Reference:
Job title:
Homelessness and Support Officer
Directorate:
Housing and Property
Service:
Housing
Closing date:
01/10/2025 10:00
Job type/Hours:
Permanent | 37 Hour
Salary:
£34,434 - £36,363 a year
Pay Scale:
S3
Location(s):
Caernarfon
Gwynedd Council offers an attractive employment package, for more information please click on this Information Pack
Gwynedd Council operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted as one of the essential skills in the Person Specification.
We encourage everyone who applies for a job with Gwynedd Council to submit job applications in Welsh or bilingually.
(Applications submitted in English only or Welsh only will always be treated equally, but we ask applicants to consider carefully what the linguistic requirements of the job in question is and if it would be more appropriate to submit an application in Welsh.)
For further information about this post please contact Colleen Pritchard on or via e-mail:
Application forms and further details available from Support Service, Gwynedd Council, Council Offices, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH
Tel:
E-Mail:
CLOSING DATE: 10:00 AM, 01/10/2025
If you are successful to be short listed for an interview you will be contacted by E-MAIL using the address provided on your application form. You need to ensure that you check your email regularly.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
ESSENTIAL
Positive Attitude
Good listening skills
Assertive
The ability to work alone or as a member of a team, as required
The ability to work under pressure
The ability to manage, arrange and prioritise workload
The ability to deal with information confidentially
Able to work independently
Willing to attend further training and undertake further studies
Unprejudiced
Non-judgemental
Sensible
Able to show empathy
A strong commitment to customer care
DESIRABLE
QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT TRAINING
ESSENTIAL
Good standard of education - at least 5 GCSEs or equivalent to include Welsh, English and Mathematics
DESIRABLE
HNC in Housing Studies or similar Housing qualification
Training in Housing and Homelessness Legislation
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL
Experience of working in the Homelessness field
Experience of assessing the Housing needs of clients
Experience of dealing with the public
DESIRABLE
Experience of conducting homelessness assessments
Experience of homelessness prevention
Experience of working with the local private housing sector and social landlords
Experience of dealing with vulnerable people
SKILLS AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE
ESSENTIAL
Good communication and presentation skills.
Good writing skills
Negotiation skills
The ability to assess people's personal needs in a sensitive manner
Knowledge and experience of using Information Technology systems
Information on Housing Options in Gwynedd
Able to resolve problems
The ability to keep full information and statistics
Able to deal with the public in a courteous and professional manner
Full driving licence
DESIRABLE
Detailed and up-to-date knowledge of homelessness Legislation
Report writing skills
Reconciliation skills
Able to motivate himself/herself and others
ECDL
Able to resolve problems creatively
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
ESSENTIAL
Listening and Speaking - Intermediate Level
Able to maintain a fluent conversation on a number of various everyday subjects, and discuss cases involving the field of work. Able to follow a discussion in Welsh, in Clear Welsh, on familiar matters relating to the post. Able to contribute to the conversation and answer questions.
Reading and Understanding - Intermediate Level
Understand everyday correspondence on familiar issues at work. Understand longer reports in Clear Welsh and be able to pick up the main points. (help may be required with the vocabulary).
Writing - Intermediate Level
Able to write letters for a specific purpose, e-mails and short reports in Welsh and English, using vocabulary and simple phrases that are familiar to the field of work. (They will need to be checked before being sent out).
Purpose of the post
* Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
* Assist and support people to solve their housing problems and to find effective solutions to their housing needs to prevent them from becoming homeless. Conduct homelessness assessments, in accordance with homelessness legislation and the guidance code.
* Provide support to homeless individuals to prevent homelessness.
* Provide support to homeless individuals.
Responsibility for functions
Main duties
* Provide a customer focused service - for those who are homeless or under threat of becoming homeless.
* Dealing with clients in an unbiased and non-judgemental way
* Carry out an assessment of the clients' housing circumstances to identify the problems/difficulties.
* Conduct home visits and assessments in other locations, such as hospitals when and where required.
* Conduct visits in the prisons or National Probation Services Bail Hostels when and where required.
* Discuss high risk clients and advise on the suitability of the property.
* Look for possible solutions for clients to solve their housing problems, ensure that their needs and wishes are considered.
* Encourage clients to be pro-active to find solutions and take responsibility for their housing results.
* Try to get rid of barriers to get effective answers for clients and get support from other Council staff or external agencies as required.
* Provide advice and support on realistic housing options and refer and guide them to other agencies as required.
* Take reasonable steps to help to prevent or alleviate homelessness in accordance with part 2 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 such as:
* negotiate with landlords.
* assist with applications for housing benefit and Discretionary Housing Payments
* refer to specialist services such as debt advice.
* effective use of the prevention fund in accordance with the prevention fund guidance
* liaise with landlords and house letting agencies to secure other private accommodation.
* organise payment of deposit and rent in advance when required and monitor and go after repayments.
* liaise with Environmental Health officers (Housing) regarding issues with private sector tenancies such as illegal evictions, harassment, and unfit property.
* When homelessness cannot be prevented or mitigated, conduct statutory homelessness assessments, and make relevant enquiries in accordance with the homelessness legislation and the guidance code.
* Provide written notices of the Council's duties under Part 2 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.
* Organise suitable interim/temporary accommodation as required in accordance with the relevant legislation and the individual risk assessments.
* Organise transport to temporary accommodation when required.
* Make arrangements to safeguard or store the personal property of homeless clients, if they cannot make their own suitable arrangements.
* Ensure that clients are moved from temporary accommodation to another suitable accommodation as soon as possible.
* Support clients to improve the quality of their lives by for example, help them to develop social networks by providing information and advice on social activities in their local area.
* Provide support with getting the best benefits, budgeting and debt management and refer them to receive support from a specialist where relevant.
* Assist the team leader to fill the Supporting People quarterly returns.
* Support clients to take part in education and training.
* Support clients to take part in employment/volunteering opportunities.
* Help clients to live a healthy and active life and get to grips with matters such as substance misuse, mental health problems.
* Organise and operate support plans for all clients in the plan and monitor and review those plans regularly, ensuring that the support plans are created in consultation with the client.
* Contact utility providers such as water, gas or electric on behalf of the client as needed.
* Keep detailed and up-to-date records of the support provided on the individual's file.
* Follow the matters relating to housing and support, welfare benefits and other relevant legislations.
* Identify any client support needs and liaise with the appropriate support workers.
* Present official orders and process invoices for payment in accordance with the Council's policies and procedures.
* Conduct joint assessments with the Social Services 16+ team to assess young people 16/17 years old who are homeless or at threat of being homeless, in accordance with the Council's Joint Working Protocol.
* Ensure that clients have registered for Social Housing on the common housing register and liaise with the Housing Options Team to ensure that the information is up-to-date.
* Develop a close working relationship with other Council departments or external agencies as required (such as Social Services, Health Service, the Police, GISDA, CEFNI, NACRO, DIP and the Probation Service). Criminal Justice Service and other partners such as Integrated Offender Management, Prison Link Wales, Rehabilitation Teams, PACT, CRC and other supporting agencies including attending relevant meetings and conferences.
* Attend Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements meetings (MAPPA 1 and MAPPA 2) at the Probation Service's request.
* Attend Team Meetings and contribute to the development and the improvement of the service.
* Effective use of IT systems to record information for statistical purposes (e.g. Council Housing and Homelessness Academy modules).
* Any general administrative work required to keep information up-to-date on the case file system and the Academy system.
* Provide statistical information and reports as required.
* Attend courses on homelessness legislation and any other relevant courses concerning housing and housing support that contribute to personal development in the post.
* Pro-actively reflect and review your own working practices and identify areas for improvement and / or training - jointly with the line manager.
* Responsible for self-development
* Pro-actively reflect and review your own working practices and identify areas for improvement and / or training - jointly with the line manager.
* Responsibility for self-development.
* Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council's Health and Safety Policy.
* Operate within the Council's policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
* Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council's information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
* Commitment to reducing the Council's carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council's Carbon Footprint.
* Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
* Responsibility to report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.
Special circumstances
* The post-holder may be required to assist in other area offices occasionally, depending on the demand.
* The post-holder may be required to work unsociable hours if any emergency arises.