Job Introduction
37 hours per week Monday to Friday
Are you looking for an opportunity to use your experience and gain new skills in an interesting and fast-moving environment? We are currently recruiting for Housing Assessment & Advice Officers!
The Service:
Portsmouth City Council's Housing Needs Advice & Support team works directly with customers to help deal with housing issues and prevent homelessness in the city. We are a busy front-line service dealing with customers who may be vulnerable and facing homelessness. We give advice, work to prevent homelessness, assist people to resolve their housing need and make assessments of housing and support needs in accordance with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Housing Act 1996 and Portsmouth City Council's Allocations Policy. We are committed to excellent customer service, and to listening to and understanding our customers' circumstances, and working collaboratively with them to identify housing solutions. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting good practise and all employees are required to adhere to internal safeguarding policies.
Your New Role:
You will be part of a busy team which deals with customers both face to face and by telephone. You will be interviewing customers about their housing situation and working with them to find solutions to their housing issues. This may involve negotiation with landlords, other housing providers, family members and internal and external agencies. You will need to ask personal and searching questions and listen carefully to responses so that you fully understand the customer's circumstances. Your challenge will then be to identify actions and solutions to secure housing. You will need to manage a large case load, prioritise your work and have excellent organisational skills. You will also need to build effective working relationships with customers and landlords and explore all possible housing solutions to help prevent homelessness and the need to move.
Who is the person?
We are looking for somebody who:
- Has experience of the issues faced by vulnerable and homeless households, and a desire to assist people with housing needs, and work to proactively to resolve these issues.
- Can quickly adapt to the role, drawing on experience or transferable skills.
- Is confident and can clearly and effectively communicate verbally, interpreting legislation and explaining the impact to our customers.
- Can communicate clearly in writing, explaining legal decisions to both customers and partners.
- Understands the key elements to negotiations and can find ways to achieve outcomes for customers.
- Can listen to people and not rush to conclusions or judgements before fully understanding what is needed or wanted by a customer.
- Is emotionally resilient and able to deal with the impact of being exposed to customer's difficult circumstances, and remain professionally detached and focused even if the message you deliver involves saying no.
- Has experience of working directly with customers in a front-line service.
- Understands welfare benefits systems and the issues faced by customers experiencing financial difficulties.
- Has experience of equalities issues and is committed to equal opportunities.
- Understands safeguarding and can recognise safeguarding concerns and take appropriate action to manage risk.
- Can critically analyse information and keep clear case records.
- Works proactively and can remain motivated, working on their own initiative and organising and prioritising their workload.
- Enjoys the challenge in finding innovative solutions to problems and has the personal skills and experience to do so.
- Has IT skills suited to working in a busy office.
- Has knowledge of the local area and is able to visit people in their own homes and attend meetings in the local area.
- The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
When completing the application form, please thoroughly tailor your application to the 'Who is the Person' points with the use of examples from your experience. This is really important or you are likely not to be shortlisted. The full job profile is attached at the bottom of this page.
Assessment centre: 4th April 2025 (09:30 - 12:00).
Interviews: 7th & 8th April 2025
About Portsmouth City Council
What we can offer you:
Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.
Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our careers portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council
Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616800
