Housing Support Worker

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Housing Support Worker to join our homelessness service in Surrey.

£24,939.20 per annum, working 35 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel like you're making a difference? You'll feel at home here.

To enable vulnerable people living in a variety of different tenures to manage their tenancies/ licences and prevent homelessness by providing a flexible and individually tailored support package.

Fixed term contract of 9 months.

Hours: Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm, excluding Bank Holidays.

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

What you'll do:

Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Manager
Ensure that referrals to the service are managed effectively and in line with the referrals and assessment procedure
Undertake initial and assessments and continuous reviews of support needs and potential risks, and agree levels of support and actions
Create and review support/ action plans for providing appropriate housing-related support based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available
Develop and maintain links with key agencies and service providers in the local community
Empower customers to ensure they receive the benefits and services they are entitled to
Signpost customers to support services that can help them address additional support needs such as mental or physical health, employment and education, adult social care, domestic abuse and family support
Encourage and enable customers to pay their rent and other housing-related costs, and to ensure that rent accounts are managed effectively in conjunction with the relevant housing provider
Encourage and enable customers to adhere to all other conditions of their tenancies/ licences, eg maintaining a satisfactory living environment, refraining from anti-social behaviour, allowing access for essential work
Encourage and enable customers to take necessary steps to seeking and preparing for alternative accommodation where maintaining their current housing situation is unsuitable or unviable
Ensure that all safeguarding concerns are managed in line with safeguarding protocols and are reported to Contract Manager/Head of Operations, as appropriate
Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive customer records to professional standards
Adhere to Look Ahead's Policies and Procedures
Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills

For the full list please see our website.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:

Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
Approachable and open behaviour
Prefers working as part of a group or team
Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
Flexible
Open to feedback and self development
Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
Is essentially customer-focused
Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviours

What you'll bring:

Essential:

Use of own vehicle
IT and functional skills
Positive attitude and can-do approach
Resilience
Flexibility
Good communication skills, written and verbally

Desirable:

Experience working in homelessness, housing or support/care
Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 120 services, providing support to around 6000 customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.