Who we are & what we stand for
Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading - we might be the perfect match.
We’re delighted that you’re interested in working with us. You’d be joining us at a very exciting time.
We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.
At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi-time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.
The Neighbourhoods & Localities team play a key role in several important areas, such as homelessness prevention work, older person’s housing support and case management of antisocial behaviour work. They do all of this and more, through proactive and strategic approaches that are designed to agree and deliver on local priorities via both internal and external partnerships. The team also offer a comprehensive housing service, managing over 17,000 properties through a team of housing officers, support staff, caretaking staff, concierge and handypersons.
Our statutory homelessness service including our Housing Solutions Team, has several homeless pathways including our Homeless Prevention Pathways for Offenders, Mental Health and Hospital Discharge, as well as Migration, Rough Sleepers and Domestic Abuse Pathways. We also manage temporary homeless accommodation in Gateshead and work with external agencies to provide accommodation and support to people. We are looking to develop our service offer and are looking for dynamic people to help us to do this.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Housing Solutions Assistant to join our brilliant team on a permanent contract, on a full-time basis.
About the role
Reporting to the Housing Solutions Support Officer you will oversee the day-to-day supervision of the Housing Solutions Assistants, organising their workload, ensuring targets are met across the housing advice function, triage and referrals and wider administrative support for Housing Support services.
This role will play a key part in leading and supporting the smooth running of the Housing Advice function and the homeless front door.
Your interpersonal skills will be key, being an effective communicator to lead, manage and support your team, build and maintain key partnerships and deal with the public.
What you'll get involved in
* Daytoday supervision of the Housing Solutions Assistants, including organising workloads and ensuring targets are met across the housing advice function, triage and referrals, and wider administrative support for Housing Support services.
* Deputise for the Housing Solutions Support Officer in their absence, providing support to ensure the smooth running of the Housing Advice function and the homeless front door.
* Monitor and manage the Housing Advice mailbox to ensure all enquiries are dealt with promptly and appropriately.
* Manage the Housing Support Service advice line, including answering calls and monitoring the quality of calls and advice provided.
* Register and update homeless cases in IT systems, monitoring the quality of work, including dealing with referral forms, creating cases, and supporting the triage process.
* Accurately and efficiently check and monitor customer data entered by the team, addressing errors and challenging where necessary.
* Provide support and advice to customers regarding their homelessness cases facetoface, over the phone, via post, email, or other online methods.
* Liaise with internal departments and external organisations as required for daytoday operations and any service plan actions being supported.
* Support Housing Solutions Managers and the Housing Solutions Support Officer in delivering objectives and actions outlined in the Housing Solutions Service Plan.
* Communicate effectively with customers to ensure they receive highquality, accurate advice and assistance regarding their housing options.
* Demonstrate a positive and inclusive attitude towards internal and external customers and colleagues.
* Maintain accurate knowledge of Housing & Homelessness legislation, as well as general housing legislation relevant to the role.
What you'll need to be successful
Knowledge
* Demonstrate an understanding of equality and diversity in the workplace.
* Good IT skills, including the ability to use Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word and Excel.
* Experience using the NEC system (beneficial but not essential).
Qualifications
* 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C (4) or above, including Maths and English, or relevant equivalent experience.
Experience
* Experience delivering frontline customer services.
* Ability to provide excellent customer service with a professional, caring and helpful approach, including when customers disagree with decisions.
* Good communication skills (written, verbal and electronic). Experience in a supervisory role is beneficial.
* Ability to work both as part of a busy team and independently.
* Experience in prioritising workloads, and/or supervising others, and/or managing and delegating workloads across a team.
What’s in it for you
* Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience.
* Outstanding Pension Scheme: We don’t just offer a great salary we invest in your future too. Find out what benefits a Local Government Pension provides: https://twpf.info
* Generous Annual Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, rising to 32 days after 5 years (2 of which can be fixed by the Council), plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
* Flexible Working Hours: Benefit from up to 26 flexi days per year (subject to business needs), giving you more control over your time.
* Hybrid & Flexible Working: We support a healthy work-life balance with flexible and hybrid working options.
* Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development, and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
* Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships through our partner GLL to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
* Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax-efficient cycle to work programme.
* Electric & Hybrid Car Scheme: Get behind the wheel of a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle through our salary sacrifice car scheme in partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to drive (after 12 months service).
* Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Through our VIVUP employee benefits platform, enjoy discounts on shopping, travel, and services plus salary sacrifice options on white goods, electronics, and more, helping you spread the cost of essential purchases (after 6 months service).
Our commitment to you
We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. At Gateshead Council we are an employer who embraces, and welcomes diversity, who's truly inclusive and who demonstrates equality for all. We'll go the extra mile so that our approach is representative of the communities we serve and each other. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
How to apply
You can apply online using the link below. Within the form, you’ll be asked for details about you, your career history, skills, experiences and qualifications.
We advise you to be as detailed and specific as possible, paying particular attention to any of the above which are relevant to the role to which you are applying.
If you have any questions about your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our recruitment team via recruitment@gateshead.gov.uk
Please note: As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. However, in high-volume recruitment situations, it may not always be practicable to interview every eligible candidate. In such cases, we may need to prioritise those who best meet the essential criteria, based on the information provided in the application.
Additionally, the Council reserves the right to close this vacancy early or adjust the shortlisting criteria, including the pass mark for interview selection, to ensure a fair and manageable recruitment process. We encourage early applications.