Community Outreach Housing Adviser

Kineara; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-focused support organization is seeking an experienced Housing Advice Practitioner to provide tailored advice to individuals and families. You will conduct housing surgeries and workshops, offer advocacy, and collaborate with legal services to ensure sustained support. This role offers flexible working between office locations and remote work opportunities. Ideal candidates will demonstrate compassion, strong communication skills, and a background in housing advice.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a support worker or in a relevant field.
• Ability to provide remote and in-person support.
• Strong organization skills and ability to manage multiple cases.

Responsibilities

• Provide tailored advice and guidance through online, phone, and in-person support.
• Conduct housing surgeries and workshops.
• Work with legal services and ensure ongoing support for families.

Skills

Housing policy knowledge

Client advocacy

Communication

Case management

Empathy

Education

Experience in housing advice

Tools

Legal resources

Job description

Salary: £15 per hour
Contract and term: Self-employed 12 month contract, with a 3-month probation
Hours: 35 hours per week Mon – Friday
Location: Flexible, with time split between our offices in Whitechapel and Southwark, local community and working from home
Start date: TBC
Deadline: 19th January 2025

The Housing Advice Practitioner will provide tailored advice and guidance through mainly remote online or phone support, as well as in-person housing advice at a weekly housing advice surgery in the community. The role will include advocacy, coordination with legal services, workshops, and ensuring sustained support for families.

This new Information and Advice Support Service is established to provide a light-touch swift response service for less complex housing issues and develop mechanisms for the early identification of emerging housing problems.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced, motivated, and compassionate support worker to deliver housing advice and practical support to individuals and families. This role involves responding to enquiries, conducting housing surgeries, and running workshops to empower clients with the knowledge and skills to address their housing-related issues. The successful candidate will work with clients to identify their needs and offer tailored solutions to help them achieve sustainable housing outcomes.

The objective of the programme is to provide advice and support to clients who have problems related to their housing and to improve wellbeing and awareness of tenancy rights and housing policies.

Project Overview

The School Housing Advice Support Project builds on the success of a pilot program and aims to provide tailored housing advice and support to families, particularly those living in temporary accommodation (TA). The project will launch at one primary school in January 2025 and expand to three additional schools from February 2025.

The initiative offers practical housing advice, casework, workshops, and legal support through a collaborative partnership between Kineara and Southwark Law Centre. It also addresses challenges such as poor housing conditions, legal proceedings, and impacts on families’ health and wellbeing.

Role Responsibilities

We are looking for an experienced, motivated, and compassionate support worker to deliver housing advice and practical support to parents from four Primary Schools in Southwark. This role involves conducting housing surgeries, providing follow-up casework, and running workshops to empower clients with the knowledge and skills to address their housing-related issues.

The successful candidate will work closely with clients to identify their needs and offer tailored solutions to help them achieve sustainable housing outcomes. The role will be based mostly in Southwark, and you will be working in partnership with schools, community organisations, and the council to coordinate tailored support for each client to avoid eviction and sustain tenancies, address suitability of the property, mediate with landlords where necessary, and provide advice for onward housing when needed.

The objectives of these programmes are to avoid evictions, sustain tenancies or move to a better suited property, improve wellbeing and awareness of tenancy rights and housing policies.