Housing Support Officer, Letham Area Office

LOCATION:
Letham Area Office, Tweedsmuir Road, Letham, Perth, PH1 2HJ

SALARY:
£33,261 - £36,508 per year

CONTRACT TYPE:
Temporary

POSITION TYPE:
Full Time

HOURS:
36 hours per week

WORK FROM HOME:
Hybrid

We currently have the following opportunity:
Housing Support Officer (Fixed Term until 30 October 2027) - PKC13198
£33,261 - £36,508
Letham Area Office, Perth

We have an exciting opportunity for individuals who would be interested in being a Housing Support Officer based within our Letham Support Team situated in the Letham Area Housing Office, Marlee Road, 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 moving into their 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 Letham Support Team. You will also at times work closely with colleagues in the wider Support Team such as Central Team, Locality Support Officers and Greyfriars Support Officers.

This is a fixed term post to 31 October 2027, working 36 hour week. You will generally be required to work standard office hours
- 5 days per week

**Skills & Experience Required**:
You should have SVQ3 in Social Services and Healthcare (or equivalent in a relevant discipline) or a willingness to work towards it.

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.

You should be registered with or are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council within 3 months of commencing employment and are responsible for maintaining your annual membership.

You must have a valid UK driving licence as this post requires you to travel to a variety of locations across Perth and Kinross.

**Working at Perth & Kinross Council**: