Homeless Prevention Assistant

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

Are you committed to providing excellent customer service? Do you have a genuine interest in helping homeless people? If so an exciting opportunity has arisen within the Homeless Prevention Team for a Homeless Prevention Assistant.

The Homeless Prevention Team provides help and advice to North Somerset households who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Working in partnership with other organisations we ensure that vulnerable people and families are provided with appropriate advice, accommodation and support.

The team is looking for an enthusiastic, dedicated, and robust individual, ideally with experience of homelessness prevention or related work e.g., advice/welfare benefits, and a proven track record of providing excellent customer service.

Key elements of this role include:

• Triaging all new homeless approaches.
• Making initial enquiries to establish homelessness.
• Updating records on the Council’s housing ICT system.
• Recording accurate case notes.
• Checking tenancy agreements and Section 21 notice validity (training can be provided)
• Booking appointments for Homeless Prevention Officers.
• Making referrals and signposting to other support services.
• Giving general information and advice about housing options.

About You

You will need to have strong communication skills and the ability to work closely with colleagues, other departments, and statutory and voluntary agencies to provide an effective prevention focused service for homeless applicants, many of whom have multiple vulnerabilities and support needs.

You must be able to work under pressure as the role can be very demanding. You will also need to have proficient IT skills in Microsoft office packages, with an ability to learn additional software as required by the service.

Progression through the grades will be based on demonstrating a proactive attitude to work and achieving consistent excellent outcomes for our clients using your knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

Our new system of agile working encourage flexibility. There will be a requirement to work from the Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare, but there will also be an opportunity to work from home for some of the week

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Flexible Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

• 2-3 days in the office.
• Works both from home and the office, depending on the task at hand.
• Training is provided to help balance work-life and manage time effectively, with an emphasis on communication for team touchpoints and planning in-office days for collaboration.

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment.

We Offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Local Government Pension.
• Opportunities for professional development.
• Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums.
• Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year.
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team.
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes.

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet.

How To Apply

If you share our vision and values and are ready to make an impact to North Somerset, please select the apply online button below. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application by 11.59pm on the application closing date. When completing our online application form, please detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact Lynn Trigg – Homeless Prevention Manager, at lynn.trigg@n-somerset.gov.uk.

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job role.

Interview Date: TBA

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK and are unable to provide Sponsorship for this role.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.