Rough Sleeping Navigator

Fixed Term Contract/Secondment until up to 31.03.24 to cover maternity leave

Salary: Band 7 - £27,852 - £32,020 p.a.

37 hours per week

What is the role?

This is an exciting opportunity for the right person to work with current and former rough sleepers and support them to secure and sustain accommodation. 

Working in a small team within the busy Housing Needs, Advice & Support service, you'll be working with members of the public (single adults and couples, 18+) who are or may be facing homelessness. These are likely to be some of the most vulnerable members of society and you will regularly meet and work with customers with complex needs and entrenched patterns of behaviour. 

Getting somewhere to live isn’t the end of the support needed for some of those individuals; indeed for many of them, it is just the beginning.  You'll play a crucial role in delivering Portsmouth City Council's "Accommodation First, Not Accommodation Only" approach to preventing and relieving homelessness. The role will be linked to the city's newly commissioned Rough Sleeping Support service, with a primary focus working with rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping, building effective relationships with customers, helping them navigate support services and co-ordinating support and housing plans.  You will help to prevent and relieve homelessness for individuals both on the streets and those within the Rough Sleeping Pathway.  

You will be responsible for managing a personalised budget for customers to help them move forward in a positive way, using this budget creatively to maximise resources and meet their needs. You'll understand the complexities of homelessness, and the diversity of those affected by it, recognising the need to put the individual at the centre of your work. You'll provide tailored plans which meet the varying needs of your customers, promoting sustainable housing solutions and support which goes beyond "the four walls".

Please click here for the full job profile!

Who is the person?

You need to:

1. Have experience working with vulnerable client groups, ideally with clients experiencing homelessness or with complex needs, and an ability to establish positive working relationships with customers.
2. Have the ability to listen to people and not rush to conclusions or judgements before sully understanding what is wanted or needed by the customer.  
3. Have an awareness of relevant housing legislation such as the Housing Act 1996, Homelessness Act 2002 and Homeless Reduction Act 2017;
4. Have an awareness of the Equality Act 2010 and the Care Act 2014, and of adult safeguarding principles and procedures;
5. Be able to interpret reports and assessments from a wide range of agencies, and use them to inform the development of support plans and identify appropriate resources to deliver these;
6. Be confident in making risks assessments in relation to customers' circumstances, and to ensure a safe working environment at all times. 
7. Have the ability to make sound judgements based on appropriate evidence and to be able to analyse complex issues succinctly.
8. Have tact and diplomacy; the ability to deal with sensitive and confidential issues that may require a variety of responses. You will be able to manage challenging situations whilst remaining professional and objective;
9. Be able to work in partnership with other agencies; have the ability to understand the role, remit and operational limitations of other services and to work effectively as part of a "Team Around the Accommodation";
10. Have the ability to work independently and using your own initiative, prioritising work tasks effectively and making decisions with limited supervision;
11. Have the ability to find innovative solutions to issues facing the customers and the skills and ability to manage personalised budgets effectively and creatively to help customers achieve their potential.   
12. Keep and maintain appropriate and accurate records at all times, using IT packages and database.
13. Must be willing and able to travel to meet customers in a variety of locations as needed within the Portsmouth city area. 
14. Be prepared to work outside of office hours occasionally, if this is what is needed to get the job done;
15. Be experienced in working with and using IT systems, including Microsoft Office applications and client record systems;

If applying as a secondment you will need permission from your current line manager releasing you for this secondment.  Please state you have this on your application.

When completing the application form, please thoroughly tailor your application to the 'Who is the Person' points with the use of examples from your experience and attach this as a cover letter in the Supporting Documents section. This is really important or you are likely not to be shortlisted. Please click here for the full job profile!

Closing date: 6th June 2023

Assessments/interviews 12th/13th June 2023

Previous applicants from within the last 6 months need not apply

We are a disability confident employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible and welcome applications from all areas of society. 

We really appreciate our employees and fully realise they are essential to our success and look to offer an inclusive, supportive working environment where employees can reach their potentials with a healthy work life balance, offering the following rewards:

• A generous pension scheme
• Up to 31 days annual leave per year + bank holidays
• Flexible / hybrid working
• A range of retail discounts via our reward portal offering discounts at retailers including IKEA, Currys, Tesco
• Free Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellbeing support
• Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities including apprenticeships
• Potential to purchase additional annual leave
• Business travel support and initiatives, including bike loans

Please click here to see all of the benefits of working with us!