JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:RESETTLEMENT OFFICER

Responsible to:CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Responsible for:N/A

Date:OCTOBER 2012

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB

For both Blue Sky Development and Regeneration and Blue Sky Inside employees:

  • Offer Information, Advice and Guidance on issues such as benefits, disclosure, substance misuse, childcare etc
  • Provide a housing advice service.
  • Manage the training budget and identify and source relevant training opportunities.
  • Work as a job broker to find employees onward employment after their 6-month contract finishes.

RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES

EMPLOYMENT

  • To work directly with employees to offer information, advice and guidance and to identify barriers they may face to future employment, training needs and/or life skills
  • To instil Blue Sky’s key behaviours and values into the employees’ working programme.
  • To ensure all Blue Sky employees have the necessary requirements to (re-)enter the working world (e.g. CV preparation, Personal Bank Accounts and suitable ID)
  • To work with Blue Sky employees to develop Individual Learning Plans and to review them at regular meetingsduring their employment
  • To organise allemployee training (venue, search for best priced training provider and inform employees attending of details)
  • To develop links with potential employers of ex-offenders.
  • To work with Blue Sky partners to ensure an adequate supply of employment opportunities for Blue Sky employees at the end of their contract
  • To work with employees in the last two months of their contract to source suitable further-employment opportunities and help with job applications and career advice.
  • To regularly track employees once they have left Blue Sky to assess their progress and ensure outcomes are recorded on the Blue Sky database.
  • To contribute to regular Blue Sky team meetings to discuss various issues relating to the employee’s personal development and training.

HOUSING

  • To distribute publicity materials and keep up to date with appropriate legislation and policies
  • To research individual cases, assess problems and identify possible courses of action
  • To guide our employees to decide on the best course of action based on the information available
  • To interpret and explain legislation, official documents or the content of letters
  • To help with applications to go on housing list and other paperwork
  • To refer employees to other sources of help, for example solicitors, social workers or other internal departments
  • To mediate on our employees’ behalf, for example, by writing letters, making phone calls, attending meetings or negotiating repayment agreements
  • To liase with other internal departments and external organisations, e.g. with Housing Department in the Council
  • To maintain confidential case records and administrative systems in order to report back to the Oak Foundation
  • To develop strategic partnerships with other organisations offering housing support, including Stonham Housing, Trinity Homeless Projects, Manor Lodge in Windsor and the English Churches Housing Group.
  • To achieve the targets set out in the Oak Foundation bid

GENERAL

In carrying out the objectives, the postholder will be expected to:

  • To ensure that Blue Sky employees are well managed, training and valued in accordance with Blue Sky policies.
  • To take on such additional tasks as may be agreed with the General Manager.
  • Undertake training relevant to the post and to personal development
  • Comply with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities policy and procedures in the workplace
  • Ensure that Health and Safety procedures are observed at all times
  • Comply with the Trust’s no-smoking policy in the workplace
  • Contribute to the Trust’s work maintaining the Investors In People accreditation
  • Contribute to the Trust’s work maintaining the BS 8555 Environmental Management Standard
  • To comply with Trust’s security procedures

This job description gives a general outline of the post and is not intended to be inflexible or a final list of duties. It may therefore be amended from time to time in consultation with the post holder.

I have read and agreed that this job description accurately defines the role.

Signed: ______

Printed:______

Date:______

Criteria
Essential (E) or Desirable (D) / Shortlisted Criteria / Evidenced
Education and Qualifications: /
  • Degree educated in relevant discipline (e.g. business or marketing) (E)
/  / Application form
Knowledge: /
  • Knowledge of legislation and support networks that may be issues for this client group e.g. benefits, housing, substance/alcohol abuse, childcare, physical/sexual abuse, racism, disability and mental health. (E)
  • Knowledge and/or experience in the criminal justice system (D)
  • Health and Safety standards in relation to practical training provision. (D)
/  / Application form and interview
Application form and interview
Experience: /
  • Experience of working in either a probation environment or other voluntary sector organisation working with disadvantaged groups (E)
  • Track record of delivering soft skills provisions and job brokering service (e.g. CV preparation, Interview techniques) (E)
  • Develop and design appropriate systems to monitor the progress of Blue Sky beneficiaries (E)
  • Coaching/Mentoring Training or similar (D)
  • Experience of partnership working with public, private and voluntary sectors (D)
/ 

 / Application form and interview
Application form and interview
Application form and interview
Application form and interview
Skills: /
  • To manage and motivate ex-offenders and mentor them in life skills. (E)
  • To be able to organise and manage own work load (E)
  • Communicate effectively with partners to deliver Blue Sky project (E)
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal to be able to communicate with a wide variety of customer groups both internally and externally.
  • Excellent IT skills using the Microsoft Office package (E)
  • Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team (E)
/ 



 / Interview
Application form and interview
Interview
Interview
Application form and interview
Special Requirements: /
  • In order to carry out the duties of this post you must hold a full driving licence and have access to a car(E)
  • You must be able to travel regularly to different Blue Sky sites (E)
  • Able to work outside normal working hours i.e. attendance at occasional evening (and week-end events. The company has a Time Off In Lieu system in place (E)
/ 


TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Salary: / £24,000 - 26,000 per annum. 1 Year Fixed-term contract
Hours of work: / Your normal hours of work are 37 hours each week excluding a daily lunch break and travel to and from the main place of work.
Place of work: / Your normal place of work will be Based in the Blue Sky HQ Colne Valley Park Centre, Denham Court Drive, Denham, Uxbridge UB9 5PG
Holidays: / 25 working days plus 8 statutory holidays (pro rata for part time workers) in each holiday year (which runs from the 1st January to 31st December).
Benefits: / We are currently using AEGON for our pension scheme. All staff are eligible to join the pension scheme for an employers contribution after six months of employment. Blue Sky Development & Regeneration contributing 8% of salary and the employee contributing a minimum of 5% of their salary. Contributions to the scheme are made using salary sacrifice. Under this process you agree to give up the right to receive part of your gross pay and Blue Sky Development & Regeneration agrees to pay an equivalent amount straight in to the pension plan as a Company contribution. This will result in a slightly lower taxation charge for you and a reduction in your National Insurance contributions. In addition, Blue Sky Development & Regeneration will not pay National Insurance (NI) on the reduced salary and will reinvest their NI saving back in to your pension plan so your total pension contributions will increase
Life Cover with Canada Life is provided to all staff after six months of employment. In the event of your death before age 65, the Trust will provide your beneficiaries with cover equal to 4 x salary
TOIL – Time Off In Lieu - Although there is no overtime paid by the Trust; the Trust has a Time Off In Lieu system in place. TOIL is normally time spent at weekend and evening events/meetings or extra work as requested by your line manager.
Child Care Vouchers with Compushare
LOOK OUT Call – An alert system used by lone workers. It operates via a normal mobile phone. It automatically contacts nominated colleagues whenever a lone worker is overdue from an appointment – or if the lone workers has pressed the panic button.
CRB Pre-Employment Check / Appointment to this post is subject to an Enhanced check.
To enter an HM Prison you would need PNC clearance
Medical: / You must be considered medically fit to undertake this position and will be required to complete a medical assessment form
References: / Employment to this post will be subject to receiving two satisfactory references
Proof of Eligibility to work in the UK / Evidence provided to comply with the
Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006
Training: / Identified through the induction and appraisal process and supported by our commitment to the Investors in People Standard
Special Requirements / In order to carry out the duties of this post you must hold a full driving licence and have access to a car