Community Support Worker

This post is for a part-time community support worker whose main purpose is to visit isolated and vulnerable elderly people in the community offering them advice, information and advocacy as appropriate.
Hours can be spread across the week in a pattern which works best to deliver the objectives e.g. 3 x 7 hours, 4 x 5.25 hours). There may be occasions where evening and weekend work will be required.

Southwark Irish Pensioners Project (SIPP) work to our core values to ensure our service users are central to the development of our services, also to respect each person’s dignity and to empower our service users to enable them to feel valued members of society.
A key element of all roles is to develop and maintain the organisation’s working ethos and culture.

This job description does not provide an exhaustive list of tasks and activities as all posts within the organisation are subject to evolution as the organisation develops and grows.

Main duties and responsibilities
• To meet with clients and establish their needs - physical, mental and emotional whilst building trusting relationships
• To ensure each client is in receipt of their full benefit entitlement
• To enable clients to access statutory and voluntary services including SIPP’s befriending service as appropriate to their needs and wishes, advocating on their behalf as required
• To develop good working relationships with statutory and voluntary professionals
• To promote good relationships with client’s families and friends to facilitate positive support networks where appropriate
• To monitor hospital stays and ensure safe and appropriate discharge
• To monitor care packages to ensure they are appropriate to the needs and wishes of the client
• To work closely with Local Authorities through bereavement processes, where appropriate, to ensure that the client’s wishes are adhered to, as far as possible
• To record and collate statistics on SIPP’s database, including follow-up and outcomes for monitoring and evaluation purposes, to deal with correspondence, manage your own schedule and produce reports as required
• To respond to enquiries in the drop-in advice and information service as required
• Contribute to the wider life and activities of SIPP, such as taking part in community celebrations, gatherings and covering for other staff during absence as appropriate
• Attend and participate in internal meetings including team meetings, 1 to 1’s, supervision, annual assessments and training
• Work co-operatively with other staff, volunteers, trustees and sessional workers
• To deliver a service that meets the highest quality standards
• To carry out any other duties reasonably requested by senior staff
• To work according to the standards, policies and procedures of SIPP with particular regard to confidentiality, equality and health & safety policies, following good professional practice at all times
• To raise the profile of SIPP and older people within the voluntary and statutory sector and within the community in general, ensuring the values of SIPP are upheld

The successful applicant must be able to demonstrate empathy for the people we support and be committed to the promotion of a person centred working environment.
All posts within the organisation are subject to change as the organisation grows and develops. Staff must be able to adapt to change and, therefore, flexibility is a key attribute required of all employees.

Essential
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with older people who may have sensory impairments or communication difficulties
• Able to establish a rapport with, and gain the respect of elderly people
• Experience in a role with similar responsibilities including providing support to people experiencing difficulties e.g. mental health work, older people, vulnerable adults, substance (alcohol) use
• Excellent understanding of the issues affecting the lives of older Irish people and their carers and the wide range of experiences, backgrounds and levels of vulnerability of this group of people
• Able to handle and respond effectively to inappropriate and challenging behaviour
• Able to successfully engage stakeholders such as health services, social services etc
• Ability to manage work load effectively, prioritising daily/weekly duties and dealing with emergency situations as required
• Ability to work on your own initiative and with minimum supervision
• Ability to receive and record information about clients and to act upon instructions from supervisor
• Good literacy and MC Office/email skills
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends
• Ability to work flexibly and adapt approach to meet service demands
• Commitment to the core aims of the organisation, promoting SIPP’s policies and procedures

Desirable
• Knowledge of the statutory and voluntary services in the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth or Lewisham
• Knowledge and experience of welfare benefits particularly those that affect older people
• Ability to work to targets
• Knowledge of using a database
• Experience of working within a small team

Other
• Able to travel within the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham
• The successful applicant will be required to have an enhanced DBS Check

Please note: This is a lone worker post. Our community staff are provided with a mobile phone and security alarm along with relevant training i.e. lone working, emergency first aid etc.

Southwark Irish Pensioners Project is a small charity based in Bermondsey. We provide culturally appropriate support to isolated and/or vulnerable elderly people living in the boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham.
We are looking for an experienced community support worker to join our team.