Engagement Officer

Location: Lancaster LA1 1BJ or such other place as required

Salary: Starting salary £18,556.20 for 22.5 hours per week, £30,919 to £32,654 (FTE), NJC Salary scale 6

Hours: 22.5 Hours per week, 9.00 am to 1.30 pm Monday- Friday (may include some bank holidays)

Closing Date: 12 noon on Monday 30^th June

Lancaster & District Homeless Action Service Limited, known as LDHAS, is a registered charity and they have been working with street homeless and vulnerably housed people for over 32 years. They provide essential needs support, advice and information, from their centre in Lancaster with additional support from visiting partner agencies like Citizens Advice, Changing Futures, SafeNet, Calico, Red Rose Recovery, the Hep C Trust and Inspire.

The Role

The post holder will provide an engagement service with neighbours, the local community, visiting professionals and the clients, volunteers and staff of LDHAS in line with its aims and objectives.

The postholder will have lived experiences which support the work of LDHAS. They will have up to date knowledge of key stakeholders, support networks and agencies. They will liaise and engage with a variety of homeless hub organisations as required.

The postholder will support LDHAS clients, motivating and enabling clients as they engage with LDHAS and advocating for them as appropriate. The postholder will create a psychologically safe environment for clients enabling the completion of dynamic assessments, share information about LDHAS services and triage clients enabling them to access the services offered by key stakeholders including those organisations supporting the LDHAS hub in order to support individual needs. They will support clients with clothing, shower and laundry facilities. 

The postholder will coordinate the engagement aspect of day to day running of the centre, including the attendance of clients and the management of donations and footfall in the building. They will ensure that health and safety protocols and procedures are maintained throughout the building during the hours of opening, alert to safeguarding and ensuring procedures followed.

They will ensure that good relations are maintained with the neighbours of LDHAS and with the local community. They will ensure that LDHAS clients in the immediate vicinity of the building are conducting themselves in an acceptable way.

Key Responsibilities

Communication

• Have communication skills and a communication style which enables a psychologically safe environment for clients.
• Have a communication style which motivates and enables people
• Establish and maintain relationships and gain the cooperation of others. This requires the skills to motivate, negotiate, persuade and empathise.
• Provide advice and guidance to others
• Act as an ambassador for vulnerable people
• Maintain effective communication with line manager
• Promote a culture of equality and diversity within the services provided
• Network with people from other agencies

Analytical and judgement skills

• Provide a liaison service with neighbours, the local community, visiting professionals and the clients, volunteers and staff of LDHAS in line with its aims and objectives.
• Ensure that LDHAS clients in the immediate vicinity of the building are conducting themselves in an acceptable way and action support as needed.
• Proactive in promoting opportunities for current and future volunteer roles in line with the volunteer recruitment process.

Planning and organisation skills

• Coordinate footfall and manage client and visiting professional requests through the day.
• Coordinate the use of shower and laundry facilities
• Contribute to reports and provide feedback when necessary

Client care

• Support clients choosing to share their experiences and to resolve inter-personal issues
• Create a psychologically safe environment.
• Advocate for clients and support their journey of recovery
• Signpost to other support networks or agencies as needed

Responsibilities for policy and service development

• Provide the development of policies and procedures
• Contribute ideas for service development and opportunities for clients
• Contribute to the development of volunteer roles.

Skills and Qualifications

• Wide knowledge and understanding of the needs of homeless and vulnerably housed people
• Wide knowledge and awareness of homelessness issues.
• Knowledge of safeguarding 
• Experience of effective interagency working
• Effective communication being able to engage with and develop positive relationships with service users, colleagues, volunteers, partner agencies and members of the public. 
• Ability to influence others
• Creative approaches to resolution of interpersonal issues, using de-escalation and conflict resolution approaches.
• Skills to undertake dynamic client assessments and triage appropriately for appropriate and relevant pathways
• An effective problem solver with an organised and imaginative approach to managing difficult situations.
• IT literate
• An effective team player

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Lancaster & District Homeless Action Service, please do not hesitate to apply.

Contact information

A Member of the Ad Warrior Team