Support Officer

Department: Housing                                          Responsible for: None

Job Title: Support Officer                                    Responsible to: Housing Manager

Main Place of Work: the Almshouses in Smethwick and Birmingham

Pay Scale: Officer Grade, £21,343 - £23,714 (depending on qualifications and experience) plus 5% employer pension, Healthcare cash back scheme and petrol allowance. (Other benefits available such as Cycle2Work scheme, up to 5% non-contractual personal pension contribution matching scheme and salary sacrifice car scheme)

Hours of Work: 35 hours per week

Contract:Initial Fixed Term 2 years

Purpose of the Job

To provide housing related support and advocacy for almshouse residents, enabling them to maintain or improve their independence.  To support residents to access appropriate services and to better manage their physical or mental health and wellbeing.  To encourage, promote and support healthy and active lifestyles for residents.  To take account of residents’ aspirations in service delivery ensuring support meets the needs and wishes of residents. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Welcome new residents, prepare a support plan with them and provide information about local services, including transport, shops, banks, health centres, dentists etc.
2. Visit or contact residents regularly in accordance with their preference and identified need. 
3. Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of services in the area, including learning disability, mental health, physical disability and sensory impairment services so that residents can be referred when appropriate. 
4. Develop and maintain professional relationships with statutory and voluntary organisations, including GPs, CPNs, OTs etc.  
5. Test the pull cords in residents’ homes every month and ensure residents understand and are able to use the service.
6. Review all residents’ support plans every 12 months or as necessary if their circumstances change.  
7. Assist residents with letter writing, form filling etc
8. Provide advice on managing debts and budgeting skills, referring residents to specialist money advice services if necessary.
9. Facilitate access to local faith communities and place of worship.
10. Signpost residents to local leisure facilities.
11. Encourage residents to participate in social activities, self-help groups, befriending services, volunteering, cultural, charitable or educational activities.
12. Encourage residents to keep their home secure including advice on locking doors and windows. 
13. Assist new residents to obtain furniture and household goods if required.
14. Prompt residents to attend to their personal hygiene, do laundry and keep their home clean and tidy if required.
15. Assist residents to obtain aids, adaptations or assistive technology.
16. Promote safeguarding by identifying vulnerable residents and reporting any concerns.
17. Remind residents to take prescribed medication and occasionally accompany residents to health appointments if required. 
18. Together with other members of the Housing team, visit housing applicants in order to carry out needs and risks assessments if required.
19. Refer residents with complex needs, including advanced dementia, serious mental health issues, severe alcohol or drug misuse, or severe disability to relevant agencies, assisting them to access appropriate services.  
20. Enable safe hospital discharge by liaising with local NHS teams and reviewing needs and risk assessments as necessary.
21. Ensure support is provided to terminally ill residents and to their partners if applicable.  
22. Explain the duties and obligations of the licence agreement when required.
23. Enable engagement with the local community and local decision making.
24. Support residents to maintain contact with family, friends and other social and support networks.  
25. Provide emotional support, and link to counselling or advice on issues relating to residents’ wellbeing. 
26. Interact with residents to develop life skills and social skills.
27. Assist residents to source appropriate care services if required and assist with arrangements for home carers, meals-on-wheels or any other services.
28. Liaise with residents’ family members and doctors in case of illness or emergency.
29. Provide help with domestic tasks such as shopping, rubbish disposal etc on an emergency basis.  
30. Work with the Housing Team to resolve issues such as neighbour disputes, domestic violence, anti-social behaviour, bullying or inappropriate behaviour and harassment.
31. Keep accurate, sufficiently detailed and up-to-date records of all support activity.
32. Ensure that accurate records of contact details and medical conditions are kept for all residents and are passed on to the call monitoring centre and HPLC’s head office as appropriate.
33. Respond to out-of-hours emergencies as required.
34. Refer any repairs and maintenance issues to the Building Manager.
35. Graciously receive complaints or compliments, ensuring that they are forwarded to the correct member of staff.
36. Comply with all policies and procedures.
37. To participate in any training activities, meetings and events as required
38. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the post as requested by your manager.