Support Officer

LOCATION:
Pullar House 35 Kinnoull Street Perth, PH1 5GD

SALARY:
£28,831 - £31,740 per year

CONTRACT TYPE:
Fixed Term

POSITION TYPE:
Full Time

HOURS:
36 hours per week

£28,831 - £31,740 Fixed Term (for 12 months)

Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull Street, Perth PH1 5GD

We have an exciting opportunity for individuals who would be interested in being a Support Officer post based within our Central Support Team based in Pullar House, Kinnoull Street, Perth. This Support Officer role has the ability to make a positive difference to the lives of people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. It involves providing practical support and guidance to prevent homelessness through the provision of person-centred housing support; to support households in temporary accommodation; to assist and support households to settle into permanent accommodation and minimise repeat homelessness. You will provide advice and support in relation to the following areas:
Accommodation
- such as resettlement and tenancy support to help tenancy sustainment; advice about rent arrears; advice on household maintenance; advice on maintaining a property in good repair

Health
- such as finding and registering with a GP; accessing other services and agencies for the benefit of your health and wellbeing; a listening ear and support through a crisis; signposting to other services and specialist agencies who provide particular types of support, e.g. Women's Aid, The Scottish Association for Mental Health, Citizens Advice Bureau.

Safety and security
- such as advice on reporting repairs; advice about home security; support for those affected by different forms of abuse.

Social, Economic and Wellbeing
- such as support to claim different types of benefits; help filling in forms; referrals to Welfare Rights services to maximise your income; support when dealing with the Department for Work and Pensions; assistance and support with Council Tax and issues with utility bills/providers; advice on fuel poverty; support to address underlying issues that may be affecting your personal confidence or behaviour; general advice on cooking and nutrition

Employment and Meaningful Activity
- support to access a range of activities such as voluntary work; work with careers services to provide advice and access to training and employment

You will be managed by the Hostel and Support Co-ordinator and will be part of the Central Support Team. You will also at times work closely with colleagues in the wider Support Team such as Locality Support Officers and Greyfriars Support Officers. You will generally be required to work standard office hours
- 5 days per week

**Requirements**:
You should have experience of working in a housing/housing support setting. You should have experience of working with customers on a one to one basis using a person-centred approach. You will deal with a variety of customers
- some of whom will have a diverse range of complex needs. We are looking for a people-person who is enthusiastic, innovative and creative. You will be able to communicate effectively with customers to build relationships. You will also work closely with a range of internal colleagues and external agencies to provide a multi-agency approach and identify the best possible solutions/ outcomes for individual clients. You should be a resilient, tenacious individual who can deal with the challenges and hurdles you may encounter and you should have strength of character and be solution-focused to work with individuals to help them achieve their goals and outcomes. You will have a non-judgemental attitude, be empathetic and sensitive to customers’ needs. You will understand and have an awareness of the wellbeing and individual needs of people. You should be highly organised and have the ability to prioritise your own workload. You will be required to use various computer systems and databases to keep accurate records and produce support plans and as such, you will need to have good digital skills. You should have a good awareness of Health and Safety Legislation including lone working and keeping yourself safe.

**The Individual**:
If you need more information about this exciting opportunity, please contact Andrea McCallum, Team Leader on 01738 476079.

Please APPLY ONLINE. Facilities are available at all public libraries in Perth and Kinross. If you have a disability and require reasonable adjustments, please call 01738 475555 to discuss.

As part of our safer recruitment measures, Perth & Kinross Council carries out rigorous checks on the right to work in the UK, qualifications, employment history, including references, and fitness to undertake the post.

A healthy work life balance is important to Perth & Kinross Council and we provide supportive management and flexible working arrangements to help you achieve a healthy work life balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.

**What we can do for