Annual salary: up to £28,917.00
Housing Support Officer
Derry/Londonderry
Salary up to £28,917 per annum
Full time – Permanent, 40hrs per week, Monday to Friday
Including company vehicle and fuel card or £3,500 company car allowance
Mears provides temporary accommodation to asylum seekers whilst their claim is being assessed in three regions: Northeast, Yorkshire and Humber, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. At the end of May 2021 Mears had over 19,000 service users across the three regions. Mears works in partnership with central and local government, registered providers, tenants, landlords, and investors to find solutions to homelessness, provide more social and affordable housing, and create specialist housing for people with care needs.
About the Role:
Due to contract expansion, we are seeking a Housing Support Officer to join our team. This position supports asylum seekers through their right to work asylum application process with the Home Office. The ideal candidate will be resilient, trustworthy, caring, empathetic, and a people person. Every day is different and rewarding, although challenging.
Your main duties will include supporting service users at various stages of their asylum application, handling safeguarding and welfare issues, providing practical and emotional support, monitoring wellbeing, and maintaining accurate records for Home Office audits. Maintaining boundaries and resilience is essential to provide professional support tailored to service users' needs.
Role Criteria:
* Experience working with vulnerable and diverse client groups
* Understanding of safeguarding
* Ability to identify individual and family needs and support packages
* Experience with mental health or challenging behaviour
* Effective communication with colleagues, authorities, and service users
* Record keeping and risk assessment experience
* Ability to work independently
* Resilient
* Supportive, trustworthy, empathetic, approachable
* Flexible and willing to travel
* Full UK driving license
Note: All roles require entitlement to work in the UK. No visa sponsorship is offered.
As part of the recruitment process, a DBS & BPSS check and Security Clearance will be carried out, requiring proof of ID, address, references, passport, and UK residence over the last 5 years.
Benefits:
* 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
* Annual Mears Fun Day
* Volunteering leave
* Staff discounts with Mears Rewards
* Family-friendly policies
* Company vehicle and fuel card
* Access to EAP counselling
To apply or for further discussion, contact Beth Dunford at beth.dunford@mearsgroup.co.uk. Support is available throughout the application process.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion, are a Disability Confident employer, and support the Armed Forces Covenant with a Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. We also support social mobility initiatives and invite optional background sharing during applications to promote equal opportunities.
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