Homeless Services Project Worker

Job Title: Project Worker, Homeless Services

The Role

The Project Worker is tasked with providing practical assistance and support to families and/or individuals during their engagement with COPE Galway Homeless Services with a focus on assisting to source and secure appropriate accommodation options and on supporting to address health and care needs where appropriate. The role carries with it an opportunity to develop skills across a variety of homeless services in Galway City.

These include:

• Short Term Accommodation facilities for single homeless people and for families
• Support to families and single people residing in Private Emergency Accommodation
• A Day Centre and Outreach service for people at risk of rough sleeping
• Resettlement, Tenancy Support and Community Based Housing
• A seasonal Cold Weather Response

The successful candidate will be deployed to work within COPE Galway's homeless services where needed and on a periodic rotational basis where appropriate and will be first assigned to work in the service named in the advert. They will carry a key working case load in the services where deployed with responsibility for care and case management and on duty they will have a responsibility to, as part of a team, ensure the smooth and safe operation of that service. They will work with their colleagues to collaboratively embed the values of COPE Galway and a trauma informed approach within COPE Galway Homeless Services.

Current vacant assignments are:

Family Services x 1 (Contract 1 Year Fixed Term)

Our Values, Our Work, Our People

COPE Galway is a charity that has been providing social services in Galway since the 1970s. Our homeless services offer people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness a range of residential and non-residential supports. Our team works tirelessly to find individualised creative solutions. Ours is a learning organisation where we seek to innovate in line with evidence based best practice. We embrace strengths-based approaches, harm reduction, trauma informed care and rights-based service provision.

Our Vision is a community where every person is valued, cared for, and supported at every stage of life. We work to achieve this by providing essential supports for people at challenging times in their lives, and by advocating for systemic change to remove the root causes of inequity and disadvantage that constrain the wellbeing and development of individuals, families and communities.

Our Mission is to make a difference by empowering people, creating change and strengthening communities. We understand, respect and respond to the needs of our clients who are always at the forefront of our work. COPE Galway is committed to becoming a Trauma Informed Organisation through an implementation plan that includes training for all team members across all roles and departments. Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) aims to support us to recognise trauma and to react and respond to it in ways that minimise triggering and retraumatising people, so that we continue to provide the best possible services to those who need us most. TIP also encourages us to focus on our organisational culture and how we each interact with one another to create psychologically safe environments for clients, volunteers and staff. It encourages us to reflect on our own triggers and responses and considers personal and organisational responses to staff wellbeing to ensure that our people are supported to deliver the best services they possibly can to those who need them most.

Everything we do is guided by the COPE Galway Approach to help us achieve our vision of a community where every person is valued, cared for and supported at every stage of life.

This assets-based and person-centered approach recognises that each person has attributes and strengths that can make positive differences in their own lives. We achieve results for the people we work with because of our Approach. The COPE Galway Approach is built on:

Understanding - Deep listening, storytelling, learning, developing, openness, connections.

Respect - Valuing the whole person, empowering, trusting, believing in the potential of others, drawing on strengths and abilities.

Response - Quality, professionalism, making an impact, challenging ourselves, continuous improvement.

Strong human relationships form the basis for the COPE Galway Approach. These relationships are established on how we understand and respect those we work with and how we respond so that we positively impact people's lives.

Our Team is supported by regular support and supervision, and access to our Employee Assistance Programme. Our people receive a wide variety of on-the-job training, with core training including Trauma Informed Practice, First Aid Responder, MAPA (Management of Actual and Potential Aggression), Overdose Response and Naloxone Administration and additional trainings including Values Workshops, Diversity Workshops and Harm Reduction Workshops.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Worker is responsible to the Team Leader/ Manager. Their (not exhaustive) key duties are:

Client Services and Support

• To process referrals made to the service
• To conduct assessments in a professional, sensitive and appropriate manner
• To intensively work with clients to source and secure accommodation including supporting clients to move on to long-term permanent housing both in terms of securing independent tenancies and putting the supports in place in their communities.
• To, through the key working process, support clients to access local services such as medical, welfare, training, education and employment service
• To provide practical support and assistance to clients
• To assist all clients with health, safety and general welfare
• To actively engage with and facilitate clients in accessing a broad range of services including housing, health, welfare, education and training and leisure services aimed at integrating clients into the community
• To work with all clients and endeavour to win their trust and respect, be proactive in addressing difficult or problematic situations as they arise in a sensitive and direct manner within the framework of the organisational policies and procedures
• To support clients to address interpersonal issues
• To work in partnership with clients, promoting self-advocacy and when necessary, advocate on client's behalf
• To promote opportunities for clients to use their own strengths and expertise to enable them to address their homelessness.

Service Operation and Development

• To ensure the day-to-day operations of the project run smoothly and in accordance with the policies and procedures and the values of COPE Galway
• To ensure a safe, welcoming and friendly environment is established and maintained
• To ensure that clients are consulted and involved in the operation of the service to the greatest practical extent
• To respond to difficult or problematic situations in a sensitive manner and within the framework of the Organisation's policies and procedures
• To be flexible in the delivery of the service including implementing interventions in the area of prevention of the breakdown of clients stays in their accommodation.
• To work effectively both within the team and as a lone worker
• To adhere to all of COPE Galway's policies and procedures
• To work in line with NQSF (National Quality Standards Framework for Homeless Services)
• To adhere at all times to the COPE Galway Child Protection and Welfare Policy & Procedure and the Children First Guidelines
• To ensure that all incidents, events and handovers are recorded using the systems in place
• To ensure that confidentiality is maintained in accordance with the COPE Galway Data Protection Policies and Procedures and agreed information sharing protocols
• To use the database systems in place including PASS (Pathway Accommodation & Support System)
• To maintain domestic, health, and hygiene standards in the building at the highest standards including engaging in cleaning standards as required.
• To work positively and effectively as a member of a team and the wider Organisation
• To attend and contribute to team meetings, supervision and other meetings as required
• To communicate effectively and respectfully with colleagues and clients
• To maintain positive and mutually beneficial relationships with relevant external agencies
• To contribute to the fostering of positive relations with the local community and in particular with those living in the immediate neighbourhood by responding to enquiries made to the project
• To be committed to and contribute to ongoing service development.
• To continue to learn and develop professionally through participating in training and workshops
• To undertake specific roles within the service assigned/deployed to and/or organisationally as required (e.g. Health and Safety representative) and within the wider organisation
• To carry out any other reasonable duties as requested

Key Terms and Conditions

Frequency of Work: 37 hours as set out in work rosters

Contract Period: 2 years (dependent on role - see above)

Salary: Starting salary of €35,331 per annum pro rata

Method of Pay: Monthly by credit transfer

Annual Leave: 24 days per annum pro rata

Person Specification and Core Competencies

The ideal candidate will have:

• A minimum of two years experience of working with vulnerable communities and a recognised third-level qualification (minimum level 8) in social care or a related field
• A commitment to the Vision, Mission and Values of COPE Galway
• An understanding of the nature of homelessness and of the complex needs of homeless families
• Integrity and an ability to build trusting and respectful professional relationships
• An understanding of a broad range of issues including equity, inclusion, diversity, homelessness, mental health, addiction, trauma, children's needs, relationship and family breakdown, poverty and social exclusion
• Good written and oral communication and I.T. skills
• Strong Interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Strong advocacy skills
• A receptiveness to feedback from clients and colleagues
• An ability to contribute to the prevention and management of challenging behaviours and effective skills in dealing with challenging and pressurised situations
• Resilience and a positive outlook
• Leadership and problem-solving skills
• A practical common-sense approach
• An ability to understand, prevent and respond appropriately to challenging behaviour
• An openness to change

Please note, that a full clean driving license and access to own vehicle is required for some assignments. Where this is the case, it will be clearly stated on the advert.