SHPS Housing Coach

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. In 2024 we embarked on our new 10-year strategy for ending homelessness. We know it is not inevitable. We know together we can end it.

Join the Single Homeless Prevention Service (SHPS) as a housing coach, preventing and relieving homelessness of local people by finding sustainable solutions in the private rented sector.

Location: Crisis Skylight Brent, 1-2 Bank Buildings, High St, London NW10 4LT working onsite a minimum of three days per week in line with Crisis’. This arrangement could change in the future based on service needs.

Contract: 12-month fixed term contract

About the role

As a SHPS Housing Coach you will be working with individuals to prevent or relieve homelessness by sourcing affordable, suitable, and sustainable private rented sector accommodation. You will also help individuals to address any other support needs they may have which are a barrier to achieving their goals and ending their homelessness by linking them with relevant agencies. This role requires skilled delivery of a range of interventions and a passion for working with those who face multiple disadvantages in society. We welcome candidates who can bring enthusiasm to learn, transferrable skills and/or have housing experience.

About you

To be successful in this role you will have transferrable skills and/or housing experience and can demonstrate skills and values in the following areas:

• Supporting people to prevent and relieve homelessness (through assessments, housing people, negotiating with landlords, advice and support to sustain tenancies)
• Demonstrating a pro-active and solution-focused approach to supporting individuals overcome barriers they are facing around housing.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and results focused environment.
• Liaising and negotiating with a range of stakeholders effectively to achieve the best possible outcome for the people you work with (landlords, accommodation providers, local authorities, DWP, etc.).
• Actively contribute to sourcing suitable and affordable accommodation
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and administrative skills to manage a client caseload and own workload.
• You are pro-active and adaptable, uphold the dignity of all individuals you work with and demonstrate a willingness to follow best practice and a clear resolve to end homelessness.

Please see the full Job Pack linked below, for a full list of requirements for this role. We realise that long lists of criteria can be daunting, and you may not want to apply for a role unless you feel 100% qualified. However, if you feel you have relevant examples to answer the screening questions, we encourage you to apply.

We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds. 

Working at Crisis 

Our values, Bold, Impactful, Collaborative and Equitable, are at the heart of everything we do as we continue in our mission to end homelessness.

Our staff, members and volunteers are vital to getting the right government policies in place, providing breakthrough services, and building a supportive community. We’ll lead by example to nurture a positive and ambitious workplace guided by ending homelessness.  

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including: 

• A competitive salary. Please note, our salaries are fixed to counter inequity and we do not negotiate at offer stage.
• Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy. 
• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5% 
• 28 days’ annual leave (pro rata) which increases with service to 31 days and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave. 
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay.
• Flexible working around the core hours 10am-4pm 
• Wellbeing Leave to be used flexibly And more! (Full list of benefits available on website) 

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career. 

When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.

How do I apply?

Please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below. Our shortlisting process is anonymised as part of our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We do not ask for CVs, instead we ask you complete the work history section and answer the screening questions for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively. At least two members of staff score all applications.

Closing date: Sunday 5 January 2025 at 23:55

Interview date and location: W/C 13 January 2025 at Crisis Skylight Brent, 1-2 Bank Buildings, High St, London NW10 4LT.

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for my application?
We strongly discourage applicants from using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. This is so we can run a fair, transparent process which gives all applicants an equitable chance of success. We want to hear about your own experience and perspectives in your application and if shortlisted, during the interview too.