Position
Peer Support Specialist – Housing First
Reporting to
Local Management Team
Contract
12 months FTC with a view to extension
Location
Dublin
Hours
35 hours per week (5/7 days per week) for Full Time/Varied hours for Part time
Scope
To be a member of a peer team of individuals with lived experience of homelessness. Working with individuals in engaged with the Housing First Service who require support with their life skills, independent living skills and community integration.
Key Areas
* Provide Guidance and Support: Offer information, encouragement, and mentorship service users in both individual and group settings, leading by example to support their mental health recovery journey.
* Empower Participants: Support service users in living independent, fulfilling lives by helping them set and achieve their personal recovery goals.
* Collaborate with Services: Work closely with mental health and recovery services, as well as other professionals to advocate for individuals and ensure coordinated care and support.
* Goal Development: Collaborate with service users to create personalised recovery goals and assist them in implementing strategies to achieve these goals.
* Share Lived Experience: Share your own experiences with mental health challenges (where appropriate) to inspire and support participants in their recovery.
* Support service users in Housing First with their development of their life and independent living skills
* Support new Housing First service to settle into their new home and to integrate in to their new community.
* Adherence to the principles of Housing First
* Running groups around life skills and independent living skills.
* Liaising with external agencies and facilitating information sessions for service users.
* Provide clear handovers to projects and line manager on work completed.
* Focus on building the skills and confidence of service users to enable them to continue into independence.
* Carry out project administration tasks such as recording of petty cash, record keeping in Service User's files, reporting of any incidents or accidents.
* Participate in assessing new referrals referred into the service with the support of the ICM.
* To adhere to all Depaul policies and local procedures.
* To adhere fully to Organisational Risk Management Procedures, especially in relation to assessing risk to lone working.
* Work with referring agencies such as, Inclusion Health and different homeless services across Dublin to ensure continued care for all service users.
* To attend and participate in team meetings and staff team days.
* To attend all mandatory training and any training deemed relevant to service delivery.
* To participate in regular supervision and annual appraisal, and help in identifying your own job-related development and training needs.
* To respect service users' rights to confidentiality in our relationship with them as per the Depaul Confidentiality policy and code of conduct.
* To promote respect, diversity and equal opportunities.
The above list is not exhaustive; additional areas of responsibility may be added over time and flexibility to cover for other staff roles is required from time to time.
Person Requirements
* Lived experience of homelessness
* Have a good standard of literacy and basic IT skills
* Be stable in recovery
* Good understanding of need for boundaries and confidentiality
* Willing to engage in their own development and growth
* Have a good knowledge of skills required for independent living
* Be comfortable with working alone with service users and to be aware of any risks should they arise.
Notes
While the line manager is specified above, this does not preclude higher level grades from directing or reviewing work or setting dotted line collaborative working relationships between same or different level positions.
All tasks should be completed in an accurate manner and supported by a clear electronic and hard copy filing system.