Roles & Responsibilites: Head of House

L’ARCHE ONTARIO

ROLE DESCRIPTION

1. SELF CARE:

The role of House Leader asks many things of you. If you are to be well, you need to take

care of your own well-being.

Being attentive to the rhythm of the day.
Being intentional about taking time for self.
Caring for physical well-being and getting enough rest.
Creating time for recreation, fun, laughter, and allowing time for healthy relationships.
Taking time to attend to accompaniment and spiritual needs.

2. CORE MEMBERS:

Core Members are the heart of our homes.

Relationships:

To build and model relationships of mutuality with core members
To ensure team members develop relationships with core members based on respect, forgiveness and mutuality.
To ensure core members communicate and maintain relationships with family, friends, and circles of support.

Choice:

To ensure the participation of each member in his/her religious tradition.
To ensure core members participate in their financial planning and banking.
To ensure core members have choices and opportunities to plan for their personal growth and their

future. – i.e. Annual Reviews, Life Plans, P.A.T.H.’s, Dreams & Goals, etc.

Support / Accompaniment:

To call forth core members’ gifts and empower them to share these gifts within the home and in the larger community.
To ensure core members’ physical and emotional needs are being met.
To ensure core members have access to medical professionals regularly and as needed.
To ensure appropriate accompaniment of core members to health care/personal appointments.
To ensure core members have access to Individual Learning Plans.

Home:

To create and maintain an environment which reflects all the individuals in the home.
To ensure traditions and celebrations of each core member and of the home are maintained.
To create an atmosphere of respect, affirmation and empowerment in the home and carry it into the larger community.
To create an environment that supports and encourages the spiritual growth of each household member.

3. TEAM & RELATIONSHIPS: An opportunity for growth.

Home Life:

To encourage and support team members to take part in maintaining and planning household schedules, routines and traditions.
To encourage and support team members in creating home through the vision of L’Arche.

Functional Accompaniment:

Team Dynamics:

To supervise and support team members in their roles.
To promote proactive and positive communication among all members – enabling them to share ideas and concerns.
To ensure each team member has adequate training, information, support and a clear understanding of household routines and the special needs of each core member.
To encourage and empower each team member to take ownership and responsibility for life in the home and community.

4. COMMUNITY LIFE: Carries a holistic view of the community and nurtures relationships, which

strengthensthe community as a whole.

Link with the Community at large:

To represent homes within the context of the larger community and advocate for the needs of the members of the home in a professional manner. (e.g. – with doctors, dentists, counselors, supervisors, service clubs, etc.)
To invite participation in community events as much as possible. (e.g.- church socials, fairs, bike-a-thons/walk-a-thons, etc.)

Link with the L’Arche Community:

To act as a link with Homes Coordinator, Assistants Coordinator, Administrative Coordinator and Community Leader.
To connect with other homes on a regular basis for activities such as core member exchanges for dinner, an evening visit, fun activities, etc.
To invite former assistants back for a visit.

Link with Families and Day Programs:

To assure the link between day/work programs, families and core members of the home, to ensure all relevant information is shared with the different persons and members of the home, as appropriate.
To ensure this information is shared in a way that encourages collaboration and mutual respect.

Coordination of Events:

To ensure that all core members’, team members’, house events, and L’Arche community events are appropriately celebrated and shared, and that these events are anticipated during schedule planning.

Welcome and Friendship:

To foster and encourage a spirit of welcome for all who come to the home: members, families, neighbours, guests, and visitors.
To encourage the development of individual friendships for all assistants in the home.

5. ADMINISTRATION:

Understands and practices the principles of good stewardship in all aspects of home life.

General:

To be accountable to leadership/Homes Coordinator and communicate effectively regarding core members and assistants, and the well-being of the home.
To meet regularly with the other house leaders and participate with them in the community.
To exercise good reading, writing, and communication skills.
To demonstrate the ability to delegate responsibilities.
To apply good judgment and common sense in decisions.
To be respectful, discreet, and professional in all relationships.
To maintain confidentiality when appropriate.
To communicate in an accurate and timely fashion.
To serve as a model to others – e.g. to model respectful language and attitudes in the home

Home:

To monitor adherence to Ministry guidelines and (name of community) policies and procedures in all appropriate aspects of home life.
To plan and maintain household schedules and routines in a timely manner.
To ensure maintenance of and proper use of all logs, including house log (communication book), daily journals, medical log, maintenance log, all necessary forms and binders for ministry compliance.
To ensure the necessary care of equipment, household goods, and furniture - both inside and outside the house, including repairs, as they are required.

Finances:

To hold expenses within allocated household budget.
To ensure individual household expenses are recorded and collected as necessary. (e.g. – phone bills, all receipts and various forms).

Core Members:

To ensure core members’ binders are accurate and up-to-date, with appropriate medical information in case of emergencies.
To ensure the medical needs of each core member are addressed including proper medication storage, dispensing, recording and knowledge of each medication in use.
To ensure proper financial management of core members’ income, including banking procedures, planning for holidays, recording of expenses.
To ensure Individual Learning Programs and Annual Reviews are developed and documented.

L’Arche Ontario, February 2006