Job summary
We are are looking for an enthusiastic Housing Officer to be part of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Buckinghamshire Directorate.
The role will involve supporting service users, and the carers with housing, benefits and related matters.
This post will cover adult and older adult mental health community services in Buckinghamshire.
Main duties of the job
To provide a range of practical support to an agreed number of clients and help them with difficulties like housing, debt and social activities. To offer clients a set number of sessions depending on their needs and to ensure that they are given the time needed to promote their recovery and enable them to live safely within the local community.
The post holder will work across a number of different service locations, liaise with a range of professionals and teams across adult mental health services and external agencies with the aim of supporting service users and the carers with housing, benefits and related matters.
About us
As a team member you will receive on-going support with an excellent development programme to help you reach your full potential.
Benefits of working for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust include:
- Excellent opportunities for career progression
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, with an increase to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
- Staff accommodation
- Competitive pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- New starters have a 6 month probationary period. This, together with the induction process aims to create a positive supportive working environment allowing new employees to learn key elements of their role over a reasonable timescale.
Job description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Managing client care/responsibilities
- To develop a rapport with individual clients, whilst ensuring appropriate boundaries are understood and maintained.
- Offer short term intervention to empower clients to be more independent.
- Offer specialist support with regards to housing, homelessness prevention and benefits.
- Empathise with the practical and emotional needs of the client and their family/carer, advising on options available and referring to suitable services if necessary.
- Recognising difficulties in clients mental health and being able to discuss this with them.
- Support the protection of individuals at risk by monitoring the clients progress and state of health and wellbeing and alert the appropriate staff if signs of relapse in a persons mental health are identified
- Assessment of clients on-going needs.
- To make a judgement on clients on-going needs where they have progressive mental health needs, in collaboration with other professionals and also taking account of their emotional, cognitive and physical condition and expressed wishes.
- To assist clients to set their own objectives and goals and identify the level of support they need e.g. Practical, emotional, financial, social, information sharing, ongoing regular support.
- To assist clients, engage with their care coordinator/key worker if they are having any.
- To support clients with a greater degree of dependency to engage effectively with the agreed care plan
- To provide regular and practical support with tasks for daily living to facilitate independence
- To assist clients to access services which positively promote independent living in the community e.g. education, vocation, financial/benefits, social support, advice agencies and liaising with other health professional services.
- To facilitate clear pathways of care for service users which cut across agency boundaries and to report any difficulties to the line manager
- To support clients in dealing with correspondence, debt issues, housing, judicial matters.
- To have the ability to work with people in distress, and to consider referring on clients who may exhibit challenging behaviour and complex needs to other services. To have the ability to remain flexible in unpredictable client situations.
- Ability to recognise physical risk regarding working conditions when working in clients homes and to respond appropriately.
- Identify possible risk factors within the working environment and clients home and respond appropriately, in line with the Lone Worker Policy.
- To be aware of other agencies/services available, network, and liaise with, refer on to them.
- To keep up to date electronic records of contacts with clients.
- To maintain and manage the waiting list (if any).
- To be able to work some flexi time to run the Peer Support Group out of hours; co-ordinating and arranging meetings and to be able to work with a group of ex-clients in an informal setting.
Job description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Managing client care/responsibilities
- To develop a rapport with individual clients, whilst ensuring appropriate boundaries are understood and maintained.
- Offer short term intervention to empower clients to be more independent.
- Offer specialist support with regards to housing, homelessness prevention and benefits.
- Empathise with the practical and emotional needs of the client and their family/carer, advising on options available and referring to suitable services if necessary.
- Recognising difficulties in clients mental health and being able to discuss this with them.
- Support the protection of individuals at risk by monitoring the clients progress and state of health and wellbeing and alert the appropriate staff if signs of relapse in a persons mental health are identified
- Assessment of clients on-going needs.
- To make a judgement on clients on-going needs where they have progressive mental health needs, in collaboration with other professionals and also taking account of their emotional, cognitive and physical condition and expressed wishes.
- To assist clients to set their own objectives and goals and identify the level of support they need e.g. Practical, emotional, financial, social, information sharing, ongoing regular support.
- To assist clients, engage with their care coordinator/key worker if they are having any.
- To support clients with a greater degree of dependency to engage effectively with the agreed care plan
- To provide regular and practical support with tasks for daily living to facilitate independence
- To assist clients to access services which positively promote independent living in the community e.g. education, vocation, financial/benefits, social support, advice agencies and liaising with other health professional services.
- To facilitate clear pathways of care for service users which cut across agency boundaries and to report any difficulties to the line manager
- To support clients in dealing with correspondence, debt issues, housing, judicial matters.
- To have the ability to work with people in distress, and to consider referring on clients who may exhibit challenging behaviour and complex needs to other services. To have the ability to remain flexible in unpredictable client situations.
- Ability to recognise physical risk regarding working conditions when working in clients homes and to respond appropriately.
- Identify possible risk factors within the working environment and clients home and respond appropriately, in line with the Lone Worker Policy.
- To be aware of other agencies/services available, network, and liaise with, refer on to them.
- To keep up to date electronic records of contacts with clients.
- To maintain and manage the waiting list (if any).
- To be able to work some flexi time to run the Peer Support Group out of hours; co-ordinating and arranging meetings and to be able to work with a group of ex-clients in an informal setting.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- An understanding of benefits and employment systems.
Desirable
- Experience of Local Community resources especially housing and homelessness prevention projects.
Qulaifications
Essential
- NVQ level 2 or 3 or other relevant qualifications.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in mental health services.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- An understanding of benefits and employment systems.
Desirable
- Experience of Local Community resources especially housing and homelessness prevention projects.
Qulaifications
Essential
- NVQ level 2 or 3 or other relevant qualifications.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in mental health services.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
