Housing Support Officer

Annual salary: up to £28,917.00

Housing Support Officer

Location: Bathgate and Edinburgh

Salary up to £28,917 per annum Including company vehicle and fuel card or £3,500 company car allowance

Contract: Full time – Permanent, 40hrs per week, Monday to Friday

Mears provides temporary accommodation to asylum seekers whilst their claim is being assessed in three regions: Northeast, Yorkshire and Humber, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. At the end of May 2021 Mears had over 19000 service users across the three regions. Mears work in partnership with central and local Government, registered providers, tenants, landlords and investors to find solutions to homelessness, provide more social and affordable housing and create specialist housing for people with care needs.

About the Role:

We are looking for a Housing Support Officer to join our expanding team. This rewarding role focuses on supporting asylum seekers through their right-to-work application process with the Home Office. You will provide both practical and emotional support, address safeguarding and welfare needs, monitor wellbeing, and keep accurate records for compliance. Every day is different, and while the role can be challenging, it is also highly rewarding for someone who is resilient, empathetic, and people focused.

Role Criteria:

• Support asylum seekers throughout their application process, ensuring welfare and safeguarding needs are met
• Provide practical and emotional support to individuals and families
• Identify needs and put in place support packages to promote independence
• Work with vulnerable and diverse client groups, including those with mental health needs or challenging behaviours
• Carry out risk assessments and maintain accurate records for audits and compliance
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, service users, local authorities, and partner organisations
• Maintain professional boundaries while being approachable, empathetic, and supportive
• Work independently, showing resilience and initiative
• Flexible and willing to travel between sites
• Hold a full UK driving licence

Benefits we can offer you

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work
• Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment.
• Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more
• Family friendly policies
• Company Vehicle and Fuel Card
• Access to EAP Counselling sessions

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.

As part of the recruitment process for this role, we will carry out a Background, Identity, Security clearance & BPSS check. For these checks to be completed, we will require from you the relevant identification, including Proof of Address, References, a valid passport and proof that you have lived in the UK for the last 5 years.

Required Qualifications:

English

Apply below or to discuss your application further; contact:

Beth Dunford )

If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.