Housing & Welfare Support Officer

Walsall Council; Walsall; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Walsall Council's Housing and Welfare Team invites you to join as a Housing and Welfare Support Officer to help residents become financially independent and access welfare benefits.

You will work with vulnerable individuals, provide information, guidance, and support both in person and over the phone, while adhering to policies and KPIs. This role also requires safeguarding, risk assessments, and ongoing professional development within the service.

Responsibilities

• Ensuring compliance with all Health & Safety regulations for Walsall Council's Temporary Accommodation units.
• Supporting vulnerable homeless clients within Walsall Council's Temporary Accommodation.
• Carry out all duties in a manner that reflects Walsall Councils values at all times.
• Perform any additional duties as required for the role.
• To assist service users to identify and take up settled accommodation and to continue to provide ongoing support to them.
• To take responsibility for safeguarding the welfare of service users.
• To conduct comprehensive evaluations of risk and needs, and to create support and risk management plans.

Job description

Join Walsall Council's Housing and Welfare Team as a Housing and Welfare Support Officer and embark on an exciting opportunity to support and empower the residents of Walsall to be able to become financially independent. You will equip them with valuable information, welfare benefits advice and guidance, propelling them towards positive outcomes. You will engage with vulnerable individuals, adapting provisions to meet their specific needs while adhering to required policies, procedures, and best practices both face and over the telephone. Work plans will incorporate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and you will be accountable for workload management to achieve optimal performance. It is crucial to maintain an updated knowledge of relevant services, an active employer engagement strategy, and utilise tools that contribute to ongoing professional development. The successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

• Ensuring compliance with all Health & Safety regulations for Walsall Council's Temporary Accommodation units.
• Supporting vulnerable homeless clients within Walsall Council's Temporary Accommodation.
• Carry out all duties in a manner that reflects Walsall Councils values at all times.
• Perform any additional duties as required for the role.
• To assist service users to identify and take up settled accommodation and to continue to provide ongoing support to them.
• To take responsibility for safeguarding the welfare of service users.
• To conduct comprehensive evaluations of risk and needs, and to create support and risk management plans.

The position is an excellent opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of local residents and contribute to the success of Walsall Councils Housing And Welfare Service.

This post is covered by the Government's Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English. Walsall Council takes seriously the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children, young people and adults entrusted to our care and it is our expectation that all staff will share this commitment. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for this role. For this role the successful candidates must undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check. BPSS is the minimum standard to ensure the identity and integrity of an employee who has access to official information using secure networks linking central government and local authorities. A BPSS check involves four main elements; Identity Check, National and Immigration Status, Employment History (last 3 years) and Verification of Criminal Record (unspent convictions only).

At Walsall Council, we appreciate that AI can be a useful tool for ideas or guidance. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. Over-reliance on AI can make responses feel less personal, and we really want to understand what makes you unique. Your experiences, skills, and perspective are what set you apart, so please ensure your application as a whole - particularly your 'Supporting Information' - reflects your own voice.