Independent Supported Housing Assessor - Portsmouth

Fantastic opportunity to be an Independent Supported Housing Assessor with us! This is a Fixed Term Contract/Secondment for 2 years.

Your new role:

Working in a small team within the busy Housing Needs, Advice & Support (HNAS) service, you will be working with members of the public who are facing homelessness and require supported housing. These may be some of the most vulnerable members of society and you will regularly meet and work with customers with complex needs.

You will play a crucial role in assessing customers who have been referred for temporary or supported accommodation, often as a means to prevent or relieve their homelessness. You will be involved in risk assessment, identifying specific requirements and considering support needs. You will make recommendations over where customers should be placed within the temporary and supported accommodation services available that HNAS commissions. You will work in partnership with our contracted support providers to ensure support is of good quality and targeted at those most in need; identifying where other agencies and professionals working with customers may be pulled in to provide a wider team of support.

You will understand the complexities of homelessness, and the diversity of those affected by it, recognising the need to put the individual at the centre of your work. You will provide tailored plans which meet the varying needs of your customers, promoting the sustainment of supported accommodation placements and engagement with the support on offer for those in need.

This is a highly varied and interesting role, which has daily interactions with a wide range of partner agencies across both statutory and non-statutory sectors. As such, you will be given plenty of opportunities to further develop your skills and understanding across a diverse range of areas that could include housing, homelessness and social care; multi-agency safeguarding processes and frameworks; service delivery and improvement, commissioning and contract management.

Who is the person?

• Be educated to minimum GCSE grade A to C in Maths and English, or equivalent numeracy/literacy qualification.
• Be experienced in working with and using IT systems, including Microsoft Office applications and client record systems.
• Have a knowledge of relevant housing legislation such as the Housing Act 1996, Homelessness Act 2002 and Homeless Reduction Act 2017.
• Have an awareness of the Equality Act 2010 and the Care Act 2014, and of child and adult safeguarding principles and procedures.
• Be able to interpret reports and assessments from a wide range of agencies, and use them to inform the development of support plans and identify appropriate resources to deliver these.
• Have the ability to make sound judgements based on appropriate evidence and to be able to analyse complex issues succinctly.
• Have tact and diplomacy; the ability to deal with sensitive and confidential issues that may require a variety of responses.
• Be able to manage challenging situations whilst remaining professional and objective.
• Be able to work in partnership with other agencies; have the ability to understand the role, remit and operational limitations of other services and to work effectively as part of a "team round the client".
• Have the ability to work independently and using your own initiative, prioritising work tasks effectively and making decisions with limited supervision.
• Be prepared to work outside of office hours occasionally, if this is what is needed to get the job done.
• Ideally have a current driving licence and daily use of a vehicle, as the role involves daily travel around the city.

About Portsmouth City Council:

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act. We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.

Additional Information:

Interview date: 19th & 20th March 2026.

Our recruitment process:

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page. You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work/personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal.

If applying as a secondment you will need permission from your current line manager releasing you for this secondment. Please state you have this on your personal statement on the application. You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our careers portal homepage.