Housing Officer - Traveller Services - REQ003109

Job title: Housing Officer – Traveller Services

Salary: C3 £32,061 - £33,699

Hours: 37 per week

Contract: Temporary 12 months

Location: Leeds

As our next Traveller Services Housing Officer, you’ll offer support to vulnerable people both living on the roadside encampments and on our two settled sites supporting 50 families.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Housing Officer, you will bring to the role:

The ability to communicate effectively with community members and commitment to the housing management of our settled community and roadside families.
Flexibility with a willingness to learn.
Experience of working to deadlines and adapting to competing priorities.
Able to show empathy, act tactfully and sympathetically with customers and landlords over a range of issues.

About the role

As our next Housing Officer, you will provide support and assistance in a housing capacity. Working as part of a small, experienced team you will have the opportunity to learn new skills and become familiar with our processes and procedures over time.

You will be required to respond quickly to situations which will require the use of our vehicle and a full driving license.

You will liaise with the Travelling community, partners and the public at large responding to queries in a timely and effective manner.

The role is a city-wide service liaising with both the Traveller community and the public at large regarding roadside Traveller encampments. You will collaborate with colleagues within Leeds City Council to foster and maintain strong links. The role is truly diverse and fulfilling.

The role is integral to Housing Options, as it enables us to build positive relationships with key stake holders across the city. Whilst ensuring we are supporting those most at risk of been affected by homelessness at a much earlier stage.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Gareth Self Traveller Services Manager, gareth.self@leeds.gov.uk.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

As our next Traveller Services Housing Officer, you’ll offer support to vulnerable people both living on the roadside encampments and on our two settled sites supporting 50 families.

To provide support and assistance in a housing capacity. Working as part of a small, experienced team you will have the opportunity to learn new skills and become familiar with our processes and procedures over time.
To provide a city-wide service liaising with both the Traveller community and the public at large regarding roadside Traveller encampments. You will collaborate with colleagues within Leeds City Council to foster and maintain strong links. The role is truly diverse and fulfilling.
To meet the needs of customers, making a positive contribution to the social and physical environment of the area managed.
Customer focused and motivated to give the best possible service in the communities we serve.
To deliver an efficient customer focused service, ensuring maximum performance levels and continuous improvements in all areas of housing management services.

Responsibilities

To take ownership and responsibility for the social and physical environment of a defined geographical service area.
To ensure that the estate environment is maintained to a high standard.
To be responsible for the achievement of performance targets within a defined geographical area.
To be responsible for maximising various income streams to the authority and our tenants, including housing and other benefits.
To deal with issues of anti-social behaviour, nuisance and work with other agencies to help create safe and sustainable communities.
To enforce tenancy conditions where appropriate.
Provide appropriate advice and support to customers.
To ensure the Councils safeguarding procedures are followed where appropriate.
To actively develop and promote tenant engagement and involvement through a variety of different approaches.
To work with partner services, elected members and local communities to deliver and develop services and improvements in a defined area.
To work within Council policies and procedures including data protection and financial regulations.
To ensure the Council’s health and safety policies and legal requirements are adhered to.
To contribute to the development, review and improvement of policies and strategies in line with current legislation and best practice.
To support the achievement of equality and diversity in both employment and service delivery including the promotion of equality of opportunity
Promote and deliver the priorities, values and objectives of Leeds City Council at all times
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Skills Required

Current UK Driving License
Knowledge of the role of the Council Housing Service and its responsibilities in managing homes and communities.
Knowledge of current housing issues, legislation, policies and local strategies and initiatives.
Awareness of customer engagement opportunities, enabling customers to help design and evaluate services.
A good understanding of equality issues in the day to day delivery of services.
Knowledge of the Council’s Allocations and Lettings procedures.
Knowledge of effective income management practices.
Knowledge of effective anti-social behaviour remedies and best practice.
Awareness of how social and environmental conditions affect quality of life.

Knowledge Required

To be able to communicate effectively with customers, colleagues, elected members and all other partners
Able to use a wide range of communication tools appropriate to the customers preferred method.
Able to show empathy, act tactfully and sympathetically with customers over a range of issues
Able to manage competing demands and priorities to meet deadlines.
Able to make objective decisions in the interests of achieving local priorities.
Able to input, maintain and retrieve information accurately from a variety of sources.
Able to objectively investigate and clearly report (in writing or verbally) on a range of issues.
To work within budgets.
Able to adapt behaviours to achieve positive outcomes

Experience Required

Experience of working with other agencies to achieve positive outcomes for customers.
Experience of taking and responding to a broad range of customer enquiries.
Experience of playing a key role within a community.
Experience of the working with the public.
Experience of working to deadlines and adapting to competing priorities
Experience of working in a busy customer focused team.
Experience of working with a range of computer software packages including Microsoft Office

Essential Behavioural and other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

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