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Housing Outreach Officer

Employer
Worcester City Council
Location
Museum and Art Gallery, Foregate Street, Worcester.
Salary
£21,460 - £24,392
Closing date
16 Apr 2020
Reference
WCTY000000456

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Sector
Local Councils
Job Type
Housing
Contract Type
Full time temporary
Working Pattern
Standard
Hours
Full-Time

Job Details


We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, organised and flexible individual to join our Housing Outreach Service, providing tailored support to households experiencing or threatened with homelessness. This is a 1 year post to cover maternity leave.

In return we can offer you a dynamic working environment, opportunities for training and development, flexible working hours and a minimum of 25 days annual leave.

You will work with a wide range of households with a variety of support needs and your role will be to prevent your customers from becoming homeless and help them to access and maintain suitable accommodation.

You will work within the busy Housing & Welfare Options Team, delivering a proactive outreach and support service which will be key to the Council’s success in tackling homelessness in the city. You will also provide support and assistance to colleagues where needed, working flexibly to meet the needs of customers and the service.

The role will be based at offices in the centre of Worcester, but much of your work will be conducted in customers’ homes or other locations, meaning that the ability to travel within Worcester and, at times, outside the city, is essential. You must also have excellent IT and organisational skills to enable you to maintain a high level of customer service and efficiency whilst working from different locations. You must also have a commitment to adopting safe risk assessment and lone working practices, in accordance with Council policy and procedure.

You will have experience of providing tenancy related support to vulnerable customers, preferably in a homelessness context and will have knowledge of law and practice in relation to housing and homelessness. You must also have a detailed knowledge of welfare benefits and experience of working in partnership with a range of statutory and non statutory agencies to meet customers’ needs.

  • Experience of working with vulnerable customers in a similar customer focused role and carrying out needs and risk assessments
  • Experience of implementing, developing and monitoring support plans
  • Knowledge and experience of relevant homelessness and housing allocations legislation and guidance would be desirable
  • Knowledge of welfare benefits including Universal Credit and other statutory functions (such as social care, health, mental health services)
  • Good knowledge of debt management, money advice and personal budgeting help 
  • Experience of working under pressure in a busy customer facing environment
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to communicate to a wide variety of people for a variety of purposes
  • Experience of working in partnership with a range of other organisations to meet the needs of customers
  • An empathetic but assertive approach, with the ability to make and communicate difficult decisions
  • Excellent IT skills – experience of using a variety of programmes to communicate, keep accurate records and monitor progress and performance
  • Strong team player, with a flexible and adaptable approach to meet the needs of customers and the service
  • Ability to work with minimal supervision and make decisions using own initiative

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

Closing date: 4th April 2019

Supporting documents
Job Description

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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