Job Title: Youth Support Worker – Case Management Service

Responsible to: Community Engagement Coordinator

Responsible for: Contributing to the day to day operation of the service and ensuring that it runs smoothly and in accordance with organisation procedure

Objective: To work directly with clients as part of a team and to provide a safe, secure environment while assisting clients with their needs through a care-planning and case-management approach.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) is a leading national charity providing services to individuals facing homelessness, addiction, and social exclusion. We are currently seeking a dedicated Youth Support Worker to join our team.

This role offers the opportunity to work directly with 18-25-year-olds in a low-threshold environment, helping them navigate complex issues such as homelessness, mental health, and substance misuse.

If you are passionate about making a positive impact, have strong case management skills, and thrive in a client-centered, harm-reduction setting, we would love to hear from you!

Main Duties/Responsibilities

• Achieving outcomes for clients within a low threshold environment, by undertaking interventions within the framework of a support plan, using a Case management approach in partnership with the young persons, other professionals already involved in supporting the clients and external agencies.
• Identify and work with 18-25 year old within the MQI’s Open Access Services and partner agencies, to build trust and respect to enable MQI to deliver a service to meet their individual needs.
• To engage with and build up trustful, professional relationships with clients, treating them with dignity and respect and ensuring that the values of MQI are upheld. Positively engaging with clients in a sensitive, non-judgemental and respectful manner.
• Providing advice, referral, and support to clients in accessing appropriate and specialist services for accommodation, education, welfare, treatment, legal, health and mental health.
• Assessing the needs of clients referred to the intensive contacts and case management service and ensuring these needs are responded to effectively using a case management approach.
• Maximizing client engagement by ensuring that their goals are central to all care plan objectives. Arranging regular one to one meeting with clients, creating and reviewing support plans, agreeing, revising and closing goals where appropriate.
• Facilitating low threshold community detoxification in conjunction with the client, GP’s, accommodation services and partner agencies.
• Work with partner agencies to develop strong professional relationships, evaluating and developing best practice, policies and procedures in conjunction with the service Coordinator.
• Using relevant IT systems such as PASS, Salesforce, Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel to ensure required client information and records of interventions are kept. To provide regular reporting on outcomes for all allocated clients.
• Advocacy work on behalf of clients with statutory and voluntary agencies, highlighting gaps and blocks to client progression.
• Organizing Groupwork on topics specific for young people living in care, around life skills, education & awareness, motivational work, creative and therapeutic arts, coping skills while identifying other areas, topics and activities that are important to the young people.
• Communicate effectively and build relationships with key internal (eg. Residential, Open Access Services, Crisis and Case management services) and external partners (eg. DSP/DHRE /Probation/HSE/Access Team/Statutory and Housing providers and Housing First team) and stakeholders of the MQI Intensive contacts service, creating pathways for referrals and inter-agency working.
• Undertake any other roles/ tasks as assigned within the Open Access Service to ensure that all client services run smoothly and to a high standard in line with the policies and procedures of MQI.
• Attend and participate in regular team meetings, case conferences, case reviews and any other internal and external client meetings, representing Merchants Quay appropriately.
• Accompanying clients to relevant meetings and appointments as required and subject to Risk assessment.
• Work within the policies of MQI, both organisation wide and project specific in order to ensure that a consistent delivery of service and quality standards is adhered to in the project.
• Carry out administrative procedures in accordance with organisation policies.
• Share responsibility to work cohesively where applicable with other Riverbank teams and Volunteers for the delivery of this service and to act as a mentor to those who are working/ volunteering in the service.
• Participate in regular supervision.
• Reporting to the Crisis and Case Management Lead and Coordinator for individual support, supervision, performance appraisal working within the parameters of the MQI Quads, HR and H&S policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with organisation policies to ensure consistent delivery of services and maintenance of quality standards including:
  • Fire
  • Health and Safety
  • Confidentiality
  • Needs assessment, key working, care planning
  • Boundaries
  • QUADS (Quality in Alcohol and Drug Services)
• Have a flexible approach to the work in response to organisational change, development and review of best practice.
• Undertake any other projects and duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate for this post will have:

Essential Skills and Qualifications:

• A minimum FETAC Level 7 qualification in Social Care or a related field.
• Proficiency in managing cases effectively, particularly within a low-threshold service.
• Knowledge of Homelessness, Mental Health, and Substance Misuse. Strong understanding of these issues affecting individuals, particularly young people.
• Experience with Complex Needs: Ability to work with clients who have multiple complex needs.

Desirable Skills and Qualifications:

• Competence in using homeless-specific databases, writing reports, and drafting letters.
• Experience with applying harm-reduction and client-centered strategies.
• Adaptability with working hours as needed.

Salary: €33,860 - €37,980 Depending on Relevant Experience.

Duration: Contract of Indefinite Duration

Hours: 39 hrs per week shift rota 07.00am – 9.00pm Monday to Sunday

Location: Open Access Service, Merchants Quay, Dublin 8.

Closing date: Recruitment ongoing until the 6th of January 2025.

If you are interested in applying for this role, please click on the below link:
https://login.hirelocker.com/merchants-quay-ireland/jobs/30232/youth-support-worker-c0248-dublin

MQI reserves the right to review and amend this job description as appropriate.

This Position is subject to Garda Clearance and Reference Checks