- Pay Rate:
£22.33 per hour PAYE
- Hours per Week:
37 Monday – Friday, normal working hours
This opening assignment is for 2-3 months
- This opening assignment is for 2-3 months,
PO1 2AL
Full Job Title: Interim Homeless Casework Officer – Housing Services
Reference no: Portsmouth 5206405
You will be working as a homeless caseworker based at Housing Options, supporting the Housing Options team.
You will be required to make decisions on homeless cases in accordance with Part 7 of the 1996 Housing Act, for applications made prior to the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act. This will involve interviewing customers who are threatened with homelessness, making enquiries to establish their circumstances and support needs, and making decisions in accordance with the 1996 Housing Act.
You will also be assessing homeless applications in accordance with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. This will include making assessments of both housing and support needs, creating personal housing plans and reviewing and updating the housing plans as appropriate. You will need to be able to identify solutions to prevent and relieve homelessness wherever possible, and to work collaboratively with customers to achieve a housing solution.
The work will involve making assessments of support needs, liaising with other agencies to obtain information and identify appropriate housing solutions.
You will be required to record your assessments and decisions accurately using Portsmouth City Council's IT systems, and to communicate these decisions clearly to customers both verbally and in writing.
“Specific Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:
- Experience of working in a local authority making homeless decisions
- Ability to work independently to make homeless and care and support assessments, interpret legislation and make decisions in accordance with the legislation
- Experience of managing a homeless caseload, prioritising work appropriately, keeping customers updated of the progress of their application and keeping accurate records
- Knowledge & Abilities:
- Knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and an ability to apply this legislation and deal with homeless applications appropriately
- Able to explain complex legislation clearly both in writing and verbally
- Able to communicate with customers with a range of vulnerabilities and deal with them sensitively and with empathy
- Able to negotiate with customers, landlords and other parties to prevent homelessness and find housing solutions
- Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages
NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.
If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.
Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for.
“Other Essential Requirements” – Please check to ensure that your CV addresses the following items:
- Our clients are generally seeking applicants who are reasonably local, so on that basis we would ideally like you to supply us with your address (or at least your post code) and a telephone number so that we can reach you during working hours.
- Your recent UK working experience going back at least 5 years, or full employment history if you have been working for fewer years than this.
- Your availability to work either immediately, or at short notice.
- *** Other Work-Related Requirements: Able to carry out home visits. Own transport is not essential but you must be willing to use public transport within a reasonable area.
- Please refer to the Role Requirements section above – your CV must address the requirements listed
Other preferable/desirable details to include on your CV, if applicable:
- Any local authority/public sector experience
- Any relevant qualifications held or being studied for
N
CV Tips
Your CV needs to be current with your most recent role. We won’t be able to submit it with any unexplained gaps in employment. It will save time and improve your chances of success if we can put your CV forward immediately without having to ask for revisions.
Your CV must cover the “Essential Requirements” of the role. Ideally you will address the “Essential Requirements” on each job description page directly, in a bullet point list. Please include any DBS details and other qualifications called for.
Your CV should clearly state that you are available to start work either immediately, or at short notice. In general, our clients are unable to work with notice periods of more than 1 week from the point at which a role is offered, 2 weeks at the very most.
We do not put forward covering letters, so please ensure that your CV in contains all relevant information being called for.
We recommend that you consider sending us a CV suitably tailored CV for each role that you apply for. Job board aggregator sites will generally store only one version of your CV, which can be a bit limiting, so this is to your advantage.