Housing Options Advisor

at  South Gloucestershire Council

HOW YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

In this key role, you will help to prevent homelessness by supporting vulnerable people to access and maintain suitable housing and accommodation. You will also play a vital role in a household’s health and wellbeing by providing front-line housing advice and homelessness services to those seeking a home in South Gloucestershire.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

• It is essential you to have relevant experience in a similar role, preferably housing or a related service, with knowledge of relevant housing processes.
• You should be able to demonstrate knowledge of housing options and advice, housing remedies including homelessness and of the needs of vulnerable people and minority groups.
• We require you to have experience of dealing with customers and voluntary bodies, and an understanding of the needs of the vulnerable people and minority groups.
• You will have the ability to carry out financial assessments related to housing options and some knowledge of welfare benefits.
• Given the elements of this role, you will need the ability to manage your workload, respond to emergency assessments and be flexible, along with team working and making a positive contribution.
• Ideally, you will have knowledge and understanding of housing legislation, landlord and tenant law and security of tenure as it relates to this post.
  Please note that due to the nature of this role it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained for this post.

HOW A CAREER AT SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL IS DIFFERENT

• We know our team work best when they have balance in their lives and we offer genuine flexibility to help them achieve that work/life balance.
• We value our staff as individuals, investing in their careers and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps make the greatest long-term difference in work.
• As part of our benefits package you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.

• We’re providing essential services across our internal network to ensure we can fully support our community.
• We’re positive and forward thinking, always looking for new and innovative ways of working work and we’re ambitious about the future.

We’ve achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.

• You will be working with households who are homeless, or threatened with homelessness, to offer them advice and assistance to resolve their housing situation.
• It will be your responsibility to complete an assessment to determine what statutory duties the council may owe to the household, develop a personal housing plan, and issue decisions around duties owed. You will also establish eligibility for the council’s various homelessness prevention schemes.
• You will take lead responsibility to maintain effective contact with households whilst they are working with the council, to develop creative solutions to resolve their housing situation.
• You will work with households to determine what support they may require and refer to relevant support services.
• It will be your responsibility to keep accurate and up to date records and update systems as required.