General Building jobs in Canterbury

About Catching Lives

Catching Lives supports people who are homeless or insecurely housed in Canterbury and East Kent. Our vision is of a society where everyone has a safe place to live and the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life. We operate from our day centre, a minute’s walk from Canterbury East station. We open every day of the week to provide basic facilities (food, showers, laundry) alongside one-to-one support to help people improve housing, health and social connection. We also deliver regular activities and host specialist services from partner agencies.

Purpose of the role

Project Workers are responsible for the smooth day-to-day running of the centre and drop-in services. The role includes practical tasks alongside one-to-one support work with clients. Project Workers coordinate with colleagues, volunteers and external partners to deliver a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment in which people get the help that they need to make positive changes and move on in their lives.

We are recruiting a full-time Project Worker to work Monday-Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm on-site in our Canterbury day centre.

How to apply

Please read the Job Description and Person Specification below. Apply by sending your CV and, importantly, a cover letter telling us:

• Why you want to work for our homelessness charity, and
• How you meet the ‘experience’ requirements in the Essential section of the Person Specification

Key responsibilities

Centre support

• Keep the day centre clean, tidy and safe throughout the day including communal areas, showers, toilets, laundry, garden and kitchen.
• Welcome new clients and give them a tour, explaining services and rules.
• Ask new clients to complete relevant paperwork.
• Help people to use services e.g. providing essential items, booking time slots.
• Manage entry to the drop-in according to safety and risk assessment policy.
• Respond to incidents or concerns around risk and safeguarding (both with individuals and in the communal space) according to organisational policy and procedure. This sometimes means excluding people from the building.
• Support volunteers when needed e.g. preparing/serving food, washing up,
• de-escalating incidents.
• Greet workers from external agencies who visit to meet clients or hold drop-ins. Ensure they are aware of Centre procedures around health & safety, and regularly check in with them while they are on-site.
• Follow food hygiene protocols in the kitchen.
• Chat to people using the Centre.
• Ensure the Day Centre is clean, tidy and secure – complete opening and closing checklist actions.

Client support

• Complete registration with new or returning clients, within their first week of access where possible.
• Proactively build relationships with, and offer support to, people using the drop-in.
• Identify and prioritise clients’ support needs through the registration process and other conversations, for example around housing, income, health, employment, and social connections.
• Carry out ongoing assessments of clients’ risks and safeguarding issues, putting safety plans in place and escalating to managers as needed.
• Plan actions that will help clients to stay safe, make changes and achieve their goals.
• Provide accurate, up to date information to clients in plain English, using translation services where necessary.
• Work in a non-judgemental, person-centred and trauma-informed way.
• Support clients’ motivation to make changes.
• Complete support actions promptly, with support of colleagues, managers and external partners as needed.
• Work with, or refer on to, relevant external agencies with appropriate consent.
• Tailor each client’s support in response to emerging information or needs.
• Review support plans/tasks to celebrate achievements and, where appropriate, to set new goals.

Recording

• Use the organisational databases (training provided) for same-day recording of client support work and other engagement including involvement in activities and external agency drop-ins at the centre.
• Update client records to show progress with actions/tasks and goals, changes to their situation (for example to their housing status, benefits and health) and work done by external agencies.
• Record changes/outcomes, both positive and negative.
• Complete safeguarding alert forms and escalate to the designated safeguarding lead according to the local policy and procedure.

Personal development

• Keep up to date with changes to law, policy and good practice in housing, homelessness and related issues.
• Proactively identify areas for development in knowledge or skills.
• Attend training and other development activities as agreed with your line manager.

General

• Adhere to organisational policies and procedures.
• Undertake, as required, any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Chief Executive.
• Attend and participate in organisational meetings and training as required.

This job description covers the current range of duties and will be reviewed from time to time. Catching Lives reserves the right to change this job description.

Who we're looking for

Experience might be from paid work, voluntary/community roles and/or lived experience.

Essential

• Experience of working with diverse groups of people in a public or community setting.
• Experience of working in a team.
• Experience of de-escalating challenging behaviour with confidence.
• Experience of delivering varied tasks within a set timeframe.
• Able to be communicate clearly and assertively, and to remain calm under pressure.
• Able to offer a friendly, non-judgemental service to people experiencing homelessness, addiction, mental ill health, and other challenges.
• Able to maintain professional boundaries.
• Able to write and speak concisely in plain English.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, diversity, equality and inclusion.

Desirable

• Experience gained in relevant specialist services e.g. housing, homelessness, substance use, recovery, mental health, women’s homelessness, men’s health, suicide prevention, criminal justice, immigration and asylum, domestic abuse.
• Experience of providing support and signposting to individuals e.g. in relation to housing, benefits, healthcare.
• Knowledge of current legislation and practice relevant to housing and homelessness.
• Fluency in additional languages.
• Lived experience of homelessness and/or experience of using services such as mental health, substance use, criminal justice.

How to apply

Please read the Job Description and Person Specification above. Apply by sending your CV and, importantly, a cover letter telling us:

• Why you want to work for our homelessness charity, and
• How you meet the ‘experience’ requirements in the Essential section of the Person Specification

Closing date: Friday 13th November

Pay: Up to £26,288.00 per year

Work Location: In person