Simon Community Scotland
Health Improvement Worker - Milestone
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About Simon Community Scotland
Simon Community Scotland is the largest provider of homelessness services in Scotland. Our vision is for everyone to have a safe place to live, with access to the support they need. Every day we help make positive things happen for people facing extremely difficult circumstances. Everything we do is about and for people, the people we support, our staff, our partners and everyone affected by homelessness. Our values are built into every area of activity and tell the story of how people remain at the heart of Simon Community.
Day by day, person-to-person, we tailor what we offer to what people need. We are here to provide consistent, friendly and informed support so that people can explore options and take 'the next step' towards a positive future. We offer support across a range of service delivery points; Street Outreach teams, Housing First initiatives, Floating Support, Information Hubs, Managed Alcohol Program (MAP), Supported Accommodations, Emergency Accommodation, Rapid Access Accommodation, and our own rented properties. These services are delivered across many local authorities within Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and Perth.
We welcome people with a wide range of skills and experiences to our team. To make a difference, we need to work flexibly, with everyday leadership and a 'can-do' approach. We want to make it right and make it happen – not only for the people we support, but also for each other.
Our #OneTeam ethos is core to who we are, and it means caring for and supporting each other regardless of our role, service or location. Find out more about our services here.
Our Support Services
Job Purpose
The Health Improvement Worker delivers compassionate, person-centered care to individuals experiencing homelessness who face severe health inequalities, including complex trauma, mental health challenges, problem drug and alcohol use, and blood-borne viruses (BBVs). Working as an essential part of a 24/7 residential care team at the Milestone Intermediary Care Unit (MICU), you will provide hands-on clinical and practical support, including medication administration, harm reduction interventions, and 1:1 emotional support, to promote recovery and stability. Through trauma-informed practice and close collaboration with multi-agency health partners, you will empower people to overcome barriers to their wellbeing, build resilience, and transition safely toward positive, long-term outcomes.
Job Summary
The Milestone Intermediate Care Unit (MICU) is a ten-bed Care Inspectorate registered care facility that provides short-term residential care and support for vulnerable people recently discharged from the hospital who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, as well as those in the community where admission can lead to early intervention, prevent hospitalisation, or mitigate serious harm. The service supports people navigating multiple complex needs across physical health conditions, mental health challenges, and severe morbidity, including those requiring the initiation or stabilisation of medication-assisted treatment for addiction, starting or adjusting treatment regimes for blood-borne viruses, or needing to engage with intensive community care to manage complex wound infections and trauma related to substance use. Accepting referrals from both in-patient care through a step-down pathway and the community through a step-up pathway, MICU delivers a patient-centered and trauma-informed holistic package of care to facilitate recovery, address health needs, and offer connection to other community projects both within Simon Community Scotland and externally to enable a safe and appropriate discharge.
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The shift patterns are 3 or 4 days over 7, day shift 7.30am to 7.45pm and waking night shift 7.00pm to 7.45am for a total of 37.5hrs per week.
Key Responsibilities
Service Delivery & Direct Support
- Harm Reduction & Health Support: Deliver practical harm-reduction interventions (including Naloxone administration/guidance) Provide support to adhere to new and re-started medication regimes and ensure prescriptions are accurate and taken as prescribed. Support to attend community healthcare appointments, case discussions, and review meetings. Assist people in identifying dietary needs and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Personalised Care Planning: Work collaboratively with people to complete initial assessments, safety plans, create outcome-focused personal plans, and carry out regular reviews.
- 1:1 & Group Interventions: Provide 1:1 emotional and practical support to assist people in overcoming barriers to their health and wellbeing. Facilitate group activities and events that build confidence, self-esteem, and social connection.
- Trauma Informed Crisis Intervention: Provide calm, compassionate support to people in distress or crisis, utilising de-escalation skills and working alongside partners to ensure a safe environment.
- Professional Standards: Maintain excellent standards of care and support which meet regulatory requirements such as SSSC and Care Inspectorate, including confidentiality and GDPR.
- Data Recording: Record accurate and professional case notes in order to gather qualitative and quantitative data for reporting purposes, in line with SSSC.
- Multidisciplinary & Partner Collaboration: Actively participate in Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings and communicate professionally with internal and external partners to coordinate high-quality care, advocate for people, and unlock the best available support and opportunities for each person.
Our Values
Inclusion & Participation
We include everyone in the services and resources they need, regardless of their circumstances and ensure each person's voice and influence are heard and felt in everything that we do.
Personalised & Creative
Each person we support is an individual with unique circumstances, needs and future potential which requires a uniquely tailored response.
Warmth & Regard
We see beyond a person's current or past circumstances, recognising their inherent value, worth and potential as human beings.
Partnership & Collaboration
We know we need to work positively with others to deliver a truly inclusive and personalised approach, improve our response and add value to the experience of the people we support.
Supportive & Ambitious
We encourage and support ambition, building on strengths to foster hope for the people we support as well as deliver growth and development for staff and volunteers.
Core Competencies
Planning and Organising
- Create and manage personalised support plans for people, prioritising tasks and managing resources effectively to help them achieve their goals.
- Monitor progress against established goals and adjust support plans as needed to ensure the best possible outcomes.
- Maintain accurate and detailed records of your contacts using our Netsuite platform throughout your shift.
Resilience
- Advance despite adversity, responding to challenging and difficult situations with a calm, professional, and composed approach.
- Handle sensitive decisions with compassion and due regard for others, maintaining a positive and proactive attitude.
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Motivation
- Act with care and compassion, demonstrating a clear commitment to the role and its importance in empowering individuals to live independently.
- Bring hope through your words and actions, helping to build trust and change public perception of the causes of rough sleeping.
Problem Solving
- Carefully analyse problems, breaking them down into parts to find practical, person-centred solutions.
- Innovate and be creative to find solutions that are a perfect fit for someone, irrespective of their background of the problem they are facing.
- When someone isn't at their best, quickly recognise that there may be an underlying issue and find ways to respond with care.
Teamwork
- Work with colleagues in a supportive and collaborative way, fostering team togetherness and a positive, problem-solving vibe.
- Be a reliable member of the team, participating actively in group meetings and sharing insights to improve our service continuously.
- Foster positive relationships with our partners to ensure our support is coordinated and effective.
Communication & Digital Enablement
- Communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders, including service users, partners, and other colleagues, adapting your communication style to be clear, empathetic, and respectful.
- Encourage the participation and inclusion of the people you support by exploring choices and options with them in an accessible way.
- Embrace and champion digital inclusion, helping clients, staff, and volunteers to connect, understand, and use digital tools safely. You will use our GSuite, Chromebook, and smartphone to facilitate this.
- Play an active role in our social media strategy by helping to create blogs, videos, and posts to change society's misconceptions about homelessness.
Person Specification
Training & Qualification
Essential
- SVQ 3 social care or willing to work towards qualification
- SSSC registered
- Ability to work within the parameters of the SSSC Code of Practice
Desirable
- Trauma informed practice
- ASIST / MHFA / SafeTalk trained
- Naloxone trained
- Mental health or addictions qualifications
- De-escalation skills
Experience
Essential
- Experience of providing support to people with a range of challenges; homelessness, mental health, trauma and addictions
- Experience of working in a fast-paced environment which requires quick decision making
- Experience in managing and resolving conflict in a safe, calm manner
Desirable
- Experience of working across multi-agencies
- Networking and connecting skills
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Experience of working with people with a variety of individual and cultural beliefs
- Ability to use empathy and relational skills to build positive relationships with our community and colleagues
- Understanding of and ability to work within ethical and relational boundaries
- Knowledge and understanding of homelessness, addictions and mental health
- Evidence of good communication skills, written and verbal
- Worked with a range of digital systems
Desirable
- Understanding of services that support homelessness, addictions and mental health
- Use of GSuite systems
Personal
Essential
- A good team player with the ability to lead by example
- Manage adversity while working in a complex ecosystem
- Flexible, responsive
- Honest, ethical and keen to overcome obstacles
- Have the ability to reflect on your practice
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