Support Assistant

**Job Title**:Support Assistant
**Contract Type**:Permanent
**Salary**:£26,937 per annum
**Working Hours**:37.5 Hours per week
**Working Pattern**:Days, Evenings and Weekends
**Location**:Lewisham Young People Services

**The difference you will make as a Support Assistant**

You will be key in the day-to-day running of one of our supported housing services. The priority in your role includes the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our accommodation, including our customers.

Some of your responsibilities will include:

- Engaging with customers daily to build their trust and encourage them to take part in various activities within the service and wider community.
- Working with customers to raise their awareness of local services and facilities to ensure they have access to training, education, and work.
- Carry out support planning and risk assessments for high need customers with the support of a Support Officer.
- Working with the Specialist Support Officer to arrange and facilitate group sessions or activities.
- Collaborating with relevant community agencies to ensure customers receive appropriate advice and support.
- Ensuring that key performance targets are met and that all customer records are up to date.

**About you**

We are looking for someone who believes in working together as part of a team, who shares our values and who is friendly, engaged and committed to achieving great outcomes for our customers.

We are looking for someone with:

- Experience of working with vulnerable people with a range of needs in a support capacity
- A genuine passion for working with people and be able to travel
- Good communication skills and the ability to engage with and respect the needs of vulnerable people
- Excellent team working skills with a creative flair and ability to think outside of the box
- Strong IT and social media skills to manage and maintain administration and recording systems

**Why Riverside?**

One Housing Group is now part of Riverside. At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference - enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.

We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

- Competitive pay & generous pension
- 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
- Flexible working options available
- Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
- A wide range of benefits

Our Homelessness and Prevention team is friendly, and we love what we do. We are passionate about the high-quality support we provide. Working in care can be demanding, but our colleagues are always kind and compassionate no matter what challenges they encounter. As part of our team you will be doing work you can be proud of, ensuring the safety and happiness of our customers in their home

**Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside**:
We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.

Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.

**Role Profile**

We use Psychologically Informed approaches and Trauma Informed Care principles to support our customers to make positive choices, develop new ways of thinking and take steps towards independence, by:

- Assisting in the planning and delivery of a range of personalised support and move-on plans
- Understanding the risk management process and assisting the team to organise and undertake regular reviews of support and risk
- Inspiring and motivating customers to meet agreed outcomes and develop life skills
- Assisting customers with day-to-day support and tenancy-related matters
- Assisting the team to identify and promote opportunities for employment, education and training and support customers to access them
- Signposting customers to appropriate external support services, such as food banks and other community resources
- Supporting customers to be ‘tenancy ready’, enabling successful move on
- Supporting customers to be financially independent through budgeting plans and maximising income
- Supporting and monitoring customers’ healthcare needs, ensuring appropriate contact with healthcare professionals
- Empowering customers to move towards self-management of their medication by following Riverside’s medicat