The Role

The Resettlement and Homelessness Prevention Team within the Housing and Regeneration Directorate are seeking an experienced Resettlement & Homeless Prevention Officer to join our friendly, collaborative, energetic and specialised team.  The service supports numerous clients across the two boroughs. You will need to be passionate about providing the best level of service to those with vulnerable needs whilst accessing housing services.

Life within the Resettlement & Homeless Prevention Team at Richmond and Wandsworth is challenging, no two days are the same and you have an opportunity to really make an impact on service users’ life.

We are looking for someone who is naturally caring in nature and has practical knowledge of helping vulnerable service users access housing services. The successful candidate will have a very good understanding of the housing and welfare benefits system and will be keen to join us, at an exciting time, where changes in legislation (The Housing Reduction Act 2017) have changed the way in which we support and assist our customers, thus meaning the way in which we work is different now, focusing on trying to prevent our clients from becoming homeless.  These attributes will give the successful candidate the best chance of succeeding in this role. The successful candidate will join a team of colleagues who have a diverse skill sets and provide a great resource of knowledge and can help imbed the Richmond and Wandsworth ways of working.

Excellent communication and organisational skills will also go a long way in this role ensuring that you provide the best level of service.  The service is very specialised as it is designed to meet the needs of each individual depending on their personal circumstances.  

You will have experience supporting vulnerable people, an in-depth knowledge of housing and the welfare benefits system, excellent communication and organisational skills and the ability to lone work as well as part of a team.

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 or part-time hours, term time only, job shares 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 28^th August 2022

Shortlisting Date: W/C Monday 29^th August 2022

Interview Date: Tuesday 6^th and Wednesday 7^th September 2022

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 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 anonymised.

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