Job Description
Post:Employment, Training & Education Project Worker - Residential Services
Work Base:Passage House/ETE Dept – Passage Day Centre
Salary:£24,156 - £27,009 pa inc LW allowance + pension + benefits (NJC scale range 24 -28)
Hours:35 hours per week
Annual Leave:280 hours per year including Bank Holidays pro rata
Probation Period:6 months
Responsible to:Financial Inclusion Project Manager
Passage House Team Leader
Notice period:1 mth
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This post is subject to an enhanced CRB disclosure
About the Passage
The Passage opened in 1980. It is composed of two hostels and a day centre. The Passage is a Christian organisation,whose mission is to encourage, inspire and challenge homeless people to transform their lives.
About Employment Training and Education Services at the Passage
Employment Training and Education (ETE) work at the Passage takes place primarily at the Day Centre. The ETE team is composed of: three ETE project workers (of which this post is one), a Mentoring Coordinator, two Welfare Rights Advisors, a Social Enterprise Coordinator, Financial Inclusion Officer, two Life skills workers and an IT tutor (these latter two functions are provided City of Westminster College staff). Additionally Jobcentre Plus operates an Employment Outreach service from the department twice a week.
The primary task of the Passage House ETE Project Worker is to enable Passage House and Montfort House clients to access these services and any other external services deemed appropriate. The Passage House ETE Project Worker will work within the ETE team and alongside other staff teams within Passage House and the day centre to ensure the best possible delivery of ETE services for residential clients.
About Passage House and Montfort House
Passage Houseconsists of three integrated projects: A 20 bed assessment centre, a 22 bed second stage hostel and a 5 bed Foyer unit. The Aim of the Foyer is to focus on clients’ ability to actively address issues of employment, employment related training, personal identification, financial inclusion, welfare benefits and life-skills. For that reason only those clients actively seeking employment can be accommodated at the Foyer.
Montfort House supports 16 clients living semi independently within its single occupancy studio flats. The main aim of Montfort House is to prepare clients to move into their own accommodation. This involves a co-ordinated response from all our partner agencies in all areas relating to resettlement. Key areas of work include, life skills, income management as well as social integration and inclusion.
1.Main Tasks
1.1To develop a programme of employment, training and educationalopportunities for Passage House and Montfort House residents, taking into account both internal and external resources.
1.2To assist key workers in assessingresident’s needs and aspirations, specifically with respect to training, employment, welfare benefitsand financial inclusion issues. To contribute to support plans based on this assessment.
1.3To develop partnerships with internal (as described above) and external ETE services including Job Centre Plus, Business in the Community and local colleges in order to offer as wide a range of opportunities to residents as possible.
1.4To promote both internal and external ETE services to hostel residents and make ETE information available within Passage House and Montfort House for use byresidents and staff.
1.5To work closely with keyworkers, assisting them inintegrating ETE opportunities within client support plans.
1.6To support resident’s access to ETE services both internally and externally, making referrals and assisting with applications as appropriate.
1.7To evaluate prospective referrals to the Foyer project and advise Passage House Managers on the suitability of candidates.
1.8To promote the Foyer to external agencies and prospective residents of it (within Westminster).
1.9To regularly monitor client’s progress toward the fulfilment of their support plans and recommend appropriate intervention should this be necessary.
1.10To coordinate the development of literacy and numeracy services at Passage House and Montfort House.
1.11To assist the Life skills programme development, promote and run a client worker scheme within Passage House and Montfort House.
1.12To access the ETE budget within Passage House as appropriate and submit monthly expenditure returns to the ETE deputy project manager for integration with the main ETE budget.
1.13To encourage residents to participate in and contribute to the development of activities at Passage House and Montfort House.
2.Administration
2.1Abiding by all Passage administration policies and procedures, to maintain clear, accurate and up-to-date reports/records, both manual and computerised, relating to employment and training activities.
2.2To understand the need for being self-servicing administratively, in all aspects of the delivery of services to Passage clients.
2.3To access the petty cash system appropriatelyand record and monitor all expenditure related to ETE activities in Passage House and Montfort House.
3.Team Work
3.1To work effectively and co-operatively with paid and volunteer staff at the Passage. To maintain good working relations with the other Passage teams and all external agencies.
3.2To attend and participate actively in supervision meetings, team meetings (both at the hostels and the daycentre as instructed), training and other internal/external events that inform the work of the Passage and Passage House as required. To present to the team reports, statistics and other information as and when appropriate.
3.3To maintain knowledge and understanding of the Passage’s work, for example by regularly visiting other projects and Central Office.
3.4To assist in developing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing appropriate procedures and practice for working with Passage and Passage House clients.
4.Volunteer Staff
4.1To participate in the recruitment, induction, training and supervision of volunteers, attending volunteer events as appropriate.
4.2In conjunction with the Financial Inclusion manager to examine opportunities for volunteer involvement in training and employment services.
General Responsibilities
- To participate in regular supervision and annual appraisal, and help identifying your own job-related development and training needs.
- To participate in internal/external meetings as required, and attend training events, conferences and other functions when necessary.
- To ensure that all Passage policies and procedures are being adhered to, particularly those relating to Health and Safety, Code of Practice and Confidentiality.
- To contribute to the effective implementation of the Passage’s Equality and Diversity Policy as it affects both the Passage and its work.
- To at all times undertake the role in a professional manner maintaining a high quality standard of work, and to always work in accordance with the aims, values and ethos of The Passage[1].
- To work with colleagues in the preparation of reports, statistics and papers, and be involved in the cyclical planning of the service delivery and performance monitoring of activity.
- To participate actively in team away days, planning days and team meetings in the reviewing of the service.
- To work in a professional manner maintaining a flexible attitude towards short notice rota changes to facilitate primary service cover, e.g. during training and staff illness.
- To undertake any other duties that may be required which are commensurate with the role.
CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU – DISCLOSURE
The Passage aims to promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential. The Passage welcomes applications from diverse candidates. Criminal records will be taken into account for requirement purposes only when the conviction is relevant.
As The Passage meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Criminal Records Bureau before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings, as well as convictions.
Passage Policies
The post holder must work within The Passage policies and procedures.
Equal Opportunities
The Passage is committed to working towards an equal opportunities policy. We therefore, aim to treat all who come to the Passage with respect, regardless of race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, social status or disability. Thus, employees must at all times carry out his/her responsibilities with due regard to the Passage’s Equality and Diversity Policy.
Confidentiality
The post holder must maintain confidentiality in accordance with the policy as set out in the confidentiality policy, which protects the clients at The Passage and those who use other Passage services.
Data Protection
If required to do so the postholder should obtain, process and /or use information held on a computer or word processor or paper medium in a fair and lawful way. Employees must only hold data for the specific registered purpose and use or disclose date only to authorised persons or organisations as instructed.
Health & Safety
All staff must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them by the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) to ensure that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe condition for employees, residents and visitors.
April 2010
/ THE PASSAGEPerson Specification
Employment, Training & Education Project Worker - Residential Services
The person specification sets out the essential abilities and qualities that will be used in the selection criteria for this post. When completing your application form, please demonstrate your understanding and experience of all the essential criteria (1-4), addressing each point in the order below; and give evidence of your experience and abilities.
1.Experience and Qualifications
1.1Significant and proven experience of delivering support services to socially excluded clients in a residential or similar setting.
1.2 Proven experience of delivering one to one training to vulnerable individuals, particularly around Microsoft office 2003 and above.
1.3 Proven experience of supporting and encouraging vulnerable individuals in accessing employment and education opportunities.
1.4 Experience of using petty cash systems and working within budget.
2.Knowledge and Understanding
2.1Awareness of the need to keep up-to-date with developments in the fields of training, accreditation methods, qualifications, benefits and government initiatives with particular reference to homeless people.
2.2Knowledge of the Supporting People framework, in relation to user involvement.
Desirable
2.3. Knowledge of financial inclusion initiatives and debt advice services.
2.4 Knowledge of social enterprise practice and outcomes.
3.Skills and Abilities
3.1Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
3.2Ability to maintain clear professional boundaries while working with a vulnerable, disadvantaged or excluded client group.
3.3Ability to liaise with internal and external stakeholders in order to develop the programme of employment, training, life skills and recreational opportunities for residents of varying interests and abilities.
3.4Ability to develop the assessment procedure to determine residents’ training and employment needs and aspirations.
3.5Ability to work effectively with colleagues and residents to increase awareness of and participation in employment, training and recreational opportunities
3.6Ability to manage own workload independently and prioritise work appropriately.
3.7Ability to act calmly in emergencies and respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging situations and incidents.
3.8Have a flexible, positive and solution orientated approach to work.
4. Contractual
4.Ability to attend evening meetings, conferences, events as appropriate to the needs of the job.
5.Other
5.1To be able to carry out the post with or without adaptations.
5.2Demonstrate a commitment to communicate the Passage’s mission which is to encourage, inspire and challenge homeless people to transform their lives.
5.3Demonstrate a commitment to the Passage’s values, aims and ethos.
April 2010
1
[1]The Christian Ethos
The Passage is a Christian based charity; therefore all staff are requested to uphold this ethos in their work. This means a willingness to uphold Christian Values in a positive manner and to be well disposed towards them.