Welfare Manager
Responsible to: CEO
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (including occasional early evenings, weekends, Bank Holidays and some on-calls during winter months)
Salary: £30-£34k
Start Date: As soon as possible
Duration: Permanent, subject to successful 6-month probationary period
Occupational Benefits: 25 days + bank holidays annual leave; Nest workplace pension scheme
Place of work: Across the UnityMK sites
In brief
This is a great time to join the team at UnityMK, a growing charity in Milton Keynes, to deliver our welfare support across our services. At present this includes our crisis work with winter nightshelter guests and clients at our welfare centre but also as we are currently re-developing a warehouse to become a key hub to end homelessness in Milton Keynes.
As our new Welfare Manager, you will be responsible to effectively lead the welfare team’s support, and co-ordination of services, for the clients/guests of the Unity Park Station Welfare centre, Winter night shelters and the future Day Centre in Wolverton. The person who gets this rewarding job will need to be a visionary team leader with a good knowledge of local support services and Housing Law. Someone who can provide empathetic support to a client whilst empowering them to move forward.
Key relationships
Internal: CEO, current welfare team, other UnityMK staff and key volunteers
External: Milton Keynes City Council, NHS, Barka, probation, other statutory and non-statutory services and accommodation providers.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
· Develop and manage a team of welfare staff and volunteers to support those experiencing, and at risk of, homelessness across all UnityMK’s services.
· To create a safe, welcoming and person-centred environment for all clients and winter night shelter guests.
· Effectively managing the welfare centre; ensuring the team provide clients/guests with pathways away from homelessness through:
o quality advice, support, and signposting
o local community involvement
o educational, volunteering and employment opportunities.
· Working with the CEO to identify and develop a network of longer-term accommodation provision.
· Develop good working relationships, and effectively liaise, with a range of other service providers and agencies, to establish, or improve, services for clients/guests.
· Working in pro-active collaboration with the wider Unity MK management team to facilitate the culture and activities of the charity.
· Day-to-day management of the financial/administrative activities, welfare budget, and client database.
· Providing the welfare team with a thorough, quality Induction and Training Programme with learning and development opportunities.
· Alongside the CEO and Operations Manager ensuring that the relevant policies, procedures, risk assessments and H&S compliance are fully adhered to.
· Attend team, management, statutory and 3rd sector meetings where necessary.
This list of tasks and responsibilities is not exhaustive, and the Post Holder may be required to undertake other duties as requested by the CEO.
Key skills and experience
Requirements | Essential | Desirable |
Knowledge & Experience | · Experience of working with those experiencing homelessness · A good understanding of the benefits system · Experience working in a day or advice centre · A good understanding of the issues that affect individuals experiencing homelessness | · Experience of working with clients who substance misuse or have substance dependence · Good understanding of housing law · A knowledge of, statutory and non-statutory, support and housing organisations in Milton Keynes · A good understanding of the barriers that individuals face when experiencing homelessness |
Skills & Abilities | · Self-motivated with the ability to work with a pressurised environment whilst maintaining focus on personal and organisational objectives · Proven ability to create support pathways to empower clients | · Ability to provide training to teams and individuals · Effective time management and organisational skills · Experience of INFORM, Lamplight or other client database · Good I.T. skills |
Personal Qualities | · Excellent interpersonal skills to build rapport with clients, UnityMK team, volunteers and colleagues from statutory agencies and 3rd section partners · Solutions focused · People focused · Alignment with UnityMK’s Core Values: being altruistic, pursuing excellence, valuing, authentic, generous, and team-based | · Empathetic with the ability to see and treat people with value and dignity · Passionate about supporting people to rebuild their lives · Enjoys collaborative working and holds a strong team working ethic · |
Education & Training | · Excellent communication skills including written, at all levels · Proficiency with the use of MS Word and Excel · Strong numerical ability | · Training in the areas of managing conflict, Trauma Informed Care and Person-centred Practice · Safeguarding Lead training · OISC qualified immigration advisor |
If you would like to apply for the role, please send a CV and Personal Statement (referencing the Job Description) to our CEO, Emma Johnson, at: communications@unitymk.org by 5pm Friday 17th May.
Please provide at least 2 appropriate references.
