Role overview

New Horizon Youth Centre (NHYC) runs London's only youth-specific emergency accommodation project in partnership with Depaul UK. The London Youth Hub, based in Islington, provides emergency accommodation and support to help young people facing rough sleeping to transition into safe, long-term housing and achieve independence. 

As an Assessment and Resettlement Worker for the Youth Hub you will be joining our new Rough Sleeping Team and be responsible for delivering high-quality move on and advice services to young people staying at the Hub. 

This includes conducting needs assessments, providing guidance on housing, welfare benefits, tenancy rights, and employment, and connecting young people to relevant resources and support services. The role involves managing a case list of clients with diverse and often complex needs and collaborating with both internal teams and external partners to ensure successful client move on options within the 56 days emergency stay.

Key details

• Contract type and hours: Full time, one year fixed term contract
• Salary: Starting salary £31,200. The salary scale is: AP26 (£31,200) to AP30 (£34,736)
• Location: Youth Hub in Islington and New Horizon Youth Centre, Camden.
• Application deadline: 9am,  Monday 7th April   
• How to apply: complete our application form below, submit your CV and write a 2 page cover letter/supporting statement. Please don't include your name or address in your CV or cover letter.

Key objectives:

• To deliver an effective advice, assessment and resettlement service to young people accessing the Youth Hub emergency accommodation project, enabling young people to move on into safe and appropriate long-term housing and independence.
• To work effectively with all external partners, as well as collaborating effectively with relevant internal stakeholders.
• To increase accommodation options for young people, both through NHYC’s own projects and with external partners.

Reporting to: Head of Services (Rough Sleeping) and Services Manager (Youth Hub)

Main tasks and responsibilities

Advice and move on services

Delivering advice, accommodation and other move on services to young people with multiple needs who access the Youth Hub project. This will include:

1. Working to ensure young people receive a high-quality service from the point of registration to move-on. Taking a hands-on approach to dealing with complex or difficult cases.

2. Carrying out thorough needs assessments with young people accessing the Youth Hub in order to refer young people into appropriate move-on accommodation and to external specialist services.

3. Providing young people with expert advice and guidance on Accommodation, Welfare Benefits, Housing Benefit and Tenancy rights, Legal Services, and Employment, Education & Training. Monitoring and evaluating young people’s progress.

4. Taking a lead on managing the engagement of other relevant external partners, able to provide accommodation and other move on opportunities to young people.

5. Referring young people to other internal New Horizon Youth Centre teams in order to support their progression, including Health, Youth Work and Jobs, Education and Training.

6. Referring young people to a wide range of specialist external advice services including around advocacy, substance misuse, mental health, immigration, counselling, financial/debt advice, and legal services.

7. Continued use of feedback and showing a commitment to a service that is sensitive and responsive to clients’ needs, involving:

• Completing registrations, needs assessments and move on plans with clients
• Ensuring risk management and assessment procedures are followed
• Providing advocacy and making referrals to appropriate services

8. Attending regular briefings, team meetings, reflective practice and clinical supervision, both with NHYC and project partners. Ensuring that Health and Safety or safeguarding issues are addressed at all times.

Sharing Best Practice

To proactively share best practice with internal and external stakeholders in order to maximise the impact of the work of NHYC. This will include:

9. Identifying and acting to maximise NHYC’s profile by seeking out and responding to opportunities with specialists and agencies who might offer resources, funding, or individual services relevant to client needs.

10. Contributing to research and innovation projects that ensure NHYC remains a leading organisation within the sector.

11. Promoting and representing NHYC at relevant forums, meetings and events.

Information management 

To produce and maintain accurate and useful information in a range of formats in order to promote effective service delivery and evaluation. This will include:

12. Recording all contacts with clients appropriately and maintaining all relevant files and recording systems.

13. Producing written reports in a variety of formats to meet the requirements of NHYC, external service providers and funders, e.g., project reviews and assessment reports.

14. Inputting and extracting information from client monitoring systems and other accounting and database systems. Utilising other relevant software for the production of reports.

15. Being self-servicing in day-to-day administration, and following team and NHYC’s administrative procedures.

Reviewing personal and professional development needs

To be proactive in reviewing and evaluating own performance and identifying and acting upon areas for improvement. This will include:

16. Reviewing and evaluating own performance to identify strengths and areas for development. Identifying own learning/development needs and opportunities.

17. Undertaking development and training opportunities and being responsible for obtaining maximum benefit through review, reflection and practice.

18. Taking a proactive approach to supervision including regular line management supervision, team meetings, team reflective practice and clinical supervision.

Other

To contribute positively and constructively to the development of the team, the service and wider organisation. This will include:

19. Covering for other members of the team as necessary, including at our main day centre in Camden.

20. Following NHYC’s policies, procedures and performance expectations in all functions of the post.

21. Undertaking, as required, any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Services Manager, Head of Services, Director of Operations or CEO.

Person specification

We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate the following competencies to a high level and want to use these to the full in their work.

E: Essential

D: Desirable

Qualifications, experience and track record

1. Ability to work effectively with young people facing homelessness to identify personal goals and support mechanisms for change including for those young people with multiple complex issues. (E)

2. Experience of delivering specialist housing advice services within a youth and community or other relevant sector. (E)

3. Experience of managing a case list of multiple clients with complex needs and barriers. (E)

4. Proven track record of progressing vulnerable people into stable accommodation outcomes. (E)

5. Experience of working in partnership with both internal and external stakeholders in order to deliver specific projects or achieve organisational aims and objectives. (E)

6. Experience of using IT systems (including knowledge of databases) to support the achievement of personal and collective work goals. (E)

7. The ability to multitask in a pressured environment. (E)

8. Experience of working in a hostel/foyer or similar residential setting. (D)

Specialist knowledge and role requirements

9. Ability to maintain enthusiasm for a high level of contact with clients on a day-to-day basis, and a genuine interest in helping vulnerable people/young people to make changes in their life to move towards independent living. (E)

10. Understanding of the kinds of challenging behaviour that clients might demonstrate and ability to deliver strategies for dealing with such behaviour. (E)

11. Thorough and up-to-date working knowledge of:
• Local and National Government policies and procedures in relation to the client group. (D)
• Relevant local and national organisations and their role/responsibilities in providing support to vulnerable young people. (D)
• The benefits system and how this impacts young people. (D)

12. A working knowledge of accommodation options and referral pathways relevant to the client group. (E)

13. Knowledge of working to performance indicators, including monitoring and reporting on service outputs/outcomes, client tracking, analysing performance information, and identifying corrective action. (E)

14. A high level of knowledge of health and safety issues in a working environment. (E)

15. Experience and knowledge around safeguarding policy and procedures for children and vulnerable adults. (E)

16. A working knowledge of and commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as it applies to a supportive service and in the workplace. (E)

Additional job requirements

17. Willingness and ability to work outside of normal office hours on occasion (within New Horizon’s flexible working hour’s arrangements) and over the Christmas period. (D)

18. Willingness to work flexibly in response to changing organisational requirements. (E)

19. Willingness to travel to different sites in London, including our day centre in Camden. (E)

Timescales and how to apply

Dates

• Closing date for applications: 9am,  Monday 7 April
• Shortlisted candidates will be informed: Thursday 10 April
• Interviews: W/C 14 April 

Application process

1. Complete the application form below
2. Upload your CV setting out your career history, education or qualifications, and other key responsibilities or achievements. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME OR INITIALS IN THE DOCUMENT FILE NAME
3. Write a cover letter / supporting statement (no more than 1500 words) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the criteria listed on the Person Specification. Do not include your name, address or any personal details. This is an important part of your application so must be completed. We recommend you work on this in another text file (such as Word) and copy and paste it into the box below when you are ready to submit.

We do not consider incomplete applications.

You will be notified if you have not been shortlisted. However, we are unfortunately unable to provide each individual application with feedback.

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a call to discuss the role, please feel free to email us at recruitment@nhyouthcentre.org.uk or call 0207 388 5560.

Click here to see the job pack in PDF format or the job pack in Word format.