Peer Outreach Worker

Peer Outreach Worker

Position Description

Lifewise is an innovative organisation working together with marginalised people to create better services and solutions to enable their full participation and ability to thrive.  

The Peer Outreach Service is a new initiative which will contribute to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping in the Auckland city centre. The service will work other partners to support rough sleepers to connect with health and social services and into sustainable housing.   The peer outreach team will reach people who are living without shelter but who may not have engaged previously with services. The team will also connect with youth who are new to rough sleeping and quickly intervene to identify their housing options. The peer outreach workers will provide outreach in pairs, at times when they are most likely to connect with the rough sleeper community.  The outreach team will also liaise closely with other outreach teams in the city.

Outreach workers will use their own lived experience of homelessness and knowledge of the street community in this role. Full training and supervision will be provided in peer support and in the skills needed for this role. A focus on rangatiratanga, manaakitanga and whakawhanaungatanga are essential in working with the street community.

THREE TRUST VALUES

Compassion Arohanui

Courage Maia

Respect Whakaute

Integrity Ngakau Pono

WHO YOU REPORT TO

• Merge Community Team Leader

 WHO REPORTS TO ME

• n/a

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internal

• Merge Community Team, Housing First, Haeata.

External

• Calder Centre

LEVEL OF DELEGATION

As stated in The Three Trusts Policy on Delegated Authorities

WHAT YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR

• Modelling through your own experience that moving into housing is both possible and positive
• Building real relationships of trust with the street community that are person centred and maximise rangatiratanga
• Working in partnership with rough sleepers to identify strengths and with a specific focus on health and emotional wellbeing
• Encouraging rough sleepers to be assessed for their housing support needs.
• Connecting and referring whānau to services and supports of their choice e.g. Merge Community Team, Housing First, Haeata, the Calder Centre.
• Keeping up to date and accurate records of outreach activities
• Walking alongside whanau throughout their Journey
• Understand the position of Māori as the tangata whenua. Commitment to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and an openness to understanding the application of the articles of Te Tiriti in the context of The Lifewise Trust.
• Promotes a culture where health and safety are seen as integral to success through planning, delivery, monitoring and review of health and safety processes.

Note: The above performance standards are provided as a guide only. Performance measures will be discussed between the team member and manager as part of the performance planning and review process.

WHAT SKILLS & EXPERIENCE YOU NEED

• Lived experience of homelessness with the ability to use what you have learned through your experience to help others
• Completion of a Peer Support Course (if you have not completed this you will be supported to complete this training)
• Some knowledge and experience of using peer support skills and practices (as either a volunteer or paid worker)
• Ability to manage stress and role model how to take an active responsibility for your own wellbeing and recovery
• Knowledge of tikanga me te reo Māori or a willingness to learn
• Ability to talk to people, build trust and support them to open up in their own time whilst also understanding boundaries between staff and street whānau
• Positivity, flexibility, confidence and compassion with a non-judgemental attitude and a sense of humour.
• The ability to walk alongside and support at the pace of the person being supported
• Comfortable using Microsoft Word and Outlook (emails), using Recordbase or willingness to learn
• Be able to work as part of a team and work rostered shifts.