Are you committed to providing excellent customer service? Do you have a genuine interest in helping homeless people? If so an exciting opportunity has arisen within the Homeless Prevention Team for a part‑time Homeless Prevention Assistant.
The Homeless Prevention Team provides help and advice to North Somerset households who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Working in partnership with other organisations we ensure that vulnerable people and families are provided with appropriate advice, accommodation and support.
The team is looking for an enthusiastic, dedicated, and robust individual, ideally with experience of homelessness prevention or related work e.g. advice/welfare benefits, and a proven track record of providing excellent customer service.
Key responsibilities
* Triaging all new homeless applications
* Making thorough initial enquiries to establish homelessness
* Updating records on the Council’s housing ICT system
* Recording accurate case notes
* Checking tenancy agreements and Section 8 notice validity (training will be provided)
* Booking appointments for Homeless Prevention Officers
* Making referrals and signposting to other support services
* Giving general information and advice about housing options
About you
You will need to have strong communication skills and the ability to work closely with colleagues, other departments, and statutory and voluntary agencies to provide an effective prevention focused service for homeless applicants, many of whom have multiple vulnerabilities and support needs.
You must be able to work under pressure as the role can be very demanding. You will also need to have proficient IT skills in Microsoft office packages, with an ability to learn additional software as required by the service.
Progression through the grades will be based on demonstrating a proactive attitude to work and achieving consistent excellent outcomes for our clients using your knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
Our new system of agile working encourages flexibility. There will be a requirement to work from the Town Hall, Weston‑super‑Mare, but there will also be an opportunity to work from home on occasions following a successful probationary period.
Contact Information
For further information about the role, please contact Nancy Blatch – Principal Homeless Prevention officer at nancy.blatch@n-somerset.gov.uk.
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