Community Connections Officer

“Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.”

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST OPPORTUNITY

Community Connections Officer

*This vacancy is only available for those currently employed at Plymouth City Council within the Housing Solutions team or currently a re-deployee. If you're not employed in this service area or a re-deployee , please do not apply, as your application will not be considered*

Are you passionate about helping people facing homelessness? Can you work in a fast-paced environment?

The demand for the Housing Options Service continues to increase, with more people finding themselves at risk of homelessness, often through no fault of their own. We recognise the need to continually develop our service in response to demand and remain committed to finding creative and innovative ways to prevent and relieve homelessness.

This is an exciting opportunity to further develop your knowledge, skills and experience within homelessness prevention and statutory housing duties.

Based within the Housing Options Team, the successful applicant will provide focused casework to help prevent homelessness wherever possible and, where prevention is not achievable, manage complex homelessness applications and make decisions under homelessness legislation.

We are seeking colleagues who demonstrate:

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to provide clear, concise advice to customers, landlords and partner agencies.
• Strong listening skills and an empathetic approach when supporting customers facing challenging personal circumstances.
• A positive attitude and commitment to working collaboratively as part of a team.
• Effective case management skills, attention to detail and the ability to prioritise workloads in a demanding environment.
• A proactive and solution-focused approach, with the ability to think creatively to achieve positive outcomes.

This role requires working with vulnerable individuals and households, therefore an understanding of safeguarding responsibilities is essential. The successful applicant must be able to work effectively with a diverse range of communities and support customers who may present with complex needs or challenging behaviours. There may also be occasions when community-based working is required.

Application Process

If you are interested in this opportunity, please complete the application via your itrent Employee Self Service account outling why you are interested in the role and how your experience, knowledge and skills meet the essential criteria detailed within the person specification.

Please provide specific examples demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria, as applications will be assessed and shortlisted against these requirements.

This opportunity offers a valuable chance for development within Housing Solutions and for colleagues looking to broaden their experience in homelessness prevention, relief and statutory housing duties.

We are a flexible employer and provide a variety of working arrangements tailored to the needs of each role

For an informal discussion about the role, please speak with your line manager or speak to Karen Handfield or Felicity Concannon.

The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is: Basic

Where a high number of eligible applicants meet the essential criteria, we may undertake a further shortlisting exercise to identify those who best demonstrate the essential criteria for the role.

Closing date:- Tuesday 24 November 2026

Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation.

As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.

“Plymouth City Council is proud to be an Age Friendly Employer. We encourage applications from talented people at every stage of their career.”