About the Home Adaptations Service
We have an exciting opportunity to expand our delivery of adaptations in Southampton and join the Council’s newly formed Home Adaptation Service as Principal Officer. This role is fixed term for two years, full time.
We are committed to investing in our future and strengthening our directorate to deliver high quality, person centred support for adults across the city. This is an excellent time to join us as we continue to innovate and develop our adaptation service as part of a wider transformation programme of expansion and promotion via the establishment of the new city wide Home Adaptation Service.
Our goal is to provide a more robust foundation from which we can expand the reach of the service whilst also seeking more innovative, preventative, and personalised applications from the available funding.
Working with colleagues in the Home Adaptations Service, the Housing Occupational Therapy Team in Adult Social Care, and Social Care. As a Principal Officer you will support people to live independently in their own homes for longer through a strengths-based approach.
One of the most important parts of a Principal Officer role oversees the delivery of Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG), including the supervision of Senior Technical Officers and Technical Officers, also have responsibility for managing budgets, and liaising with Occupational Therapists to ensure vulnerable residents can live independently. The Principal Officer will have oversight and help manage Officer caseloads while also providing leadership, mentoring, and specialised advice to the Home Adaptations Team. They act as a senior point of contact for clients, ensuring service quality, compliance with adaptation policy and procedures, helping to assess and support an applicant’s adaptation needs through their entire adaptation journey. Also, assessing appropriate resources and escalating urgent matters the DFG manager where appropriate.
About the Team
Our Home Adaptations Service team supports both children’s and adult residents of Southampton who require an adaptation in their home to help access essential facilities and to maximise independence.
We complete home visits across the city and make recommendations for:
* Major and minor adaptations funded via the Disabled Facilities Grant / Discretionary Financial Assistance Policy
* Adaptations delivered through Southampton City Council Housing Revenue Account
* Specialist equipment and other minor works when required
You will be part of a supportive, collaborative team with strong links across housing, health, and social care services.
About the Role
As a Principal Officer within the Home Adaptation Service, you will:
* Support the Home Adaptations Team in the delivery of adaptations, relevant equipment and processes to help meet assessed need, also help officers compile complex file preparation for senior management, and provide guidance and supervision and regular 1-1’s to team members in the team, including reviewing their work and conducting file audits
* Helping supervise the Home Adaptations Team, you will assist in offering tailored advice, information and support and help resolve high-level complaints or contentious cases.
* Leading, encouraging and supporting team members
* Analysing data to compile reports to present to managers
* Developing and streamlining the Service to provide a positive experience to clients and other stakeholders
* Ensure all work complies with legislation (e.g., GDPR), quality standards, and service-level agreements.
* Build relationships with external agencies, internal SCC departments, and specialised organizations for appropriate referrals.
* Analysing case data to produce reports and improve service delivery
* Work closely with a range of internal and external partners, including:
o Home Adaptation Service officers including Triage officers, Caseworkers, Technical Officers, Senior Technical Officers and DFG Manager and Service Manager
o Southampton City Council Home Adaptation delivery team
o Adult Social Care and Housing Occupational Therapists
o Appropriate additional support agencies
o Relevant NHS and community health teams
o Support the delivery of safe, effective, and timely adaptation pathways
o Contribute to the continuous improvement and development of the service
o The Principal Officer will assess and calculate complex financial scenarios received from applicants applying for adaptations assistance – both mandatory and discretionary as well as applications from residents residing in its own housing stock.
o The post holder will need to calculate payment for works carried out – interim or full payment and ensure some budget responsibility in pulling off reports from the Teams IT Platform such as Uniform/Business World and Case Manager for example.
About You
We are looking for confident and self motivated individuals who:
* Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
* Have relevant supervisory experience
* Handling sensitive situations with empathy and negotiating with stakeholders.
* Can work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
* Are committed to delivering high quality, strengths based practice
* Can demonstrate sound organisational and problem solving skills
* Are adaptable and willing to contribute to a new, exciting overarching Home Adaptation Service
Training and regular supervision will be provided
You must:
* Hold 5 GCSEs (English and Maths) and another higher-level qualification (or Degree equivalent)
* Have comprehensive supervisory experience and experience of managing a complex case load as well as experience of working with vulnerable members of the public
* Have demonstrable administrative, organisational, excellent report writing skills, as well as being an effective communicator, with the ability for critical thinking for quick decision making
* Proficiency in IT and case management skills
* Able to maintain accurate case files, writing and updating reports and preparing documentation
* Able to prioritise Home Adaptations Team caseloads and identify urgent cases, any potential difficulties in an adaptation application/ client journey and ability to handle sensitive and high‑pressure situations with empathy and assertiveness
* Able to negotiate with key stakeholders and build effective partner relationships
* Able to take responsibility for complex decisions
What We Can Offer
Salary: The salary band for this role is £47,181 - £51,357
The starting salary is £47,181 with annual progression through the salary band.
Here at SCC, we have a range of different perks and benefits, a few examples can be found below.
* Excellent local government pension with 15.2% employer contribution
* Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
* Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
* Flexible working options with working a mixture of office and home, outside of your face‑to‑face visits with the individuals we support
* Opportunities for training and development
* Supportive management and regular professional supervision
* Family‑friendly policies – Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
* Health and wellbeing support – Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
* Veteran‑friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
* Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
* Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
* Sustainable travel benefits – low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
* Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer
For further information on our benefits package please visit Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk)
EEO Statement
We’re proud to be #DisabilityConfident and support fair recruitment practices. Find out how you can get involved at gov.uk/disability-confident
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