Complex Needs Support Worker

**The Housing Network - Who are we?**

We are The Housing Network (THN), a private limited company with a purpose. We exist to provide ‘More than a Roof’, because when life is at its toughest, we believe everyone deserves a safe and stable place to rebuild their lives.

Operating right across the UK (from Scotland to the South Coast) our team of 220+ dedicated professionals provide accommodation and support to over 5300 vulnerable individuals and families every single night - _within self-contained, shared, supported and specialist scheme homes._

Alongside our 100+ Local Authorities and Ministry of Justice (MOJ) partners we work hard to design and deliver person-centric solutions that meet the needs of our residents and in line with service specifications defined by public sector commissioners - _always striving to ensure best-value and effectiveness._

We are a team that is absolutely committed to innovate, excel and be dependable in all that we do. Working hard together to achieve our mission of providing Better Accommodation, Better Support, Better Partnerships - _and as a result Better Business._

This is an incredibly exciting time for The Housing Network as we embark on our _Strategy 2024/29: ‘Homelessness’ The missing Piece_ journey. A strategic journey that will see us expand our services to provide over 10,000 units of safe and inspiring accommodation into, with support 75% of Local Authority areas across the UK

**Role Overview - What is it?**

To join one of our Active Opportunity Pathway (AOP) services, working as part of the Support Team to help people experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantage to overcome barriers to achieving greater independence.

You will be highly experienced in working with vulnerable people or families facing homelessness, who require support with mental-health, substance misuse, a history of offending and other needs. Using your knowledge and skills to help us create one of the most effective outcomes-focused services in the sector, adhering to the Making Every Adult Matter principles (MEAM).

You will be familiar with and have effectively operated in a strength-based and trauma informed way to help residents achieve positive housing, health and wellbeing outcomes. Taking personal pride and ownership in enabling people who experiencing multiple-disadvantage to achieve more than they ever thought possible.

You will have worked in an accommodation-based setting, with significant experience of providing intensive housing management, and tenancy management tasks. Drawing on that knowledge to support residents to manage their finances, facilitating appointments with specialist mental health, drug and alcohol services and access appropriate move-on accommodation on their journey towards greater independence.

This is a specialist role within a new team, offering you the chance to not only deliver life-changing support, but also help us shape and create a great service for those who need us most.

**Main Duties - What needs to be done?**

**Support Elements**:

- Employ a strength-based and trauma-informed approach to building trusting relationships with residents, using that to help create accurate, realistic and meaningful (outcome focused) support plans.
- Use your knowledge and experience of working with those experiencing multiple-disadvantage to identify and capture risks, using that to help design mitigation strategies and inform coping mechanisms.
- Engage pro-actively and effectively with residents to help them identify barriers which are preventing them gaining greater levels of independence, then working collaboratively to build (and achieve) a plan for success.
- Uphold the highest levels of safeguarding awareness and protection for individuals, residents, colleagues and the wider community. Working within local frameworks to ensure policies and mechanisms are applied correctly.
- Maintain and regularly update accurate records of all support engagements, support plans, risk assessments and other support pathway elements, using them to support appropriate partnership working with local partner agencies.
- Champion the principles of trauma-informed engagement and support across the service and wider organisation, helping colleagues develop their skills and communication approaches to support the achievement of outcomes.
- Take time to engage pro-actively with all residents in the scheme, using the less formal engagements to help deepen the understanding and effectiveness of support plans and achievement of outcomes.
- Work with the service manager and senior leaders to engage pro-actively with local multi-disciplinary and network groups, seeking to maximise outcomes for individuals and build added-value into the service as a whole.
- Deliver a blend of both individual and group sessions, with a focus on helping residents to build and develop their independent living skills and abilities, recording all engagements within our digital support system.
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