Support Coordinator

Gentoo Group Limited; Sunderland; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days annual leave

Flexible and hybrid working

Private health plan

Pension scheme

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice

Life assurance

Car mileage allowance

Job summary

Gentoo Group Limited in Sunderland is seeking an experienced Support Coordinator to help customers thrive in their homes and sustain tenancies. You will work with customers, internal teams and partner agencies to identify needs, develop tailored plans and provide proactive, person-centred support.

You’ll manage a caseload, safeguard risks and maintain compliant records while collaborating with local teams and external partners to deliver joined-up tenancy sustainment and positive community

Qualifications

• The candidate must hold a full UK driving licence.
• Understanding of the challenges facing social housing and diverse customer needs.
• Knowledge of housing legislation, regulatory standards and Tenant Satisfaction Measures.
• Awareness of safeguarding, substance misuse, mental health and customer vulnerability.
• Proven track record in delivering excellent customer service and achieving positive outcomes.
• Strong partnership-working skills and ability to challenge constructively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with quick rapport-building.
• Negotiation, mediation and problem-solving abilities.
• Discretion with sensitive information and confidentiality maintained.
• Resilient when managing complex situations; keen on safeguarding and community safety.

Responsibilities

• Deliver person-centred support that empowers customers to achieve goals and sustain tenancies.
• Assess needs and develop tailored support plans with internal teams and partners.
• Guide customers on rights, responsibilities and housing-related life skills.
• Manage a caseload and regularly review progress.
• Identify safeguarding risks and respond promptly.
• Maintain accurate records of all customer interactions and support given.
• Build relationships with external partners and specialist services.
• Work with Local Neighbourhood Teams and stakeholders for joined-up tenancy sustainment.
• Represent Gentoo at meetings with customers and partners as appropriate.
• Contribute to service improvement via customer feedback and data insights.
• Produce reports and support training while staying updated on legislation and standards.

Skills

Driver's license

Social housing knowledge

Housing legislation knowledge

Safeguarding awareness

Customer service excellence

Partnership working

Communication skills

Negotiation & mediation

Discretion & confidentiality

Resilience under pressure

Data interpretation

IT literacy

Teamwork & independence

Travel flexibility

Job description

We’re a values-driven, charitable organisation on a mission to make a real difference in Sunderland. Every day, we provide more than 60,000 people with a place they’re proud to call home. Our vision is clear: everyone deserves a good-quality home they can afford. We invest millions of pounds each year to keep our homes safe and decent, while also playing a part in tackling the UK housing crisis by building hundreds of modern, energy-efficient homes for rent right here in Sunderland. If you share our passion for creating thriving communities and want to be part of something that truly matters, we’d love for you to join us and help achieve our vision. If you have any accessibility needs or require adjustments, please let us know—we’re here to support you. We may close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date if we receive a large number of applications.

Salary : £34,476.00

Job Description: Support people to thrive in their homes and make a real difference every day. We're looking for an experienced Support Coordinator to join our Housing team. In this rewarding role, you'll work closely with customers to help them sustain their tenancies, build the confidence to live independently and access the support they need to thrive. Using a proactive and person-centred approach, you'll identify challenges early, provide tailored support and help customers overcome barriers that could put their tenancy at risk. In doing so, you'll play a key role in creating positive outcomes for customers and communities across Gentoo. We're looking for someone compassionate, resilient and passionate about helping people thrive. You'll work collaboratively with colleagues, customers and partner agencies, sharing ideas, building positive relationships and contributing to practical solutions that make a real difference. You'll stay calm and focused in a fast-paced environment, confidently managing changing priorities, competing demands and challenging situations. Using sound judgement and strong problem-solving skills, you'll make informed decisions, take ownership of issues and identify opportunities to continuously improve our services and share best practice across the team. Please note: Our Support Coordinators operate across the City of Sunderland, so your primary office location may change depending on service needs. A full UK driving licence and a basic DBS check (arranged and funded by Gentoo) are required for this position.

What you'll be doing

• Deliver person-centred support that empowers customers to achieve their goals, sustain their tenancy and live independently.
• Assess individual needs and develop tailored support plans, working with internal teams and partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes.
• Provide guidance to help customers understand their rights, responsibilities and housing-related life skills.
• Manage a caseload of customers, regularly reviewing progress and adapting support where needed.
• Identify and respond to safeguarding concerns, risks and vulnerabilities at the earliest opportunity.
• Maintain accurate, timely and compliant records of all customer interactions and support provided.
• Build strong relationships with external partners and specialist services to ensure customers can access the support they need.
• Work collaboratively with Local Neighbourhood Teams and wider stakeholders to deliver a joined-up approach to tenancy sustainment.
• Represent Gentoo at customer, partnership and multi-agency meetings where appropriate.
• Contribute to continuous service improvement through customer feedback, data insights and sharing best practice.
• Produce reports and support the delivery of training, while keeping up to date with relevant legislation and professional standards.

What you'll bring

• A full UK driver's licence.
• An understanding of the challenges facing social housing providers and the diverse needs of customers.
• Knowledge of housing legislation, regulatory standards and Tenant Satisfaction Measures.
• An understanding of substance misuse, mental health, safeguarding and customer vulnerability.
• Experience delivering excellent customer service and achieving positive outcomes in challenging situations.
• Strong partnership-working skills, with the confidence to build relationships and provide constructive challenge where needed.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport quickly.
• Strong negotiation, mediation and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and always maintain confidentiality.
• A resilient approach to managing complex situations, including community safety, support and safeguarding concerns.
• The ability to manage a varied workload, prioritise effectively and meet deadlines Confidence using IT systems and interpreting data to support decision-making.
• A proactive and self-motivated approach, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• A flexible approach to work, including meeting the travel and working requirements of the role.

Some of our great benefits include

• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with an option to purchase up to 5 additional days per year.
• Early finish on Fridays.
• Flexible and hybrid working.
• Free Health Cash Plan, with cashback for dental, optical, physio, wellbeing therapies and more, with some free child cover.
• Access to private healthcare through the Health Cash Plan.
• Competitive Aviva pension scheme - Gentoo will contribute up to 10% based on your personal contribution.
• Salary sacrifice electric vehicle scheme.
• Enhanced family-friendly leave.
• Car mileage allowance if you use your personal vehicle for business purposes.
• Life assurance cover to the value of 3 times your annual salary.

We are one of the largest employers in Sunderland and a leading provider of social housing in the North East.

We are officially a Great Place to Work and employ more than 1,100 people in more than 200 different job roles.

We are proud of every colleague who helps make a difference in our communities and our customers' lives.

Our Values, made by colleagues for colleagues. We care about people. We take accountability. We shape the future. We bring leadership. We deliver.