In this interesting and varied position, you’ll play a crucial role in the detection and support of rough sleepers and homeless (or at risk of homelessness) women sex-working within Swindon, providing a comprehensive and swiftly responsive service to individuals who are currently sleeping rough or who have a recent history of rough sleeping in Swindon and are at risk for returning to the streets due to sustained involvement in night activities that challenge hostel tenancy rules and could result in exclusion from resettlement projects. You will be adept at building trust and providing person centred advocacy and support which enables clients to navigate pathways and progress towards a life away from the streets.
You will undertake street outreach sessions and hot spot visits during unsocial hours, to engage with people sleeping rough in order to affect positive change. You will also support close partnership working with the local housing, health and wellbeing services, Police, emergency accommodation providers and wider partner agencies to maximise positive outcomes for clients. You will monitor the welfare of street-based sex workers and provide on-street support, including through the distribution of harm reduction materials and responding to street based incidents through engagement with Police or emergency services.
You will, at times and if capable, be responsible for the mentoring and shift supervision of volunteers and student placements, while being supported in this endeavour by the wider Threshold team, with oversite provided by your line manager. You will also be accompanied on some shifts each week by staff from various NHS services and from supporting partner agencies.
With a good standard of education, you will ideally have experience of working with homeless people as well as a comprehensive understanding of the needs of dual diagnosis rough sleepers. With excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing, you will be at ease communicating with a wide audience, from our service users to professionals within the Local Authority and within agencies whom our service users are engaged with or would benefit from engaging with. You will be diplomatic, tactful and highly empathetic, and possess the attribute of strong resilience in order to work flexibly and creatively with individuals presenting with multiple and typically complex needs.
You will be a team-player, open to sharing professional knowledge and to learning from others. Desiring to make a meaningful difference to the lives of our service users, you will approach your work with enthusiasm, compassion, and utmost professionalism at all times.
We are open to recruiting part-time and/or full-time staff. Additionally, if you are looking for a short-term appointment we currently have a need to appoint to a temporary post and we would welcome expressions of interest to join Threshold for a period of between 3 to 6 months.
In the first instance we invite expressions of interest that outline in brief what working pattern you are interested in (PT, FT, temporary), when you could potentially start work with us, your current salary and salary expectation, an overview of your professional qualifications and work experience, and an indication of how your career aspirations might be met through joining the Threshold team.
We anticipate contacting all suitable applicants shortly after receipt of your expression of interest. Recruitment is ‘open’ and will close upon appointment of a suitable candidate/s. All expressions of interest will be acknowledged as ‘received’ by return email.
Please email your expression of interest, providing an succinct overview covering those areas of interest to us detailed above to: recruitment@thl.org.uk
In the subject line of your email please indicate: Current Vacancies
Please also complete and attach to your email the ‘GDPR Consent Form – Initial Enquiries / Applications’. Failure to do so will prevent consideration of your expression of interest in our current vacancies.
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For more information on this role, you can download the full job description for Night Watch Project Worker here.
