Housing Advice Apprentice

Job description

**Housing Advice Apprentice**

Fixed Term (18 months)

Full time 37 hours

Ref: DEN0813

**Apprentice Minimum Wage in Year 1 (£177.97 week)**

**National Minimum Wage from Year 2**

The award-winning Housing and Communities Team are passionate about the people who live in our town; our vision is for everyone to have the opportunity to live in a good quality sustainable home within in a lively and thriving neighbourhood.

The Homelessness Prevention Team provide advice and assistance to those who are homeless or threatened with homelessness within the Reading Borough. It is a busy front-line service who are looking for people that are enthusiastic, person centred and driven to support the team.

This role supports the Homeless Prevention Teams to deliver a first-class customer orientated service which provides the customer with a suitable solution regarding their housing issues. You will provide a front-line triage service to customers, making appointments or signposting where appropriate and providing some basic advice.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

**About the role**

You will contribute to an efficient and effective homeless prevention service, following documented processes and procedures to ensure consistency of practice across the service.

Alongside your responsibilities, you will undertake and complete Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard in Business Administration.

Main duties and responsibilities
- Provide excellent customer service in a pressurised environment
- Supporting Homeless Prevention teams to find suitable emergency accommodation
- Support Homeless households with various move on options
- Contribute to updating of personal housing plans and monitoring the review dates
- Signpost other customers to appropriate departments
- Several back-office administrative functions

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place. Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
**Work Together as one team** - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

**Drive Efficiency** - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

**Be Ambitious** - be demanding of our own performance - striving to be even better - and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

**Make a Difference to Reading** - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

**About you**

The following experience is required for this role:

- Good general education including good standard of written English. Maths/English GCSE Grade C/4 or equivalent or be willing to work towards completion of Functional Skills Level 2
- Eligible to undertake Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship Standard.
- The ability to learn and use the legislative framework within which the Housing Advice service operates
- An understanding of how to deliver good customer service to households who may be in crisis

**Our offer**

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

- Generous holiday entitlement - 24 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 32 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
- A wide range of flexible working opportunities
- Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
- Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
- On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted, and a salary sacrifice scheme to help lower the cost of your nursery fees
- Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
- Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

Closing Date: 2nd October

Interview Date: TBC