Thank You for Your Interest in SPEAR

Recruitment Information Pack

Thank you for your interest in SPEAR...

SPEAR is a small and dynamic team and we highly value the characters, talents and potential of all our staff. We are committed to promoting equal opportunities and we welcome applications from all parts of the community especially from those who have experienced periods of homelessness.

Before you start...

Before you start filling out your application form, please take the time to carefully read through the guidelines included at the back of this pack, the person specification and the job description. If anything is unclear – now is a good time to give us a call – we’re always happy to clarify!

SPEAR’s strategy and approach...

SPEAR was founded in 1987 on the principle that people shouldn’t die because they don’t have a home. Since then, we’ve developed a range of services that together provide an integrated pathway from rough sleeping to independent accommodation. We recognise that it takes both time and courage to change - to trust new people, learn new skills, take chances and commit to a hopeful future. We are inspired by our clients, by our dedicated staff and volunteers and by the many supporters, past and present who enable this work to take place.

Webelieve that homelessness is rarely just a housing problem. Quality support is of intrinsic value to a homeless person building a better future. It provides a professional and mature relationship which promotes motivation, optimism and self-esteem in a group of people who often have these internal resources in short supply.

To gain the benefit of quality support however, people must be safe and secure off the streets. SPEAR aims to achieve its objects by providing accommodation, quality support and opportunities for education and employment to people who have experienced homelessness in South West London.

This provision of quality support in a safe and suitable housing context enables people who have lost hope to transform their lives. They begin to believe in their own potential, tackle addictions, change destructive habits, work towards education and employment and make a positive contribution to their community.

The main activities of the charity are:

• A range of accommodation services for rough sleepers and other people who have experienced homelessness

• Support to address health and social care issues related to homelessness such as mental distress, relationship problems, addictions and unemployment

• Support to sustain a tenancy and build a stable future

• Support for young people who have experienced homelessness to develop the life skills, tenancy skills and employment skills necessary for a future life as a responsible adult.

SPEAR’s Vision, Mission, Philosophy and Values...

Vision:We strive for communities in which anyone facing or experiencing homelessness can quickly move into secure accommodation, get effective support, and work towards their hopes and aspirations.

Mission:To enable homeless people in South and West London find secure accommodation

and work towards a positive future.

The two key aspects of our vision and mission are firstly to support homeless people off the street as quickly as possible, and secondly to offer services in which our clients develop their confidence, motivation and self-esteem and create secure places to live and work towards other goals.

These are both ambitious endeavours. Our work isn’t easy, but it is essential. Without it many more people would be much worse off, so we need to do our very best.

Philosophy:We exist to develop and deliver solutions for people facing or experiencing homelessness within our communities

We’re committed to investing our passion and energy into developing the very best services from the ground up with local community partners

We believe that Homelessness isn’t just a housing problem - it has a range of causes and is often an experience of isolation, fear hopelessness or self-doubt

That’s why, beyond a roof overhead, we promote community involvement and personal development.

The philosophy is our way of articulating the particular approach we have at SPEAR. It is a description of an ethos which came through much client and staff feedback, namely the principles of being community focused; of developing and delivering services informed by the experience of clients and front-line delivery staff; of working with the human experience of homelessness and associated difficulties and not just the important, (albeit critical) practical provision of somewhere to live.

Values:We are confident that everyone can improve their life

We recognise the impact of positive relationships in our work

We deliver new solutions through community partnerships

We learn from the experiences of the people we work with

The values are a guide for how we at SPEAR want to approach our work on a day to day basis. These values imply an emotional intelligence, compassion, empathy and an ability to work professionally and with a solution-focused attitude, both with each other and with external partners. They help remind us how to do the very best job we can for the clients we are employed to support.

Most importantly perhaps is the message that our personal qualities are vitally important – our ability to listen and learn are key as is our ability to reflect on the impact our work has on us as well as the impact our relationships have on our clients.

Our Strategic Aims...

In 2013, we undertook a strategic review of what we are trying to achieve and how. This was complemented by environmental reviews which resulted in the following strategic aims for the three year period 2013-2016:

1. Be a valued partner in local community responses to homelessness across South & West London by: building on our developing relationships with new Local Authorities in South & West London; and contributing to local strategic work to tackle homelessness.

1. Develop local services into integrated and sustainable community pathways by: improving local knowledge and relationships in all our areas of operation; developing new complementary services which replicate our ‘pathway’ model, (of a series of staged services which together promote personal development, sustainable accommodation and employment); and developing volunteering and peer support in all of our areas of operation.

1. Ensure the design, delivery & evaluation of our services reflect the needs and views of those who use them by: improving how we engage with clients in planning, delivering and evaluating services; improving client engagement with senior managers and Trustees; increasing peer support opportunities for clients and ex-clients

1. Make adequate accommodation available to meet the needs of local homeless people by: identifying the scale and scope of homelessness in all of our areas of operation; developing services and partnerships which reduce rough sleeping times and create accessible accommodation options; and by investing our energy and passion to develop innovative ways of increasing the supply of accommodation.

1. Find effective ways to support people with challenging and complex need by: reviewing where current services don’t always work; developing new partnerships and service solutions to meet complex and challenging needs more effectively; and investing in staff learning and development

1. Develop new solutions to homelessness with new and existing partners by: conducting internal and sector-wide research; and developing effective ways to respond to new business opportunities

1. Deliver high quality services through effective and efficient organisational systems by: delivering a refreshed staff learning and development programme; reviewing how we manage our performance; implementing a new quality assurance and internal audit process; and reviewing senior management and governance requirements to deliver our strategy.

Our Achievements...

We worked with more homelessness people in 2012/13 than at any time in our history. The number of rough sleepers in Richmond doubled and the number of people contacting us worried about the prospect of becoming homeless increased by 50% from the previous year. We witnessed a steep rise in the number of people moving to Richmond seeking accommodation; an increased number of female rough sleepers; and increased numbers of rough sleepers with mental health problems.

Facing these challenges head on, we have developed and grown as a charity. More people than ever before have benefited from our work. We have driven forward organisational and operational developments, rolled out new homelessness services, planned future developments which will enable us to continue delivering meaningful and sustainable improvements to the lives of young people and adults facing homelessness across South West London.

Our core services for homeless adults in Richmond were re-modelled through a Local Authority commissioning process with the new contract starting in January 2013. We also launched a new second stage shared housing scheme linked to our hostel Penny Wade House in October 2012 and worked on the development of another two services for rough sleepers which launched at the end of the year, one working across the four Boroughs of Richmond, Merton, Wandsworth, and Sutton.

These developments resulted in improved benefits to people facing or experiencing homelessness, most notably:

The services we deliver...

SPEAR’s services are delivered in 3 distinct programme areas – underpinned by skills development and volunteering support. The programmes also work closely with one another, as clients may move between them.

More information regarding all our services can be found on

The Recovery Programme focuses service delivery on the personal development aspect of some homeless people’s journey to self-reliance. Clients in these services may have complex health and social issues including addictions and mental health problems.

The programme ensures that our rough sleeper hostel in Richmond, our second stage supported housing project and our drug and alcohol service focus on cultivating inner resources through the development of life and social skills in preparation for education, training and employment.

The programme consists of the following services:

• Penny Wade House, a hostel for rough sleepers, and a place of change
• Sandycombe Road Project, a second stage supported housing project

The Resettlement Programme provides a co-ordinated ‘pathway’ through a range of services which support people from the streets to sustainable independent accommodation.

After working with rough sleepers on the street, these services broker access to accommodation and provide tenancy sustainment support across shared housing, training flats, private and social housing tenancies.

The programme aims to make accessible and appropriate supported accommodation available to local people who are experiencing homelessness, working with around 200 clients at any one time.

The Programme consists of the following services:

• Rough Sleeper Outreach Service, working with people on the streets
• Heath Road Project, for people who would otherwise be rough sleeping
• Homelessness Helpline, for rough sleepers and our community
• Tenancy Support Service, to enable people to maintain their own accommodation
• South West London Rough Sleeper Service, making use of the private rented sector for rough sleepers

The Young People’s Programme provides services to support young people facing homelessness to make a smooth transition into adulthood. Many of the young people in these services have chaotic or institutional backgrounds and may have had involvement with the criminal justice system. The Programme focuses on preparing young people to move into independent accommodation once they are 18 years old, to engage in training or education, and to progress towards employment. The Programme consists of the following services:

• Wilton Road Project, a 9 bed project which encourages real progression in young people’s lives
• Lower Grove Road Hostel, a 3 bed project, which offers longer term support for young people
• Vectis Road, a second stage accommodation project for young people

The Skills Development and Progression to Employment Serviceoffers meaningful activities to all SPEAR clients and supports them to build confidence and become employment ready.

The activities include confidence building sessions, in-house IT, literacy and numeracy training andsupport to engage in externally delivered training and education courses. We also support clients to prepare for employment, secure volunteering opportunities, and look for work.

SPEAR’s volunteers support staff in core as well as in frontline services such as Outreach and Skills Development, using their skills to enable clients to realise their potential. The Volunteering Officer recruits, supports and manages all volunteers.

Between January and October 2013, the nominal value of volunteer hours was £53,330, and the volunteers provided more than 6,000 hours of to support people who are homeless.20% of current volunteers have experience of using homelessness services themselves.

SPEAR’s Core Team comprises the Resources Officer, Administrator, Finance Assistant, Fundraising Team, Volunteering Officer and Receptionist. It supports all of SPEAR’s operations.

The Senior Management Teamcomprises the Chief Executive, Operations Director,Head of Fundraising and the Finance Director. They meet once a week for a catch up session and once a month for a full Senior Management meeting to make decisions regarding the day to day management of the Charity.

Our Finances...

Our annual accounts and annual reports dating from 2010 until 2014 are available for all applicants to view on our website at

Application Form Guidelines

Please note...

We will not accept CVs so please do not send one in place of an application form. Only the information provided on the application form will be considered.

SPEAR are unable to obtain a work permit for you so please make sure that you are eligible to work in the UK.

Filling in the application form...

Please read all the questions carefully and try to answer as thoroughly as you can, ensuring that the writing, type or black ink, is neat, clear and concise. A well presented application form can set you apart from other applicants. You may find it useful to do a rough draft beforehand to avoid making mistakes.

Don’t make any false claims; always be completely honest in your answers.

If you run out of space on the form, you may use one continuation sheet for section G, and one for other elements such as work history. Theseshould be clearly numbered with your surname and the position you’ve applied for. Please make sure that continuation sheets are securely attached to your form.

If there are questions in this form that do not apply to you then just write N/A (not applicable) in the box.

Explaining gaps in your work history...

We would appreciate your explanations if there are any gaps in your work history so that we can avoid making any unfounded assumptions. These periods may be due to things such as education, maternity leave, travelling or perhaps a period of homelessness. Please provide dates and information to help clarify the situation.

We believe that personal experience of homelessness can give you valuable insight into working in the sector. We would encourage you to take your time answering this section, and to be honest with us.

Demonstrating your knowledge and experience...

This is the most important section of your application – you will be assessed by the information you providehere. You need to clearly demonstrate how you feel your capabilities are relevant to each of the job specific competencies in the person specification, taking into account the position you are applying for.

Write a separate paragraph for each competency. It is vital that you illustrate your answers for each competency with examples from your personal or professional experience, demonstrating that you possess the skills, attitude or understanding required.

For example, it is easy to say that you have had to liaise with clients to identify and respond to their needs but it is more effective to give examples of the skills you used and the achievements you made.

Always write in a positive manner, for example; ‘I was responsible for...I organised...’

When we recruit we look for people who show excellent potential and good understanding. We look for those with transferable skills, not necessarily someone who has worked in a similar position. Always demonstrate how your skills, knowledge and experience can be applied to the post.

Providing referees...

You need to provide us with the names and contact details for 2 referees from the last 3 years. If applicable, one should be from your present or most recent employment / line manager and the others from previous employment.

If there are any gaps in your work history, for example due to education or a period of homelessness, we would request a reference from any services you have named to help us to confirm these gaps. We will not accept personal references from friends or family, except in exceptional circumstances. If you are not sure who could act as a referee for you, please contact us and we would be happy to help. Referees will not usually be contacted until an offer of employment has been made.