Independent Living Support Worker (Peer Led)

Employer Location: Antrim

Job description

Independent Living Support Worker is a part of the Housing First/Complex Lives portfolio. As an Independent Living Support Worker you will have personal insights into the challenges of homelessness, addiction & mental health - this is crucial to the role. The role focuses on providing peer support to service users whose complexities may include addiction, mental and physical health needs in combination. Service users may be in temporary accommodations or their own homes with the you engaging them individually and in group/social settings. Key aspects of the role include providing harm reduction advice & guidance, personal development through lifeskills development, tenancy sustainment, community integration and good neighbourhood support, support to access education, enhancing employability and building social networks and supports You will be a part of a wider network of Subject Matter Experts within the organisation You will act as a peer expert for any research, advice and information or peer groups as and when needed and will be required to engage in any other task assigned, that supports service users access and attendance to health/ life skills supports.

Responsibilities

• to support service users to build the capacity and resilience in order to live independently and achieve their life goals and ambitions.
• Provide individual and group interactions that offer confidence building, skills development and social interaction.
• Identify & liaise with external agencies that meet the needs of service users and facilitate information sessions between both parties.
• Provide clear feedback to internal stakeholders on any work completed.
• Carry out project administration tasks such as record keeping of Service User’s files, reporting of any incidents or accidents and financial records.
• Participate in assessing new referrals to the service with the support of the line manager.
• To adhere to all Depaul policies and local procedures.
• To adhere fully to Organisational Risk Management Procedures, especially in relation to assessing risk to lone working.
• Work with referring agencies such as complex lives and other homeless providers to ensure continued care for all service users.
• Engage in different groups/ research to provide feedback and knowledge of the experience of homelessness.
• Promotion of the LSPA programme through visits to homeless services.
• To attend and participate in team meetings and staff team days.
• To attend all mandatory training and any training deemed relevant to service delivery.
• To participate in regular supervision and annual appraisal, and help in identifying your own job-related development and training needs.
• To respect service users’ rights to confidentiality in our relationship with them as per the Depaul Confidentiality policy and code of conduct.
• To promote respect, diversity and equal opportunities.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• 1 year paid relevant work experience or 2 years relevant volunteering experience.
• Personal insights into the challenges of homelessness, addiction& mental health.
• Have a good standard of literacy and basic IT skills.
• Good understanding of need for boundaries and confidentiality.
• Willing to engage in their own development and growth.
• a good knowledge of skills required for independent living.
• Be comfortable with working alone with service users and to be aware of any risks should they arise.
• Be willing to travel outside of Belfast when required.

Further Information

Location - unit 4 Nelson Street Access NI This Post is subject to an Enhanced Access NI check. Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with Depaul. This will depend on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of your offences or other information contained on a disclosure certificate. NISCC This post is subject to NISCC registration, if you do hold a valid registration this must be completed within your probationary period. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: Depaul strives to create a diverse and inclusive programme and is committed to ensuring equality of access to our opportunities and equality of treatment for our staff in all our policies and practices. We welcome applications from individuals aged 18 and over from a diverse range of backgrounds. View our privacy statement here: