Housing Support Officer Ceredigion

Age Cymru Dyfed; Aberystwyth; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional charity in Aberystwyth is seeking a Support Worker to provide housing-related services to older individuals. This role focuses on preventing homelessness and supporting clients to live independently. Ideal candidates will have strong communication skills, experience with vulnerable populations, and a commitment to collaborative work. The position may require home visits and outreach efforts within the community.

Qualifications

• Ability to establish rapport with clients.
• Understanding of vulnerable people’s issues.
• Knowledge of housing-related challenges for older people.
• Willingness to follow procedures for casework.
• Familiarity with Welsh legislation.
• Broad understanding of health/social care for older people.
• Experience with consent and safeguarding policies.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize tasks.
• Commitment to teamwork and co-production.
• Ability to perform benefits checks.

Responsibilities

• Provide housing-related support for older people.
• Keep up-to-date on local and national policies.
• Deliver community outreach and education.
• Maintain case records per data protection regulations.
• Negotiate on clients' behalf for their best interests.
• Conduct home visits as necessary.

Skills

Listening and communication skills

Understanding of issues faced by vulnerable people

Knowledge of housing needs for older clients

Ordered approach to information delivery

Awareness of primary legislation in Wales

Understanding of health and social care issues

Experience with policies linked to GDPR

Ability to liaise with clients and authorities

Time management and prioritization skills

Experience with home visits

Job description

The service is a funded through the Welsh Government’s Housing Support Grant

• The key part of the service is to provide a high-quality housing related support services for older people.
• Age Cymru Dyfed will deliver support to prevent homelessness and stabilize housing situations.
• The service will support individuals to maintain their accommodation or find suitable alternatives.
• It will also focus on supporting individuals to overcome other challenges with the aim of enabling them to live independently in the home of their choice.
• Support Workers will maintain up-to-date files and records of interviews in line with the I&A Quality Programme benchmarks and the Advice Quality Standard.
• Will ensure that the policies of Age Cymru Dyfed, particularly the Equality and Diversity, Health and Safety and Confidentiality policies and other client care practices, are correctly adhered to.
• Will work with other members of the team to improve the effectiveness of Age Cymru Dyfed and provide relief cover for other staff when required.
• To contribute to Age Cymru Dyfed’s social policy work.

This role will provide both short-term and long-term support for people living within Ceredigion.

The role will involve some outreach work within the county raising awareness of support available .

The service provision will be adaptable and will include face-to-face in the home/office, and/or telephone to meet the needs of the individual.

Occasional flexibility may be needed for appointment times to suit the client’s needs

Key responsibilities of the role:

• Provide support primarily related to housing needs of older people in the county
• Develop a working knowledge of the information resources and office systems, which support the advice service, using them effectively and contributing to their continuous improvement.
• Keep up to date on relevant changes in the law, policies, and procedures, both locally and nationally, as they apply to and affect older people and their carers.
• To provide and maintain statistical information and case records in line with data protection regulations.
• To deliver outreach within the community providing information on the support available and direct support services to older people.
• To negotiate on behalf of clients, ensuring that the client’s best interests are represented.
• Contribute to the maintenance of local information systems.
• To work as part of a team with other advice staff and volunteers.
• To liaise with outside agencies including Social Services and Department for Works and Pensions on behalf of clients, and for the purpose of establishing close working links.
• To make home / outreach visits as necessary
• To assist with the training and supervision of the advice volunteers.
• Promote the service to local partners and priority clients.

Skills, Qualities and Experience

Skills, Qualities, and Experience	Essential (E) or Desirable (D)
The ability to listen and communicate effectively and establish a good rapport with people.	E
A knowledge and understanding of the complex and difficult issues faced by vulnerable people living in Ceredigion	E
An understanding of the issues suffered by older clients in relation to their housing needs	E
An ordered approach to the delivery of information and advice and casework and a willingness to work within agreed procedures.	E
An awareness of primary legislation in Wales seeking to address these issues.	E
A broad understanding of health and social care issues for older people and those who care or support them	E
Experience of adhering to policies and procedures, including those linked to consent, GDPR, adult safeguarding, etc.	E
The ability to work objectively, in a person-centered way, effectively liaising with others including but not limited to clients, their carers, local authorities and landlords, health and social care professionals, other providers of service, etc.	E
The ability to work with a high degree of autonomy; to manage time effectively and prioritise referrals that target those in greatest need.	E
Experience of and commitment to collaborative working and co- production. The ability to make home visits as necessary.	E
Knowledge of the welfare benefits framework and the ability to undertake benefits checks and provide advice to level 4 of the advice framework.	E
Spoken and written Welsh to a minimum of level 3.	D
Previous experience of working with older people.	D

Additional requirements

• Satisfactory DBS check and personal references
• Current full UK driving license and full use of a car for work purposes with the appropriate business insurance cover in place.