About us:
At Dublin Simon Community, we are passionate about making home a reality. Our aim is to empower people to access and retain a home by providing housing, prevention, addiction treatment, emergency response, and other targeted interventions, through advocacy and partnership.
If you share our values and want to make a difference then apply for this role with Dublin Simon Community and join the team!
About the job:
Location: Louth Area – Office base in Dundalk
Working Hours: Monday – Friday (9 am – 5:30 pm). 37.5 hours per week. 25 days annual leave. On occasion, Evening hours may be required to meet the need of the clients as agreed with your service manager.
Contract type: Full-time Permanent.
As a Project Worker - you will provide timely interventions, assistance, and support to those who are moving from homelessness and require support in setting-up their home. You’ll guide clients in both tenancy management and building supportive links in their local community, with an aim to progress them towards independent living. You will also support those in private emergency accommodation who require assistance to source long term housing You will work as part of a team and report to the Service Manager.
Responsibilities:

• Develop, manage, implement, and review housing support plans for 30 clients, which may be single persons, couples and families with children, while working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, to achieve service and client’s targets.
• Drive and implement care and case management processes and protocols whilst lone working in the client’s home. Carry out risk assessments and follow safeguarding protocols to vulnerable clients and children.
• Attend team meetings, planning days and function planning days
• Liaise and stay in regular contact with stakeholders, social housing providers, landlords, management companies and local authority area offices where during the visiting support period.
• Advocate on behalf of tenants, responding rapidly and providing practical aid in a crisis arising for the tenant.
• Assist the client with access to relevant services e.g., Housing Welfare, Estate Management, Social Welfare, Primary Care services, Treatment, and Recovery Services, and Rent sections.
• Provide emotional and practical support to service users who are leaving homelessness, at risk of homelessness or entering homeless services. Work from strengths-based perspective to encourage resilience in service users and support them in feeling empowered.
• Facilitate clients to access housing, maintenance, and repair services information and advice of their rights and responsibilities.
• Facilitate clients to develop positive relationships with their neighbours with best practise and social inclusion model as the basis of this work.
• Review, with clients, tenancy agreements, and contracts, and them to organisations that assist with this such as Threshold and RTB.
• Facilitate clients to access mediation services, dispute resolution or anger management training, social welfare payments, other relevant financial supports, training, education and employment schemes/ programmes, Citizens Information, Free legal Aid services, health and care facilities (GP, Mental and physical health services health, Family support services, Counselling/psychology services (clinical), Childcare and community-based education.
• Update clients with any tenancy legislation changes, and changes to the rent pressure zones that can directly impact their ability to upkeep their rent payments.
• Report and record any child protection issues to the DSC child protection officer if concerned, and liaise with relevant child protection services as directed.
• Record client caseload data and update regularly. Compile statistics, update PASS and Internal IT Systems.
• You will hold responsibility within your team as the representative for an organisational role, this can include matters such as petty cash, GDPR or Health and Safety. Depending on your role you may have to attend Organisational meetings as the representative for the team.
• Support Clients to access both external and internal avenues of funding to assist those coming from homeless services to set up their new homes fully.

Essential for the role:

• BA/BS degree in psychology, social care, addiction, counselling, youth work, community development, psychotherapy or similar.
• 2 years’ experience working in a social care setting, working with vulnerable clients.
• 1 year experience as a project worker (case management, developing and implementing support/care plans)
• Understanding of why people become homeless and the needs they have.
• Understanding of supporting clients to settle into their new tenancies.
• Client-focused, solution focused, adaptable, accountable, resilient individual.
• Experience developing strong relationships, with clients and stakeholders.
• Ability to support clients independently, within the support of a team.

Desirable for the role:

• Experience of working in the community, with child/family support, and liaising with local authorities and/or other housing providers.
• Experience of lone working.
• Experience of Database systems and PASS system
• Awareness of addiction, treatment pathways and services
• Experience of assessing clients needs in their home and signposting to community supports.
• Experience of mobile working in a visiting support capacity.
• Full driver’s license.

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave,
• 5% matched contribution to your pension,
• Paid Sick Leave Policy,
• Paid Maternity Leave Policy,
• Bike to Work Scheme,
• Commuter Travel Tax Savers Ticker,
• 1st-week Comprehensive Training.
• Progression Opportunities

Shortlisting will be in progress throughout the period that the vacancy is live, so you may be called for interview and/or the vacancy may be filled before the closing date.
Please note, if you are unsure of any of the requirements, contact the Recruitment Team on (01) 6354860
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: €35,000.00-€35,500.00 per year
Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Application question(s):

• •In order to work in Ireland a non-EEA National, unless they are exempted, must hold a valid Employment Permit. Do you require an Employment Permit to work in Ireland?
• •Garda Vetting is conducted in respect of any person who is carrying out work or activity, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable persons. We will make such enquiries with An Garda Síochána as we deem necessary, to establish whether there is any criminal record or specified information relating to you as the job applicant. Are you currently or have you ever been the subject of criminal charges or investigation?
• How many years of experience do you have as a project worker?
• Do you have drivers license?

Work Location: In person