounds with dignity, respect and kindness
• Working as part of a team with a range of experiences and knowledge to the benefit of our community
• Supporting our community to influence their care and support to meet their goals - Fostering connection, hope, a positive identity and meaning in life and a sense of control for our community
• Working with other teams in SCS and with partners to support good outcomes for our community
• Seeking opportunities that will make a difference to our community
• Ensuring that our places reflect the respect we hold for our community

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications:

Essential:

• SVQ 3 social care or willing to work towards
• SSSC Registered or willing to become so

Desirable:

• Trauma informed practice
• Assist/MHFA/SafeTalk trained
• Naloxone trained
• Mental health or addictions qualifications

Experience:

Essential:

• Experience of providing support to people with a range of challenges including homelessness, mental ill health and addictions
• Experience of working in a fast paced environment which requires quick decision making

Desirable:

• Lived experience of homelessness
• Experience of working with a range of agencies as a team
• Networking and connecting skills

Knowledge and Skills:

Essential:

• Experience of working with people with a variety of individual and cultural beliefs
• Ability to use empathy and relational skills to build positive relationships with our community and colleagues
• Understanding of and ability to work within ethical and relational boundaries

Desirable:

• Knowledge and understanding of homelessness, addictions and mental health
• Understanding of services that support homelessness,addictions and mental health
• Evidence of good communication skills, written, verbal and digital

Personal:

Essential:

• Able to lead by example.
• A team player.
• A desire to learn and to develop innovative practice
• Honest, ethical and keen to overcome obstacles
• Flexible, responsive

Context:

Elpis Trust delivers a person centred housing support service to 18 young women who are experiencing homelessness or are care leavers aged between 16-25 years. The supported accommodation is based in the Core service and satellite flats in the Ruchill and Maryhill area of Glasgow. Elpis provides a high quality support service which addresses young woman’ identified and assessed needs and reflects the aims of the service to work within relevant organisational and statutory policies, including health and safety, employment and equality laws. This includes adhering to Scottish Social Services Council codes of practice, National Care Standards and contractual requirements. Staffs work closely with the young women to write up support plans and deliver an individually tailored service, utilising Ladders to Success and GIRFEC, SHANARRI Outcomes.

Job Purpose:

To have specific working responsibility at present for 19 vulnerable young women, 9 living in the Core building and 9 in scatter flats and 1 in Mother & Baby flat in the Ruchill and Maryhill areas of Glasgow.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide direct support to young women who have experienced homelessness and/or have a variety of complex emotional and mental health needs.
• Provide support to young women in all areas of service.
• Establish a supportive relationship with each young woman, enabling them to maximise their own resources in order to improve their quality of life, and to assist each young woman to be as independent as possible in all aspects of their daily life, in line with their support plans.
• On a daily basis assist and support young women to carry out identified housing support tasks to ensure that they maintain and sustain their accommodation and be flexible and responsive to meet the changing needs of the young women, as well as the housing support service itself.
• Problem solve unexpected and difficult issues that may arise during shift and deal with challenging behaviour when lone working, use own initiative in order to support the young women’s complex issues, and make decisions based on current assessments of risk, following set risk assessments protocols and procedures.
• Resolve complex young women issues, involving discussion with colleagues and relevant agencies through reviews and meetings, ensuring correct procedures are followed.
• Risk assess young woman’s needs and actions and consult with appropriate people such as line manager, social worker, case worker.
• Complete and update all relevant paperwork including housing support plans, risk assessments and case notes for each young woman, complying with National Care Standards, SSSC Codes of Practice, GIRFEC model of outcomes (SHANARRI) to ensure person centred service delivery and to meet service aims.
• Complete regular health and safety welfare checks of the young women, the building environment and equipment, reporting and dealing with any issues raised during these checks.
• Inform line management of any areas of concern or significant change when delivering young women support, to ensure that appropriate risk assessment is undertaken.
• Carry out all duties in compliance with Elpis Trust’s policies and procedures.
• Actively participate in 3 monthly support, supervision and observation.
• Work closely with and with direction from the Duty Manager, to plan and deliver young women’s identified support needs.
• Work co-operatively as part of a team including attending and contributing to team meetings and work in co-operation with other members of the support team, as well as colleagues from other agencies.
• Communicate in a knowledgeable, confident and professional manner with external agencies, including social workers, case work team, commissioning team, carers and relatives of young women. This may include email, telephone calls, letters or face to face meetings.
• Communicate with other team members in a respectful and supportive manner in order to promote positive team work and cohesion.
• Ensure the young women’s views and wishes are central to your work and encourage a high level of young women participation.
• To actively participate in identified training, on-going supervision and performance development.

Note: Duties will be reviewed and modified in line with the exigencies of the service.

Knowledge, education, qualifications, competences and experience:

Essential:

• Membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme
• Able to meet registration requirements with Scottish Social Services Council, Health and Social Care at S.V.Q. level 3, or be willing to achieve qualifications within specified timescale.
• Have an awareness of relevant National Care Standards and their application to work practice.
• Understand and adhere to the Codes of Practice from Scottish Social Services Council.
• Willing to maintain and enhance own knowledge, practice and competency.
• Previous experience working in Social Care.

Desirable:

• Experience of working with vulnerable young women and an understanding of the issues and needs involved.

You will be part of an initiative which will transform Scotland's approach to homelessness and alcohol.

Simon Community Scotland is the largest provider of homelessness services in Scotland.

Our vision is for everyone to have a safe place to live with access to the support they need. Every day we help make positive things happen for people facing extremely difficult circumstances.

Everything we do is about and for people: the people we support, our staff, our partners and everyone affected by homelessness.

Our values are built into every area of activity and tell the story of how people remain at the heart of the Simon Community.

Job Summary

The Simon Community is Scotland's leading homeless charity. We are creative and innovative. We get things done with care and compassion that make a difference to our community, being true to our values. We are a community of staff, volunteers and the people that we support.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about changing expectations and experiences of people we support, many of whom have experienced significant trauma, exclusion and stigma. They often engage in risk taking behaviours that put their physical and mental health, and their lives at risk. Despite the challenges they face they have incredible resilience, survival skills and a wicked sense of humour. They know what a good, and not so good service looks like.

As part of Scotland's first Managed Alcohol Programme you will:

• support our community to manage and control their alcohol consumption;
• provide lifestyle advice;
• support access to our on-site and partner health support;
• provide emotional and socialisation support

There is a rolling rota including night shifts.

Job Purpose

As a support worker it will be your job to work with a team to:

• Help people in our community to manage and recover their mental health
• Support people who use drugs and alcohol to do so as safely as possible
• Support people who choose to reduce or stop their drug and alcohol use to do so safely
• Help people in our community to build a positive network of connections that will help them to gain and sustain their own housing
• Provide emotional and practical support to our community
• Any other duties directed by your service lead

Key Responsibilities

Our values support:

• Warmth and positive regard
• Inclusion and participation
• Innovation and personalisation of care and support
• Ambition
• Partnership
• Learning and leadership

Your key responsibilities to support those values will be:

• Developing honest and open relationships with our community that foster trust
• Using our training and reflective practice to develop additional skills to support and respond appropriately to our community who have experienced trauma
• Working with people in our community with a wide range of experiences and cultural backgrounds with dignity, respect and kindness
• Working as part of a team with a range of experiences and knowledge to the benefit of our community
• Supporting our community to influence their care and support to meet their goals - Fostering connection, hope, a positive identity and meaning in life and a sense of control for our community
• Working with other teams in SCS and with partners to support good outcomes for our community
• Seeking opportunities that will make a difference to our community
• Ensuring that our places reflect the respect we hold for our community

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications:

Essential:

• SVQ 3 social care or willing to work towards
• SSSC Registered or willing to become so

Desirable:

• Trauma informed practice
• Assist/MHFA/SafeTalk trained
• Naloxone trained
• Mental health or addictions qualifications

Experience:

Essential:

• Experience of providing support to people with a range of challenges including homelessness, mental ill health and addictions
• Experience of working in a fast paced environment which requires quick decision making

Desirable:

• Lived experience of homelessness
• Experience of working with a range of agencies as a team
• Networking and connecting skills

Knowledge and Skills:

Essential:

• Experience of working with people with a variety of individual and cultural beliefs
• Ability to use empathy and relational skills to build positive relationships with our community and colleagues
• Understanding of and ability to work within ethical and relational boundaries

Desirable:

• Knowledge and understanding of homelessness, addictions and mental health
• Understanding of services that support homelessness,addictions and mental health
• Evidence of good communication skills, written, verbal and digital

Personal:

Essential:

• Able to lead by example.
• A team player.
• A desire to learn and to develop innovative practice
• Honest, ethical and keen to overcome obstacles
• Flexible, responsive