Strategic Housing Specialist in Aylesbury

Job Overview

The post holder will manage a portfolio of 1–3 prisons, flexibly dividing time across the allocated cluster.

In addition, the Specialist will provide ad‑hoc housing advice and support to all prisons within the South Central Prison Group and undertake regular site visits.

Working closely with housing partners, CRS, and HPTs, the Specialist will identify opportunities to improve access to accommodation for people leaving custody and lead sustainable, long‑term improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate the strategic response of 1–3 prisons to improve housing outcomes for prison leavers and people in prison.
• Strengthen and support partnership working between the prison, all relevant housing stakeholders and other key resettlement agencies.
• Identify existing structures/partnerships addressing homelessness from custody in the region and develop new solutions.
• Champion delivery of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) and the Duty to Refer (Dt R) within the prison.
• Ensure Dt R referrals are efficient and effective.
• Design and deliver (or coordinate the delivery of) training on homelessness for prison staff, raising knowledge of HRA, Dt R, and related statutory agencies.
• Promote the HRA and Dt R to prisoners, dispelling myths, setting realistic housing expectations, and encouraging engagement with CRS, prison housing stakeholders, and local authorities.
• Develop pre‑release assessments with local authorities in response to Dt R requests, using telephone, video, and in‑person methods.
• Represent the prison on joint engagements with external partners, such as local authorities, HPTs, and the local homelessness board, while promoting CRS work to the senior leadership team.
• Address practical challenges in service delivery and foster an understanding of the CRS role among all relevant staff groups.
• Act as an enabler for CRS without managing or duplicating their efforts.
• When working within a Probation Region delivering the Community Accommodation Service – Tier3 (CAS3):
• Ensure that the Duty to Refer has been discharged and all other accommodation options have been explored before a CAS3 referral is made.
• Collaborate with the Regional Probation team and their Homelessness Prevention Taskforce to maximise use of the accommodation offer for those at risk of homelessness.
• Support strategic and operational links with the relevant Regional Homelessness Prevention Team.
• Upskill staff (CPPs and POMs) to identify and address accommodation needs, understand referrals, and troubleshoot issues.
• Promote training solutions on tenancy readiness and prisoners’ housing rights to support sustained accommodation in the community.
• Support prisons, PGDs, and partner agencies in improving data quality for housing outcomes research and service design.
• When working within a Probation Region not delivering CAS3: collaborate with the prison’s Heads of Reducing Reoffending and Resettlement Team to ensure strategic and operational links with the regional Homelessness Prevention Team.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Security and identity checks required prior to starting.
• DBS Standard level security check.
• Experience and experience questions will be assessed through CV or work history.
• Experience with housing, homelessness, or resettlement services is preferred.
• Ability to work flexibly across multiple sites and to travel for site visits.

Benefits

• Hybrid working arrangements where business need allows.
• Standard full‑time working hours of 37hours per week.
• Annual leave entitlement calculated on a pro‑rata basis, with holiday year running from 1March.
• Pension scheme offering choice of two schemes.
• Training and development opportunities across equality, diversity, behavioural management, and other staff development areas.
• Flexible working subject to completion of satisfactory probationary period.
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