Homelessness Solutions Officer

Responsibilities

You'll play an important part in supporting the prevention of homelessness across the borough. You will hold a caseload, working closely with your customers to prevent or relieve the challenges they face, working with a range of customers. You'll build up an effective rapport with customers, taking an asset-based approach to identifying the root cause of homelessness, and ensuring a holistic approach to meeting any support needs to help customers sustain future accommodation.

You will provide practical and emotional support to people who are facing homelessness, applying the legislation with a significant focus around prevention. You will help your customers recognise and address any support needs, and assist them to achieve long term, sustainable housing. You will collaborate with a range of partner agencies to build solid relationships leading to excellent outcomes for your clients.

You will take a proactive approach to promoting awareness of homelessness and identifying any new opportunities amongst wider services to prevent homelessness.

Passionate about tackling homelessness, you will use your excellent communication skills to build and develop great relationships across a variety of stakeholders. You will be a highly motivated, caring individual with an ability to inspire others. You will have knowledge of the Homeless Reduction Act, and also Wigan Council's commitment to improving outcomes for our residents. You will be proactive in your approach, exploring opportunities, and identifying challenges, linking in with other Local Authorities to develop best practice.

You will demonstrate positivity and commitment, when faced with complex and challenging circumstances with a clear focus on achieving the best outcomes possible for your client group.

Wigan Council has been voted ‘Overall Council of the Year’ at the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Awards. We are signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment ensuring that your service will be continuous or ‘unbroken’ between the supporting organisations.

The Progress with Unity plan is a place movement for change for the next decade, bringing a new era for Wigan Borough. It draws on the strengths of our individual organisations, recognising that together we can achieve much more for our communities by delivering on our 2 place missions; create fair opportunities for all children, families, residents and businesses and make our towns and neighbourhoods flourish for those who live and work in them.

The Homeless Solutions Team focuses on prevention of homelessness, taking a flexible and innovative approach, working in collaboration with wider services such as accommodation providers, safeguarding services, hospitals and charities.