Overview
There has never been a more exciting time to join Wirral Council. We’ve got ambitious targets to meet and to achieve everything we have promised to our residents, we need people who are ready to deliver the very best for our communities and show how they can #BeTheDifference. Our vision is to secure the best possible future for our residents, defined by the community prosperity we create and supported by our excellent people and services. If you strive to #BeTheDifference and want to be at the heart of our change and improvement journey, then this could be the perfect job for you.
About The Role
An opportunity has arisen to join a respected Housing Team within Wirral Council. We are looking for an experienced and self‑motivated Housing Options Officer / Homeless Assessment & Prevention Officer to provide homeless prevention advice & assistance to households who are threatened with homelessness and to assess and process homelessness applications made under current legislation.
Responsibilities
* Provide homeless prevention advice and assistance to households threatened with homelessness.
* Assess and process homelessness applications under current legislation.
* Investigate issues sensitively, accurately record statements and findings.
* Negotiate resolutions with accommodation providers and landlords to prevent homelessness.
* Use prevention tools to sustain existing housing or secure suitable and affordable alternative accommodation.
Qualifications
* Knowledge of homeless legislation (Part VII of the Housing Act 1996/2002 and the Homeless Reduction Act 2018).
* Experience of developing personalised housing plans.
* Experience of working within a homeless/housing environment and managing a demanding caseload, carrying out assessments and investigations in line with legislation.
* Preferred experience of using the LOCATA HPA2 system.
Additional Information
We want to hear from you if you have skills, knowledge or experience that differ from what we have identified. If you can bring value to the role, we may explore a traineeship for you, subject to the skills, knowledge or experience levels within the candidate pool.
If you wish to discuss this role or require further information, please contact Neil Woodhouse at neilwoodhouse@wirral.gov.uk.
If you are a Wirral resident, unemployed or out of work and need help with your application, contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team at info@involvenorthwest.org.uk or call 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349.
If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, our Talent Strategy supports internal recruitment. For more information, email recruitment@wirral.gov.uk.
Working at Wirral
Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things, and behave.
We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing, and investing in our people.
We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, an excellent pension scheme which includes a generous employer contribution rate, immediate life cover and ill‑health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family‑friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays.
We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities.
Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us.
We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process. If you’d like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process to make it barrier‑free and as accessible as possible, please contact recruitment@wirral.gov.uk.
Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies.
It is council policy not to re‑appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council’s Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances.
Application Process
Applications are accepted online until midnight on the closing date; we reserve the right to close earlier. All applications must be submitted through the Jobs page; we do not accept applications or CVs from recruitment agencies.
All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. The job description and related documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed. If you need a copy, download it now.
How To Apply
Please apply online by clicking the link below.
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