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Housing Solutions Officer

Employer
Worcester City Council
Location
Worcester
Salary
£23,756 per annum
Closing date
17 Jul 2022
Reference
WCTY000000711

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Sector
Local Councils
Job Type
Community, Housing
Contract Type
Full time permanent
Working Pattern
Flexible hours
Hours
Full-Time

Job Details

Worcester is a great place to work. We have a thriving city centre, a great wealth of history and a fantastic environment, making it somewhere to be proud of. 

Everyone associated with Worcester City Council is proud of Worcester’s offer of a high quality of life, varied heritage, award winning parks and our contribution to the development of modern local government.

It is a fantastic place to work and you will find us to be an organisation that is challenging yet caring, with our leadership adventurous in its pursuit of excellence.

At Worcester City Council, we have a work-family culture and we are proud to support and value the combination of employees’ work and family lives.

We have a clear vision to achieve excellence in everything we do and to achieve excellence in everyone we employ, meaning we are looking for an excellent candidate to come and join our work family!

You will be working in a busy frontline housing service and no two days will be the same. You will work with a variety of customers and other agencies to prevent homelessness and undertake homelessness investigations which gives you the opportunity to make a real difference to peoples lives. You will act as the Council's first point of contact for homelessness and housing advice and will need to be confident in providing professional information and advice face to face, on the telephone and in writing.

Key Requirements for this role are:

  • Knowledge of the Housing Act Part VII (Homelessness) as amended, the code of guidance and other legislation relating to homelessness and tenant/landlord relationships
  • Knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction Act
  • Knowledge and understanding of choice-based lettings
  • Knowledge of temporary accommodation duties and arrangements
  • Knowledge and understanding of the eligibility of persons from abroad
  • Knowledge of different tools which can be used to prevent homelessness
  • Knowledge of housing benefit and other welfare benefits
  • Experience of investigating homelessness and making decisions in accordance with homelessness legislation
  • Experience of carrying out structured interviews with a wide range of clients.
  • Experience of working with vulnerable client groups.
  • Experience of keeping accurate records.

We are looking for these skills: 

  • Strong team player
  • Excellent IT skills
  • Ability to work on own initiative without close supervision
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
  • Ability to explain complex information simply
  • Ability to make and communicate difficult decisions
  • Ability to make decisions on own initiative where necessary
  • Excellent organisational, administrative, prioritisation and time management skills
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Excellent interpersonal skills with a friendly, non-judgemental, approachable, sensitive and customer-oriented approach
  • Ability to undertake home visits and attend meetings across the city and occasionally the county

If you would like an informal discussion about the role please contact Emma Jordan, Housing and Welfare Options Team Manager, on 01905 721121 or emma.jordan@worcester.gov.uk

Closing date: 17th July 2022

Interview Date: 26th July 2022

Supporting documents
Our Benefits
Role Profile
Person Spec

Company

From Monday 11th December 2023 an exciting change is happening for us as an organisation - we have implemeted a new system which will improve your candidate experience! To access your candidate portal for our new system, head to https://worcester.wm-jobs.co.uk/members/

If you have an application in progress with us on, or before, Monday 11th December 2023 – don’t worry, this will continue as it normally would and there will be no impact on your application or the process. More information on our new and improved system can be found on the WMJobs help pages

Why choose Us?

This is an exciting time to join Worcester City Council!

We may not be a large local authority but we still have ambitious plans, including the development of our historic and beautiful city, increasing tourism and driving economic vibrancy.

Working for Us

Worcester City Council is always on the lookout for talented individuals, who want to make a real difference to our city and can help us to continue building on our success.

We are committed to seeking excellence in everything we do, including smarter ways of working and enhancing employee wellbeing.  We have moved away from traditional ways of working for the majority of our roles, towards hybrid working, including home working, hot desking and flexitime.

By encouraging better work-life balance, we gain a healthy, happy, engaged and thriving workforce, who then deliver meaningful outcomes for Worcester.

We will offer You

  • You will normally work a 37-hour week (although we have part time roles too). Annual leave starts at 26 days and rising to 31 days after 5 years' service, in addition to paid public holidays.
  • A generous flexitime scheme (where applicable) that can accrue an additional two days off per month
  • An additional fixed day off over the Christmas period and you can purchase up to 5 additional days' holiday per year.
  • Incremental pay increases within your grade, alongside any national pay awards.
  • Flexible working options including working from home and the right to request a variance in weekly hours and/or a reduction in hours.
  • Our valued Local Government Pension Scheme, where on average we contribute two thirds’ costs to an employee’s one third costs, with tax relief on these contributions, as well as protecting your family on your death You also have the option to exchange part of your pension for a tax-free cash sum on retirement.
  • We want you to develop and thrive in your role so we will invest in your training and professional development, including any required professional subscriptions.
  • A wide-ranging benefits platform, making your salary stretch further, with money-saving deals on your weekly groceries, high street retailers, technology purchases, holidays and luxury items, all accessible via an App on your personal devices.
  • A long service award.

Supporting Your Wellbeing

  • A free and confidential employee assistance programme (EAP), available 24 hours, to aid your work life balance.
  • Time off given for volunteering, for the benefit of Worcester.
  • Heavily subsidised leisure activities at the Council’s gyms and swimming pools (seven centres across Worcestershire).
  • Cycle to work schemes
  • Access to electric bikes for travel between sites
  • Free eye tests for visual display users and seasonal flu jabs
  • Enhanced family friendly policies and enhanced sick pay.
Company info
Website
Telephone
01905 722233
Location
Worcester City Council
The Guildhall
High Street
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR1 2EY
United Kingdom

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