Homeless Services Night Support Worker

Description

Job Title:                          Night Support Worker

The Role

Night Support Worker is a hands-on role. As part of a team, the person is focused on providing practical assistance and support to clients during their engagement with COPE Galway Homeless Services and ensuring the smooth and safe operation of the service to which they are assigned. Our homeless services operate on a 24/7 basic 365 days a year. Scheduled shifts are predominantly waking night shifts and sleepovers though day hours may also be required, depending on the needs of the service.

Current available assignments:

COPE Galway Fairgreen Hostel

COPE Galway Cold Weather Response

COPE Galway Residential Services Winter Contingency

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 practise. 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-centred 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 Care, First Aid, 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 Night Support Worker is responsible to the Service Manager and Team Leader. Their (not exhaustive) key duties are:

• To ensure the day-to-day operations of the project run smoothly and in accordance with the policies and procedures of COPE Galway
• To ensure a safe, welcoming and friendly environment is established and maintained
• To ensure the practical needs of clients are met through the provision of laundry and bedding 
• To support project workers in dealing with referrals for admission and make admissions or referrals as appropriate and as per policy guidelines
• To provide general information on the Homeless Services for Galway City and County
• To assist all clients with health, safety and general welfare
• To respond to difficult or problematic situations in a sensitive manner and within the framework of the Organisation's policies and procedures
• To support the project workers to facilitate clients to access local services such as medical, welfare, training, education and employment services
• To carry out administrative and financial procedures in accordance with COPE Galway policies and procedures
• To use the database systems in place including the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS)
• To communicate effectively and respectfully with colleagues and clients
• To ensure that all incidents, emergencies, events and handovers are recorded using the recording systems in place
• To ensure that health and safety standards are maintained and adhere to COPE Galway Safety Statement and related policies and procedures at all times
• To maintain domestic, health, and hygiene standards in the building at the highest standards.
• To ensure that clients are consulted and involved in the operation of the project to the greatest practical extent
• To work positively and effectively as a member of a team
• To attend and contribute to team meetings as required
• 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 continue to learn and develop professionally through participating in training and workshops
• To adhere at all times to the COPE Galway Child Protection and Welfare Policy & Procedure and the Children First Guidelines  
• To ensure that confidentiality is maintained in accordance with the COPE Galway Confidentiality Policy and Procedure and agreed information sharing protocols
• To work in line with NQSF (National Quality Standards Framework)
• To be available to work a variety of different shifts of differing lengths as set out in work rosters - this may include shifts on weekdays, nights, weekends and Bank Holidays
• 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:         Permanent

Salary:                          Starting salary of €31,990 on a 9 point salary scale

Method of Pay:            Monthly by credit transfer

Annual Leave:             24 days per annum pro rata

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have:

• One year's experience of working with homeless people and/or other vulnerable or marginalised groups or a recognised third level qualification in social care or a related field
• An understanding of the nature of homelessness and the needs of single homeless people
• An ability to treat clients in a non-judgmental and respectful way
• A commitment to harm reduction
• A knowledge of relevant local services and of the welfare benefits system
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Competent I.T. skills
• Strong Interpersonal and teamwork skills
• A receptiveness to feedback from clients and colleagues
• Good conflict resolution skills
• A practical common-sense approach
• An ability to prevent and respond appropriately to challenging behaviour
• An openness to change