Who are HumberCare? - HEY Magazine

Who are Humbercare?

Humbercare are a local voluntary organisation and registered charity, established in 1989 we have delivered local services for local people for the last 33 years.

Over the years our services have been designed in partnership and commissioned by the Humberside Probation Service and by Local Authorities across the four Humber sub regions. We also deliver services funded by the Humber NHS Teaching Trust and receive grant monies from various charitable organisations.

The focus of our work is supporting vulnerable adults and young people to achieve independent living with the core focus of working with those that have offended, are at risk of offending or those facing multiple disadvantages such as homelessness, mental health issues, adverse trauma or general barriers to community living.

What do we do?

Humbercare is breaking down barriers that socially excluded individuals face when accessing housing and support services. Enabling an opportunity for all individuals to realise and develop their own potential.

We deliver a number of services ranging from low level advice and guidance provision through to high level complex care and support that is regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

We work under the umbrella of a registered Social Landlord delivering a large housing portfolio across Hull, East Riding and North East Lincolnshire. Through which we provide low level supported accommodation, for those individuals that present as homeless, are leaving care, are being discharged from hospital or prison without an address or have experienced tenancy or family/relationship breakdowns and need accommodation and a little support and guidance to learn how to manage a tenancy and a home, gain some stability in their lives and integrate into local communities utiltising the many local statutory and voluntary services available to them for additional support.

Through weekly visits by our team of housing officers we can help people to get on track, access the services they need, learn and develop independent living skills, learn how to manage a tenancy and eventually work towards moving on to long term accommodation without the need for support.

Humbercare delivers the local Westbourne House Housing Related Support Service, commissioned by the local authority to provide accommodation and support to those that the local authority identify and refer to us as homeless or rough sleeping. The service exists to support people from the streets, providing a roof over their head whilst delivering person centred support packages addressing personal issues that may have led to their homelessness. Support provision can include basic hygiene and nutrition support, social inclusion activities, accessing the appropriate benefits, registration with GPs and dentists, and supporting with referrals to relevant services such as counselling, domestic abuse support, mental health and substance misuse services. The end goal is to move them on, into independent accommodation, enabling people to have brighter futures.

The many other services we deliver, which can all be found on our website, all focus on care and support to individuals within their own homes, be this a home provided by Humbercare or any other accommodation provider including their own home. The support can be from a minimal one hour per week ranging to 24-hour live-in support by our staff team, all delivered in accordance with commissioned contract specifications and service users’ needs and wishes. Support as above is advice, guidance, care and support packages tailored to the individual to support them to secure, maintain and then sustain independent living, moving on from our services at a time that is appropriate to them, when they are ready to live independently without support.

Who are our staff team?

We currently have a team of around 150 staff with an age range of 18 to 70. We are a diverse employer inclusive of a fair proportion of mixed gender and currently employ 24% of the staff team that are considered to have a registered disability. We offer permanent contracts in the main but also provide secondment opportunities, temporary contracts, zero hours contracts as per the wishes of the applicant and needs of a service.

Our staff retention is positive with high numbers of the staff team having long lengths of service, for example our managers team, many of whom have progressed through from support worker positions, the majority have 10 years and more as length of service.

Our team comes to us through many routes, some have lived experience and some are fresh out of college or university following completion of Criminology, Psychology or Health and Social Care or Social Work courses.