Assessment Hub Caseworker - Newham

Job Title: Assessment Hub Caseworker

Base: Newham, London

Reports to: Team Leader

Hours: Monday-Friday, 09:00-17:00

Pay: £14 holiday pay = £15.69 or £18.00 per umbrella per hour

Assignment: 3 months

Purpose of Role:

As an Assessment Hub Caseworker at our confidential Newham Integrated Rough Sleeper Service, you will play a vital role in rapidly assessing service users within a 28-day assessment centre and creating suitable and sustainable Move-On Plans to resolve homelessness. Your responsibilities also include engaging with individuals leading a 'street-based lifestyle,' including those sleeping rough, with the objective of connecting them with the appropriate services and facilitating their transition into more stable living conditions. You'll work to increase service user choice, involvement, and empowerment, promoting sustainable change while coordinating efforts to achieve positive outcomes for each client. Additionally, you'll focus on building and strengthening service users' personal strengths and social networks, both in the UK and their country of origin.

This role demands flexibility and a proactive approach to engage with hard-to-reach service users and provide a range of effective interventions. Key activities include identifying and establishing contact with service users sleeping rough, including those initially unwilling to engage with services. You'll collaborate with drug and alcohol teams to facilitate access to treatment, work with Mental Health Agencies to address mental health issues and ensure ongoing healthcare access for service users. Moreover, you'll support efforts to divert newcomers to rough sleeping, encourage people to return to their home communities, and cooperate with local Housing Providers to maximise accommodation opportunities.

You'll participate in street counts when required, represent the team at external forums, and maintain accurate service user records in compliance with company procedures and protocols. This role may entail working irregular hours, including unsociable hours and during severe weather conditions.

General terms of reference:

• In carrying out the above duties, you will:
• Work flexibly across operational sites as required.
• Maintain an agreed number of hours of work to ensure optimal service provision.
• Continuously seek to improve your personal performance, contribution, knowledge, and skills.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and supervision processes.
• Stay updated on developments in services, legislation, and practices relevant to the client group.
• Promote anti-discriminatory practice in alignment with professional and legislative frameworks and organisational policies.
• Ensure the implementation of all company policies.
• Contribute to maintaining safe systems of work and a safe environment.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade of the post.
• Person Specification

Education Knowledge and Experience:

• Understanding of the needs of people who are rough sleeping and/or begging.
• In-depth knowledge of at least one of the following: substance misuse, alcohol misuse, mental health.
• Understanding of service users who have multiple and complex needs.
• Understanding the importance of multi-agency working within a strength-based, asset-building approach and maintaining professional boundaries.
• Experience in facilitating multi-agency meetings.
• Experience and commitment to working positively in partnership with a range of statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Strong administrative, recording, and reporting skills.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures applicable to children and vulnerable adults.
• Knowledge of Supported Housing.
• Good knowledge of services available to our client group in Newham.

Abilities and Skills:

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and advocacy skills.
• Confidence to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of services, representing the organisation and creating effective pathways.
• Ability to work autonomously as well as part of the team.
• Ability to work with confidence and patience with clients unwilling to engage with services and those exhibiting challenging behavior.
• Willingness to work unsociable hours as and when required.
• Good level of IT literacy, including the ability to use IT systems, including Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to critically reflect and evaluate interventions, service delivery, and areas for development.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of working as part of an assessment team or an outreach team.
• Experience of working with service users sleeping rough.
• Experience of working in a social care environment.
• Knowledge of local services and geography.
• This post is subject to a DBS check at an enhanced level.

Morgan Hunt is a multi-award-winning recruitment Business for interim, contract and temporary recruitment and acts as an Employment Agency in relation to temporary vacancies. Morgan Hunt is an equal opportunities employer, job suitability are assessed on merit in accordance with their skills, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required in a particular role.