Current jobs related to Housing Advisor - Keynsham - Bath & North East Somerset Council

**Hours: 37 per week**

**Contract Type: Permanent**

**Service Area: Options & Advice (Regeneration & Housing)**

**Department**:Housing Options and Homelessness Team**

Housing Services are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic Housing Adviser to work in the Housing Options and Homelessness Team.

Based in Keynsham, but working flexibly, from home and in Council Offices, mainly Bath and Midsomer Norton. Housing Advisers see customers face to face by appointment, drop-in for homeless on the day and telephone advice work. As well as providing direct one to one advice, advisers attend professionals’ meetings, and visit housing applicants in supported Housing, Temporary Accommodation and at home when threatened with homelessness. Housing Services offer a wide range of housing options and advice to customers in housing difficulty or who are looking for alternative accommodation to prevent homelessness.

Communication with applicants’ landlords and professionals will be the most important skill for this role. You will need to motivate applicants to take active steps to prevent their own homelessness or to find alternative accommodation. You will help create Personal Housing Plans for each applicant based on an assessment of need to prevent or relieve the applicant’s homelessness. You will need to assist households to access temporary accommodation and to move on to more permanent housing.

You will need to support applicants to work in partnership with multiple agencies to find housing solutions and prevent homelessness.

A good understanding of Homelessness legislation, including The Homeless Reduction Act will be useful but can be gained in the post. A wider knowledge of social housing, welfare reform and local government will also be an advantage.

Advisors usually lead on a specific area for the team, these include young people, mental health, Domestic Abuse and private renting.

You will need to have excellent IT skills and knowledge of the Civica/Abritas system is desirable. You will need to manage a complex and varied workload which at times can be demanding.

We can provide a friendly working environment with supportive colleagues and flexible hours. We also offer good training and personal development opportunities.

**Why B&NES Council?**

We offer a wide range of benefits, to ensure that you are paid fairly for your work, have the flexibility to enjoy a great work/life balance, and have the support you need. These include:

- A competitive salary package
- A range of flexible working and hybrid working options, including flexi-time, four regional offices and home-working, dependent on service requirements
- A generous holiday allowance and special leave provisions
- The Local Government Pension Scheme
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme - whatever life throws at you; we are committed to supporting you and your well-being at work and home
- Professional and personal development including in-house training and accredited qualifications including Aspiring Manager and Leadership Development
- Discount scheme including the VECTIS card that offers numerous local discounts including cycle to work and free entry to numerous local attractions with B&NES

**Interested to find out more?**

If you are interested in this post and require more details after reading the job description or just to chat through the role and what’s involved, please contact Mike Chedzoy on 01225 477940 or Tracy Pullen on 01225 396336

**To apply**

Bath & North East Somerset Council has one overriding purpose - to improve people’s lives. We have four core values which shape every aspect of our working life and how we look to the future. These values are to be **Bold, Empowered, Supportive **and** Transparent**.

**As an equal opportunities employer, Bath & North East Somerset Council is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and is opposed to discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender reassignment, or marriage and civil partnership.