Job Description: Portsmouth City Council’s Housing Needs Advice & Support team works directly with customers to help deal with housing issues and prevent homelessness in the city. We are a busy front-line service dealing with customers who may be vulnerable and facing homelessness. We give advice, work to prevent homelessness, assist people to resolve their housing need and make assessments of housing and support needs in accordance with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Housing Act 1996 and Portsmouth City Council’s Allocations Policy. We are committed to excellent customer service, and to listening to and understanding our customers’ circumstances, and working collaboratively with them to identify housing solutions. You will be part of a team which deals with customers both face to face and by telephone. You will be interviewing customers about their housing situation, and working with them to find solutions to their housing issues. This may involve negotiation with landlords, other housing providers, family members and internal and external agencies. You will need to ask personal and searching questions and listen carefully to responses so that you fully understand the customer’s circumstances. Your challenge will then be to identify actions and solutions to secure housing. You will need to manage a large case load, prioritise your work and have excellent organisational skills. You will also need to build effective working relationships with customers and landlords, and explore all possible housing solutions to help prevent homelessness and the need to move. Job Requirements: Has an interest and awareness of the issues facing vulnerable and homeless people and households with housing needs, and a desire to work to resolve these issues. Is able to quickly adapt to this role, drawing on experience or transferable skills gained in similar roles or from life experience. Is confident and can clearly and effectively communicate both verbally and in writing, interpreting legislation and explaining the impact to our customers. Understands the key elements to negotiations and can find ways to achieve outcomes for customers. Is able to listen to people and not rush to conclusions or judgements before fully understanding what is needed or wanted by a customer. Is emotionally resilient and able to deal with the impact of being exposed to customer’s difficult circumstances, and remain professionally detached and focused even if the message you deliver involves saying no. Has experience of working directly with customers in a front-line service. Has an awareness of welfare benefits and debt issues. Has an awareness of equalities issues and is committed to equal opportunities. Works proactively and is able to remain motivated, working on their own initiative and organising their workload. Enjoys the challenge in finding innovative solutions to problems and has the personal skill to do so. Has IT skills suited to working in a busy office. Has knowledge of the local area and is able to visit people in their own homes and attend meetings in the local area. The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post. Job Details: Company: Portsmouth City Council Vacancy Type: Full Time Job Location: Manchester, GB Application Deadline: N/A Apply Here getyourvacancy.com
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