We’re looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Night Support Worker join our Young People service in Milton Keynes.

£18,399.14 per annum, working 30 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel like you’re part of one team? You’ll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren’t token gestures - we’ve thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

This role requires a valid Right to Work for the UK as Look Ahead are not a sponsoring organisation.

What you’ll do:

Milton Keynes Young People Services is Supported Accommodation Service for young people aged 16 to 21 years old. The Service encompasses a mix of units across five sites supporting 52 vulnerable young people.

The aim of the service is to empower Young People to move towards independent living, supporting their successful transition from childhood; laying the foundations for healthy, ambitious, and safe adult lives with minimal ongoing support. Support is delivered in partnership with a number of stakeholders and partners in the community such as mental health services; substance misuses agencies, housing teams, police and social services.

We are recruiting for Waking Night Support Worker to join our dynamic service and team. In the role of Waking Night Support Worker; individuals will ensure continued support is provided to young people at the standards of day staff with particular focus on safety of vulnerable young people.

About the Role;

Waking Night Support Worker will work in line with person centred risk assessments; support plans and liaises with Support Workers to provide comprehensive handover and partnership working. They will be observant of changes in behaviour and presentations ensuring appropriate actions are taken to document and report changes in support needs of young people.

Performing Audits for PPE stock, First aid boxes and communal H&S checks.

Waking Night Support Worker will be able to carry out all necessary health and safety actions including light cleaning tasks and work with in policies and procedures. Furthermore they will actively seek out ways to work with the team and stakeholders to improve the experience of young people in the service.

Successful candidates will:

• Have a belief in young people, their potential to grow, succeed and thrive independently given the right support
• Be motivated to achieve excellence and have passion for supporting young people to reach their potential, with a ‘can do’ attitude, and a willingness to get stuck in
• Commit to providing opportunities for young people to achieve their goals
• Be resilient and able to do deal with challenging and diverse behaviours positively
• Have a strong Customer focus and commitment to putting Young People’s interests and voices at the heart of all aspects of their support
• Have an outcomes focus and approach to working with young people
• Have strong self-awareness and commitment to acting as a positive role model
• Have commitment to non-discriminatory practice and to promoting equality and diversity
• Have commitment to acting as a corporate parent in all aspects of practice where applicable
• Have a commitment to effective joint working with partners to meet Young People’s needs
• Have a strong sense of personal accountability.

The role requires individuals to work on a rota pattern including weekend working.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead.

• Ensure the welfare of customers providing emotional and practical support to customers who are in distress, in crisis or require medical assistance such as emergency first aid or the intervention of medical professionals
• Remain calm and professional when dealing with emergencies and incidents following the reporting procedures and completing the required paperwork
• Ability to work empathically and compassionately with customers who present with complex needs such as mental health, substance misuse, safeguarding and physical health support needs
• Ensure the safety and welfare of customers by implementing and monitoring the visitors’ procedure, preventing unauthorised access to the service
• Conduct health and safety checks and patrols around the building and exterior reporting repairs and any Health and Safety issues
• To undertake patrols and security checks of the building and exterior, monitoring CCTV, addressing any antisocial behaviour and completing the relevant reports
• Undertake initial and continuous assessment of needs and potential risks and agree levels of support and actions
• Support customers to undertake all domestic tasks wherever possible, including practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills, to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation
• Develop and maintain links with all key agencies and service providers in the local community
• Empower customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to
• Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive tenant/customer records to professional standards
• Provide concise and clear handovers to the team highlighting any incidents or issues during the night and any follow up actions to be completed
• Adhere to Look Ahead’s Policies and Procedures
• Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills
• Provide day-to-day instruction/supervision of Assistant Support Workers/domestic staff/Personal Support Assistants where appropriate
• Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned

What you’ll bring:

• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
• Approachable and open behaviour
• Prefers working as part of a group or team
• Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
• Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
• Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
• Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
• Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
• Is essentially customer–focused
• Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
• Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviours

Essential:

• Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector

About us:

Look Ahead is a dynamic, leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. As an organisation we deliver over 110 services, providing support to around 7000 customers each year. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.