Social Care Worker

Galway City Council is seeking applications from suitably qualified candidates with relevant experience for the position of Social Care Worker (Grade 5).  The role is based within the Housing Department and will be part of the Homeless Services Team.

It is proposed to form a panel of qualified candidates from which the position of Social Care Worker (Grade 5) will be filled during the lifetime of the panel.
 

The role involves, but is not limited to the following:

• Provide Assessment, support and advice to clients seeking homeless services by appointment or unscheduled presentation at the public counter as part of the Homeless roster duties.
• Maintain factual up to date records on all clients engaged with by recording on internal databases, and on the PASS System (Pathway Accommodation Support System).
• Liaise and communicate with Housing Assessments team to ensure that all Housing applications as pertains to homeless clients are prioritised and processed to facilitate move on options to Homeless Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), and or Social  Housing Support.
• Providing intervention necessary to address the issues that are preventing the individual/ family from moving home.
• Develop a relationship with homeless clients to foster and encourage engagement with services.
• Develop relationships with homeless service providers and advocacy groups in the provision of services.
• Investigating cases thoroughly – maintaining links with other local authorities, Gardaí, Health Services, Tulsa, any other relevant bodies, and with internal staff within housing department.
• Working with Galway City Council Tenancy Sustainment Service, Homeless Team i.e. Social Work Department Housing Estate Liaison Officers and/ external stakeholders.
• Provide support to the Social Work Team and Homeless Team in homelessness.
• Organising and temporary emergency accommodation within the existing services available should it be required.
• Case manage families and individuals in emergency accommodation, or those in certain other types of emergency accommodation that require support, to identify their individual support needs, and care plans and help them engage with appropriate community/health services and develop and implement an exit strategy from homelessness in each case.
• Work with service providers in Identifying suitable alternative temporary private emergency accommodation B&B, Hotel, self-catering apartments. 
• Working closely with HAP Place Finder Service, and the Tenancy Sustainment officer in Homeless Team in reducing reliance on emergency accommodation, by implementing preventative measures on behalf of homeless clients. Make referrals on behalf of Homeless clients to the HAP Placefinder in enabling and assisting clients to source suitable private rented accommodation.
• Assisting persons in settling into accommodation and ensuring that clients are fully briefed on services available to them from external agencies.
• Assist with assessment of rough sleepers and attendance at meetings with service providers during the Cold Weather Response
• Creating and maintaining files and records of services users and offer clients ongoing support as required and appropriate.
• Documenting meetings and phone calls carried out with clients.
• Producing reports and presentations based on your work.
• Attend meetings as appropriate and as requested.
• Collating data and statistics regarding the homeless service as required.
• To undertake additional training and CPD as required.
• In line with Social Care Worker Standards, maintain appropriate records and generate reports on clients and other projects as required.
• Undertake other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
• Compliance with all statutory, legal, and quasi statutory rules and regulations covering Safety, Health and Welfare at work issues.

Galway City Council