Housing Support Officer

We are seeking Housing Support Officers to work with clients to combat homelessness, poverty, and marginalisation across East Sussex. The role has great benefits including hybrid working options and car user allowance.

**Position**: Housing Support Officer (Internal Title: Floating Support Officer)
**Location**: St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex (hybrid working available)
**Salary**: £25,765 (£24,547 plus £1,218 Essential Car User Allowance)
**Hours**:30 - 37 hours per week

**About the Role**

As Housing Support Officer, you will be working for a people-led organisation whose mission is ‘combating homelessness, creating opportunities, promoting change.’

You will collaborate with clients to identify housing-related support needs, completing risk assessments and support plans. You will work with key stakeholders within Housing, Health & Social Care, Probation Services, and other community programmes, forging partnerships to deliver client-centred support. You will need to provide clients with practical support, enabling them to sustain their tenancy, find new accommodation, stay safe and well and access work, volunteering, or education.

You will also be required to attend training and development sessions, deliver small group work/workshop sessions, and carry out the necessary administration and monitoring duties required for the role.

You will be required to provide support to clients by telephone or face-to-face in their home or in the community across East Sussex, and to attend the office for meetings and training and when requested.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Collaborating with clients to identify housing related support needs and ensuring clients are fully assessed within agreed timescales to achieve service targets.
- Complete comprehensive risk assessments and support plans, reviewing and updating as appropriate.
- Deliver support using a range of contact methods and respond to urgent support and higher risk clients/situations as appropriate.
- Forge partnerships and deliver empowering, client-centred support which encourages clients to maintain engagement with services.
- Support clients to explore all housing options, including the private sector and provide practical support with managing tenancy, access to work, volunteering, and educational opportunities.

**Person Specification**:
To be successful in the role of Housing Support Officer you will need to have great communication skills and be committed to the values of BHT Sussex. Some of the key skills and experience you will need to bring with you include:

- Experience of working with vulnerable clients in the community
- Experience of working in partnership with other agencies
- Experience of creating support plans with clients and setting attainable goals
- Experience of managing a client caseload and writing accurate case notes and reports
- Knowledge of safeguarding issues in relation to adults and children

**In Return**

In recognition of their commitment to staff, BHT Sussex has been awarded Gold Accreditation from Investors in People. We are also signed up to the Disability Confident employer scheme and have made the Mental Health at Work commitment.

You will also receive a fantastic benefits package including:

- 5.5% stakeholder pension scheme and life assurance scheme
- Medical cash plan with Medicash
- Access to BHT Learning & Development platform.
- Free and confidential employee assistance helpline for both personal and work-related concerns
- Cycle-to-work scheme
- Free new starter 28-day Network Saver Brighton bus pass
- Generous holiday allowance starting at 27 days per annum pro rata, rising 1 day for each year of service to a maximum of 32 days pro rata.
- The opportunity to participate in well-being and fundraising activities throughout the year.

This post is only open to individuals who have a current full UK driving licence and use of a vehicle as this is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010. The Floating Support Officer role includes Essential Car User Allowance which is paid at standard HMRC rates.

All successful applicants are required to ensure their vehicle is insured for business use and has a current MOT certificate and their vehicle is properly maintained and is in roadworthy condition.

An Enhanced with Adults and Children DBS Check (Disclosure and Barring Service) is required on all successful applicants as a condition of employment for this post.