Support Worker: Access Hub

**About Simon Community Scotland**:
**People are at the heart of who we are and what we do.**Day-by-day, person-to-person, we tailor what we offer to what people need. We’re here to provide consistent, friendly and informed support so that people can explore options and take ‘the next step’ towards a positive future. We welcome people with a wide range of skills and experiences to our team - including those who have lived through homelessness.

To make a difference we need to work flexibly, with everyday-leadership, humour and a ‘can do’ spirit. We want to **make it easy**, **make it right**, and **make it happen** - not only for the people we support, but also for each other.

Our #OneTeam ethos is core to who we are, and it means caring for and supporting each other regardless of our role, service or location. This is how we roll. We want people who share these values to join us and become a part of the Simon Community Scotland family.

**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.

**Job Purpose**:
As part of our Access HUB Team you'll be working with people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness in a supportive and collaborative environment alongside our partner agencies. This also includes refused asylum seekers, people awaiting settlement under the EUSS and recently granted refugees.

We provide both practical and emotional support, helping people to access accommodation, benefits, housing advice, health and wellbeing services, personal development opportunities as well as a wide range of support services.

Our team builds and maintains strong professional relationships with a variety of external partners (local authorities, support providers, emergency services, the home office etc) to ensure the support we offer is coordinated and effective.

We adopt a harm reduction approach in our practice and an element of this includes providing harm reduction advice and Naloxone. Full training is provided.

**Key Responsibilities**:
**Warmth and Regard**:
Recognising and valuing everyone (Equality and Diversity)

Offering a friendly personalised and caring service

Treating people with kindness, dignity and respect

Acting with compassion

Showing warmth and welcome to everyone

Taking difficult decisions sensitively and with due regard to others

Taking a calm, professional and intelligent approach to stigma

**Inclusion and Participation**:
Participation in group team meetings to aid continuous improvement of our service user and volunteer experience

Encouraging the participation and inclusion of people we support

Participation in group team meetings to aid continuous improvement of our service

Exploring choices and options with people we support or fellow colleagues

Making things easy for others

Mapping suspected rough sleeping sites

Embracing technology in delivering your role*

Supporting clients, staff and volunteers to become digitally included*

**Personalised and Creative**

Innovation and creativity

Helping to find solutions that are a good fit for someone, irrespective of who they are or the problem they have

When someone isn’t at their best, quickly recognising there’s probably something else going on, and finding ways to respond with care

To build on our current street cycle volunteer pool

**Supportive and Ambitious**:
Work to change the public perception of causes of rough sleeping

Helping to bring hope through our words and actions

Helping to build trust

Being supportive and showing care

**Partnership and Collaboration**

To support Street Change to reduce street begging

Fostering positive relationships with our partners

Maintaining a record of the people you have been in contact with throughout your shift (using Netsuite)

Support all aspects of RSVP when required

Building team togetherness and collaboration

Fostering a positive problem-solving vibe

**Leadership and Learning**:
Making things happen

Motivating and inspiring others

Taking time to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t

Taking care of our ‘places and spaces’ so they feel tidy and welcoming

Asking for help and learning to do things better

Playing an active role in our social media strategy*
- These **core digital responsibilities** are part of every role at the Simon Community.

** Sharing our work