Housing Advice Worker x2

We're looking for two proactive & passionate individuals to join our Housing Advice team to deliver an effective housing advice and advocacy service to young people accessing our day centre.

You will be working within our Housing team to deliver an effective advice service for young people. You should be experienced in delivering housing advice within a youth and community or other relevant setting, of supporting clients with multiple and complex needs, and have a proven track record of referring and progressing vulnerable people into suitable accommodation. There are two roles available.

Key details

• Contract type and hours: Permanent. The role is full-time, 35 hours per week Monday to Friday. Some work over the Christmas period will also be required.
• Salary: The starting salary for the role is £31,200. The salary scale is £31,200 to £34,736 pro rata.
• Location: New Horizon Youth Centre, 68 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JR.
• Application deadline: 9am, Friday 4 October 2024 *or earlier if enough applications are received, so apply as soon as possible*

Key objectives:

• To deliver an effective Housing Advice service to young people accessing New Horizon Youth Centre, carrying out thorough assessments of need and enabling young people to move on into independence.
• To maintain and build a network of relationships with relevant external agencies and internal specialists.
• To increase accommodation options for young people, both through NHYC’s own projects and with external partners and make appropriate referrals into accommodation and external specialist services.

Reporting to: Service Manager and Head of Services (Housing)

Main tasks and responsibilities

Young people's services

Delivering a housing advice service to young people with multiple needs. This will include:

1. Working to ensure young people receive a high-quality service from the point of registration to move-on. Taking a hands-on approach to dealing with complex or difficult cases.
2. Carrying out thorough needs assessments with young people accessing the service in order to refer young people into appropriate accommodation and to external specialist services.
3. Providing young people with expert advice and guidance relating to their housing situation. Monitoring and evaluating young people’s progress.
4. Engaging other relevant external partners, able to provide accommodation and other move on opportunities to young people.
5. Referring young people to other internal New Horizon Youth Centre teams in order to support their progression, including Health, Youth Work, Outreach and Jobs, Education and Training.
6. Providing advocacy and referring young people to a wide range of specialist external advice services including around advocacy, substance misuse, mental health, immigration, counselling, financial/debt advice, and legal services.
7. Attending regular briefings, team meetings, reflective practice and clinical supervision, both with NHYC and project partners. Ensuring that Health and Safety or safeguarding issues are addressed at all times.

Sharing best practice

To proactively share best practice with internal and external stakeholders in order to maximise the impact of the work of NHYC. This will include:

1. Identifying and acting to maximise NHYC’s profile by seeking out and responding to opportunities with specialists and agencies who might offer resources, funding, or individual services relevant to client needs.
2. Promoting and representing NHYC at relevant forums, meetings and events.

Information management

To produce and maintain accurate and useful information in a range of formats in order to promote effective service delivery and evaluation. This will include:

1. Recording all contacts with clients appropriately and maintaining all relevant files and recording systems.
2. Producing written reports in a variety of formats to meet the requirements of NHYC, external service providers and funders, e.g., project reviews and assessment reports.
3. Inputting and extracting information from client monitoring systems and other accounting and database systems. Utilising other relevant software for the production of reports.
4. Being self-servicing in day-to-day administration, and following team and NHYC’s administrative procedures.

Reviewing personal and professional development needs

To be proactive in reviewing and evaluating own performance and identifying and acting upon areas for improvement. This will include:

1. Reviewing and evaluating own performance to identify strengths and areas for development. Identifying own learning/development needs and opportunities.
2. Undertaking development and training opportunities and being responsible for obtaining maximum benefit through review, reflection and practice.
3. Taking a proactive approach to supervision including regular line management supervision, team meetings, team reflective practice and clinical supervision.

Other

To contribute positively and constructively to the development of the team, the service and the centre. This will include:

1. Covering for other members of the team where necessary.
2. Following NHYC’s policies, procedures and performance expectations in all functions of the post.
3. Undertaking as required any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Service Manager, Head of Services, Director of Operations or CEO.

Application deadline

9am, Friday 4 October - or earlier if enough applications received