Community Safety Officer - 6 month fixed term contract

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. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.

Salary: £37,707.00

Creating safer, stronger communities. At Gentoo, we're passionate about creating neighbourhoods where people feel safe, supported and proud to call home. We're looking for Community Safety Officers to join our Community Safety team on a 6-month fixed-term basis. Who will play a vital role in tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB), supporting customers through challenging situations, and working with partners to improve community safety.

This is a rewarding opportunity for someone empathetic, resilient and solutions-focused, with the confidence to manage complex situations while always putting customers at the heart of what they do.

What you'll be doing:

• Investigate and manage anti-social behaviour cases from initial report through to resolution, providing a fair, supportive and customer-focused service throughout.
• Manage a varied caseload of anti-social behaviour and community safety issues, conducting thorough investigations and implementing proportionate solutions in line with policy and legislation.
• Work collaboratively with customers, neighbourhood teams and partner agencies to understand the root causes of anti-social behaviour, encouraging positive behaviour change and sustainable outcomes.
• Support customers experiencing vulnerability, distress, crime or anti-social behaviour, identifying safeguarding concerns and making appropriate referrals.
• Build strong relationships with customers, colleagues and external partners including Northumbria Police, local authorities and support agencies.
• Develop and deliver locality action plans to tackle community safety concerns and improve neighbourhoods.
• Lead and contribute to multi-agency meetings, partnership working groups and court proceedings where required.
• Maintain accurate case records, risk assessments and performance information using internal systems.
• Deliver training and share best practice with colleagues across the organisation.
• Stay informed of emerging legislation, regulatory requirements and sector best practice to ensure an excellent service is delivered.
• Work outside normal office hours to respond to incidents or support joint partner operations when necessary.

Please note: Our Community Safety Officers operate across the City of Sunderland, so your primary office location may change depending on service needs.

What you'll bring:

• A full UK driving licence.
• A good understanding of housing services, relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Experience of managing and investigating anti-social behaviour, community safety issues or other complex casework, including applying appropriate interventions, tools and legal remedies.
• Experience of delivering excellent customer service and managing conflict in complex or sensitive situations.
• Experience of working collaboratively with partner organisations and external agencies.
• Strong IT skills and experience of maintaining accurate records.
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritise a busy workload and meet deadlines.
• A structured and analytical approach to problem solving.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to quickly build trust and rapport with a wide range of people.
• Confidence to challenge behaviours constructively and professionally.
• A proactive, flexible and open-minded approach to problem solving, with a commitment to delivering positive outcomes for customers.
• The ability to work independently whilst building strong relationships and collaborating effectively with colleagues and partners.
• Excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail.

Why join Gentoo? At Gentoo, you'll be part of an organisation that is committed to supporting customers, strengthening communities and creating great places to live. You'll work alongside passionate colleagues who make a real difference every day, whilst being supported to develop your skills and grow your career.

If you're looking for a role where you can have a meaningful impact on people's lives and help create safer neighbourhoods across our communities, we'd love to hear from you.

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.