Homeless Link Worker
Applications for this vacancy have now closed
Description
Dorothy House is a Wiltshire based hospice providing compassionate care and support for people in our community with a life-limiting illness. Our focus is on quality of life, helping patients to live well and die well. We create individual care journeys, which start at diagnosis and continue with bereavement support for family, carers and children.
Our Hospice at Home service provides palliative care in the later stages of someone's life. Our experienced healthcare assistants support patients and their families in their own home, regardless of whether the patient lives alone or with others.
HOMELESS LINK WORKER | Band 5 £28,407 - £34,581 per annum
We are looking for an enthusiastic and confident individual with community development experience to support Dorothy House and our partners across Banes to understand the palliative, end of life care and bereavement needs of people who are homeless and how best to address these needs.
The post holder will work collaboratively to scope the end of life care educational offer to support partners working with the homeless community.
This is a non-clinical role and as such the post holder will not be expected to deliver specialist palliative care symptom control and support.
Further duties and responsibilities will include:
- Asset mapping and building relationships and trust with communities who are supporting people or providing services for people experiencing homelessness.
- Scoping and understanding the need for end of life education to hostels and other services working with people experiencing homelessness.
- Working with the education team to develop specific training programmes to offer to partners.
- Co-producing services and resources with partners and community members experiencing homelessness.
- Using advanced communication skills with a sensitive approach to establish trust and rapport with people experiencing homelessness and who face multiple barriers to accessing end of life care and support.
- Being an advocate for people experiencing homelessness and the barriers they face and lead the way in supporting others within the organisation to better understand their needs.
- Proactively develop and maintain working relationships with GP practices, health and social care services, specialist homelessness services, police, prisons, probation, hostels, churches, charities and other voluntary sector organisations.
See our full detailed Job Description on our website for more information.
HOURS OF WORK
This is a full time position. You will be contracted to work 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
This post will be for an initial fixed term period of 1 year, secondments will be considered.
ABOUT YOU
Essential requirements:
- Ability to communicate effectively, one to one and in groups in a wide range of settings
- Proficient in the use Microsoft Office and Teams
- Ability to work in a professional and anti-discriminatory manner
- Able to travel around the BANES locality served by Dorothy House
- Ability to manage difficult or challenging situations
- Ability to respect confidentiality and boundaries
- Ability to work independently and proactively and also to contribute to effective team working
- Proven track record in working across organisational boundaries and working with a range of statutory and non-statutory organisations Desirable requirements:
- Previous experience of community development
- Experience of working with people who are homeless or people with drug/alcohol or mental health needs in a community setting
- Experience of working in a strengths based way
- Knowledge of health inequalities
- Knowledge of homelessness, trauma, mental health and substance misuse
Desirable Requirements:
- Previous experiencing of working within palliative and end of life care services
- Knowledge of homelessness, trauma, mental health and substance misuse
ABOUT THE BENEFITS
Dorothy House is an incredible place to work, these are just a few of our benefits that we offer to our staff:
- Generous holiday allowance for all roles, increasing with length of service
- Fantastic refer a friend scheme
- Excellent industry leading training and development programmes with many career development opportunities
- Pension with Life Assurance
- Travel and parking - We offer 45p per mile for work travel. There is unlimited free parking in Winsley.
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee Counselling and Mindful Employer Charter - providing our staff with information, advice and support for those experiencing stress, anxiety, depression or any other mental health conditions.
- Simply Health - Providing insurance against certain everyday healthcare costs such as dental and optical treatments.
If this sounds like your ideal job, then we'd love to see your application.
Please note that our vacancies can close at any time once sufficient applications have been received. We therefore encourage early submission of your application.
NEXT STEPS
Interviews will be conducted at the beginning of April.
Required skills for this position
Download Job DescriptionAt Dorothy House, the principles of equality, diversity and inclusivity are central to our work as an outstanding care provider and employer. They are inherent in our values where we care, we connect and we create. We recognise the diversity of the people who deliver our services and the people who receive them. We believe that by building a diverse workforce, underpinned by a culture of respect, we will create an environment where everyone will have access to receive outstanding care and support from Dorothy House, regardless of characteristic.
Our 2021 Services Review identified how we need to work differently to achieve our strategic mission to ensure that “everyone has access to outstanding palliative and end of life care” and has presented us with an opportunity to improve on the “community development” work of the past and engage differently with our communities for the benefit of our patients, carers and families. Put another way, this is our moment ‘to do things differently’ and we are embracing this through Asset Based Community Development. We expect all staff to embrace this strategy and we will provide training accordingly.
What happens next
Your application will be processed. One of the team from Dorothy House may contact you to discuss your application further
If selected, you will be invited to attend an interview
We will keep you informed of the progress of your application throughout the selection process
Every day is different and challenging, and I feel privileged to be let into the lives and homes of our patients
Elaine Kynaston, Dorothy House carer
Dorothy House is at the end of a phone whenever you need advice or reassurance. There’s just something about all the staff – they’re so approachable.
Angela Selman, DH patient, 2022
I was a Hospice at Home carer for thirty years. I think we all feel privileged to do it. It’s an honour to be with people at the very end of life.
Maggie Matthews, Dorothy House carer
I cannot put into words what a difference your carers made at such a dark time, and I will always be truly grateful.
Family of a patient, 2021
Anyone who works for Dorothy House is passionate about what we do. We’re like a family –we agree on our values and our mission and that comes through more than anything
Sue Spanswick, Dorothy House carer
It sounds a cliché, but every day really is totally different and I get to work with some amazing people
Debbie Russell, Mobile Deputy Shop Manager
I really wanted to work for Dorothy house after seeing first-hand the quality of care they provided. I applied for hospice at home carer role, and was thrilled to be offered a position.
Julia Harper, Dorothy House carer
My role at Dorothy House feels more meaningful than any of my previous corporate experience. Things here really matter, and it is so rewarding playing my part in helping us be there for patients and families
Rhiannon Eveleigh, Corporate Communications, 2022