About Us

We have invested in our Homelessness Service and have two new posts to help us work more effectively with prison leavers and ex-offenders. The Accommodation for Ex-Offenders program (AFEO) was first introduced in July 2021 to support homeless prison leavers to access the private rented sector, reducing the chances of this cohort rough sleeping and reoffending. 

We are looking for capable and ambitious individuals who are keen to work with this client group as well as assess and determine the Council’s housing duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 as well as develop housing pathways into privately rented accommodation as part of the Wandsworth Prevention and Solutions Service.

Whilst previous experience of working in a homelessness or other busy front-line public-sector role would be advantageous, it is not essential as training and on the job, coaching will be provided for the right candidates. To succeed in this role, you will need to demonstrate the following. 

• Have excellent interpersonal skills; the ability to be an effective listener and engage with ex-offenders some of whom may have complex support needs. 
• The ability to apply key legislative principals to the work which you carry out. 
• Be organised in your work and have the ability to work well under pressure and manage changing priorities. 
• Be able to engage and work collaboratively with ex-offenders who require housing.
• Have the ability to develop and maintain strong partnership working.
• Be able to engage and work with landlords to procure a wide range of properties.
• Be able to support this client group with tenancy sustainment.
• Be able to collect data and statistics as well as report them in a timely manner.
• The ability to work towards key performance indicators and contribute successfully to service plans and key priorities. 
• Be able to hold and manage a caseload and an excellent standard of case records and accurate interview notes. 
• Have a positive mind frame, be motivated and an engaged team player.     

Ideally you will have experience of working with ex-offenders and possess the ability to work remotely across the borough services. We are especially interested in your transferable skills, particularly your ability to assess information, understand and accurately apply the assessment criteria and are solution focused. 

At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know.

Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work!

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, compressed and other arrangements. In these roles you would typically work in hybrid way with 2/3 days in the office and 2/3 days working from home each week. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.  We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 40 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline:

Closing Date: Sunday 26^th November 2023 

Shortlisting Dates: W/C 27^th November 2023

Interview Dates: TBC

Useful Information:

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils