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Job Description
Housing Support Officer – PKC11992
£12,290 – £13,537 (14.4 hours per week)
Blairgowrie Area Office, 46 Leslie Street, Blairgowrie, PH10 6AP
We have an exciting opportunity for individuals who would be interested in being a Housing Support Officer based within our North Locality Housing Team situated in the Blairgowrie Area Office, 46 Leslie Street, Blairgowrie PH10 6AW.
This Support Officer role has the ability to make a positive difference to the lives of people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. It involves providing practical support and guidance to prevent homelessness through the provision of person-centred housing support; to support households moving into their accommodation; to assist and support households to settle into permanent accommodation and minimise repeat homelessness.
You will provide advice and support in relation to the following areas:
Accommodation- such as resettlement and tenancy support to help tenancy sustainment; advice about rent arrears; advice on household maintenance; advice on maintaining a property in good repair.
Health- such as finding and registering with a GP; accessing other services and agencies for the benefit of your health and wellbeing; a listening ear and support through a crisis; signposting to other services and specialist agencies who provide particular types of support, e.g. Women’s Aid, The Scottish Association for Mental Health, Citizens Advice Bureau.
Safety and security- such as advice on reporting repairs; advice about home security; support for those affected by different forms of abuse.
Social, Economic and Wellbeing- such as support to claim different types of benefits; help filling in forms; referrals to Welfare Rights services to maximise your income; support when dealing with the Department for Work and Pensions; assistance and support with Council Tax and issues with utility bills/providers; advice on fuel poverty; support to address underlying issues that may be affecting your personal confidence or behaviour; general advice on cooking and nutrition
Employment and Meaningful Activity- support to access a range of activities such as voluntary work; work with careers services to provide advice and access to training and employment.
You will be managed by the Hostel and Support Co-ordinator and will be part of the North Locality Housing Team where you will be one of three support officers working closely with Housing Officers and other Housing staff. You will also at times work closely with colleagues in the wider Support Team such as Central Team, Locality Support Officers and Greyfriars Support Officers and may be required to provide assistance in other areas when there are staffing shortages. Due the large geographical area that is covered by the North Locality Housing Team, there will be the need for travelling across Highland and Eastern Perthshire to see customers in their homes or local areas.
This post is for 14.4 hours per week and it is essential that the postholder works on Mondays and Tuesdays to ensure continuity of service delivery. There is scope to split the hours over 3 days, but this would be discussed with the success candidate. It is also essential that the successful candidate can be flexible in terms of their working hours as there may be times where there is a requirement to work at evenings or weekends.
Requirements
You should have experience of working in a housing/housing support setting.
You should have experience of working with customers on a one-to-one basis using a person-centred approach. You will deal with a variety of customers- some of whom will have a diverse range of complex needs.
We are looking for a people-person who is enthusiastic, innovative and creative.
You must be able to communicate effectively with customers to build relationships. You will also work closely with a range of internal colleagues and external agencies to provide a multi-agency approach and identify the best possible solutions/outcomes for individual clients.
You should be a resilient, tenacious individual who can deal with the challenges and hurdles you may encounter and you should have strength of character and be solution-focused to work with individuals to help them achieve their goals and outcomes.
You will have a non-judgemental attitude, be empathetic and sensitive to customers’ needs. You will understand and have an awareness of the wellbeing and individual needs of people.
You should be highly organised and have the ability to prioritise your own workload.
You will be required to use various computer systems and databases to keep accurate records and produce support plans and as such, you will need to have good digital skills.
You should have a good awareness of Health and Safety Legislation including lone working and keeping yourself safe.
You should be registered with or are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council within 3 months of commencing employment and are responsible for maintaining your annual membership. The successful candidate will be required to complete a PVG as there requires to be a fitness to practice when working with vulnerable individuals.
You should have SVQ3 in Social Services and Healthcare (or equivalent in a relevant discipline) or a willingness to work towards it.
You must have a valid UK driving licence as this post requires you to travel to a variety of locations across Perth and Kinross.
The Individual
If you would like any more information regarding this vacancy, please contact Lesley Gray, Hostel & Housing Support Co-Ordinator on 01738783443.
When applying for this post, please provide current contact details (including e-mail addresses) for two referees, one should be your present or most recent employer. However, if you are an existing employee of Perth & Kinross Council, you are only required to provide reference details for your current employer.
At PKC our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Offer. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours. Find out more about PKC and you could soon be joining our team!
Please APPLY ONLINE. Facilities are available at all public libraries in Perth and Kinross. If you have a disability and require reasonable adjustments, please call 01738 475555 to discuss.
As part of our safer recruitment measures, any offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of mandatory checks including eligibility to work in the UK, Disclosure Scotland or PVG, qualifications, references, and fitness to undertake the post. This may also include an Overseas Criminal Records Check if you have spent time living overseas.
Some jobs may have been traditionally carried out predominately by one gender, but we would encourage you to apply if you meet the requirements, irrespective of your gender.
What we can do for you
If you are successful in a role with Perth & Kinross Council, you will have access to a range of benefits to help your physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
A healthy work life balance is important to us and we provide supportive management and flexible working arrangements to help you achieve a healthy work life balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.
Perth & Kinross Council welcomes applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government.
For more information about working for Perth & Kinross Council and living in one of the most scenic areas of Scotland, look at our Jobs, careers and employment page.
