The Role

This is an exciting time to join Richmond and Wandsworth Councils as we continue to embed the most significant change in our homelessness duties with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

We are looking to recruit capable and ambitious individuals to join our service.  If you are a team player who is articulate, organised and able to work under pressure delivering a first-class housing assessment and homelessness solutions service we want to hear from you.  

We are seeking someone who has excellent communication and interpersonal skills who is able to build effective working relationships with key stakeholders quickly and be able to work on their own initiative.  You will be able to deal with those seeking assistance with housing in a sensitive and practical way, manging a busy and demanding caseload as well as keeping clear, accurate and concise records. 

In this role you, will not only be assessing homeless applications but also looking at innovative opportunities and solutions to prevent homelessness. The ideal candidate will have a knowledge of homeless legislation (Part V11 of the Housing Act 1996/2002 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017) including developing personalised housing plans to prevent and relieve homelessness. You will have a knowledge of the local and national policy context, welfare reform and statutory instruments relating to homelessness and social inclusion.

We appreciate that this may be a development opportunity for you, and we welcome applications from those that do meet all of the essential criteria but have the ability to develop any gaps in knowledge and experience. 

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 hours and other arrangements. 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 39 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 17^th April 2022

Shortlisting Date: W/C Monday 18^th April 2022

Interview Date: TBC

Useful Information:

This advert is for three roles. One Permanent role and two Fixed Term roles until 31 March 2023.

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 due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible. Your health and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.

The application process for this campaign will be anonymous.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils