HOMELESS HEALTH PEER ADVOCACY PROGRAMME PAID PEER ADVOCATE ROLEWORKING HOURS- 35 hours per week Monday-FridaySalary- €29,620.62DESCRIPTION:DEPAUL'S VISION is of a society in which everyone has a place to call home and a stake in their community.DEPAUL'S MISSION is to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it.We believe that we cannot achieve our vision & mission without the active involvement of volunteers in our work.Working with Depaul will give you an opportunity to work with an organisation that underpins its work in the following valuesDEPAUL'S VALUES:We celebrate the potential in peopleWe put our words into actionWe aim to take a wider role in civil societyWe believe in rights and responsibilitiesWorking with Depaul will give you a unique opportunity to experience our work and what a values-led organisation means. As a staff member you will experience first-hand our approach to the issue of homelessness and how we work with and value those affected by it.Our service users come from all backgrounds and may have a range of complex needs. This may include mental health, domestic violence, convictions, bereavement, unemployment, alcohol and addictions issues etc.OVERVIEW:This service provides inpatient and outpatient liaison for homeless adults. The Depaul Homeless Health Peer Advocacy programme will work closely with the Inclusion Health service in Mercy Hospital and homeless services to reduce unplanned use of health services, missed appointments and to re-engage and retain individuals in specialist care services. The Homeless Health Peer Advocacy programme will also work directly with homeless services; such as hostels to support vulnerable individuals to access health care.ROLE DESCRIPTION:We are looking for an individual who has experienced homelessness to support people who are currently homeless and to help them to attend healthcare appointments. This includes accompanying people to and from health appointments, supporting people to better understand their health needs and receive appropriate support. The main responsibility of the Homeless Health Peer Advocate will be helping service users to attend healthcare appointments to include but not limited to hospital appointments, GP, Dentist, Mental Health appointments navigating around the hospital/health service and advocating on behalf of service users to ensure they get the treatment that they need. The HHPA service is open to all which will involve the Peer advocates supporting people with co-morbidities such as drug/alcohol addiction, complex mental health needs, domestic and family violence, cognitive impairments, and service users with forensic history.PAID PEER ADVOCATE'S MAIN TASKSWork alongside different referring agencies such as, Inclusion health teams, Homeless service and medical services.Participate in assessing new referrals referred into the service with the line manager.Accompany and advocate for people at health care appointments. This may be a variety of appointments, including doctors, hospital, dental, mental health and many more.Provide clear effective handovers to service user's key workers after appointment support.Using a check in/check out system with the line manager before and after appointments.Help health care providers to make contact with service users and notify them of their appointments.Focus on building the skills and confidence to enable service users to continue accessing health services independently.Facilitate health promotion groupsEngage in lived experiences groups and support the development of Depaul's Lived experience group.Engage in supporting different research as appropriate and supporting with assessingservice users health outcomes through the questionnaires.Attend different homeless services highlighting the HHPA service to staff and service users.To attend team meetings and any training organised by line Manager which has been identified as beneficial for your progression in the role.To adhere to all Depaul policies and local procedures.To adhere fully to Organisational Risk Management Procedures, especially in relation to assessing risk and to lone working.To ensure that all service users information is recorded and stored as required (OTIS database/other records) and in line with Data Protection regulations and Depaul's Confidentiality Policy.To respect the service users' right to confidentiality in our relationship with them as per the Depaul Confidentiality policy and code of conduct.To promote respect, diversity and equal opportunities.To attend supervision sessions with Line Manager to discuss your professional development.The above list is not exhaustive; additional areas of responsibility may be added over time.SKILLS OF A PEER ADVOCATEHave a lived experience of homelessness.Be willing to travel to different locations, this will involve some occasional travel to different counties in Ireland. This is usually on a quarterly basis to Dublin.Good time management skills.Have good written and verbal communication skills.Be secure in recovery if relevant.Basic IT skills.QUALITIES OF A PEER ADVOCATE:Be committed and reliable.Understand the importance of boundaries and be comfortable to ask for support when needed.Be keen to learn new skills.Be a good listener who is interested in others and what they have to offer.Be confident to speak about their own experiences.Treat others in a non-judgemental way and with respect.Be comfortable with working alone with service users and to be aware of any risks shouldthey arise.EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES:Depaul strives to create a diverse and inclusive programme and is committed to ensuring equality of access to our opportunities and equality of treatment for our volunteers in all our policies and practices. We welcome applications from individuals aged 18 and over from a diverse range of backgrounds.You will have to undergo garda vetting if successful in your application.If you have any queries you can contact Rachel McMahon