Housing Support Officer

We saw that social care reform was coming, and we acted. We transformed our service, restructured our teams, changed how we work with each other and our partners, and we improved.

We believe one simple thing: that everyday counts and everyone matters.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve been on a journey that has seen Ofsted has our Children’s Services as ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding Leadership’, and more recently has inspected our SEND provision (Area full SEND inspection) and how we work with partner agencies (Joint Target Area Inspection). In every inspection Ofsted has recognised our commitment and dedication to delivering the best outcomes for children, young people and families.

But we’re ambitious for our children and young people, so our journey continues.

We have a new opportunity for a Permanent Part Time (0.5) Housing Support Officer to join Southampton City Council (SCC) in the Building Bridges Team.

About the team:

The Building Bridges Team comprises a dedicated group of professionals who collaborate with other Children’s Social Care teams to assist families engaged at Early Help, Child in Need, and Child Protection levels. The team offers targeted support during periods of increased need, including expert parenting advice, intervention to prevent family or placement breakdowns, and direct engagement through practical assistance.

The Housing Support Officer position is a new addition to our team. This role is designed to enhance our capacity to assist families with housing-related challenges and to help maintain secure and stable home environments for children. This post requires a strong understanding of housing legislation and effective communication skills, capable of working collaboratively with families to identify and implement optimal solutions for their housing needs.

About the role:

In this role, duties include:

• Advising families on housing rights, responsibilities, options, and access to services, as well as assisting with housing applications.
• Conducting home visits and risk assessments to assist families in securing safe and suitable accommodation.
• Collaborating with multi-agency teams to provide support to children and their families.
• Communicating with landlords to address housing matters, manage disputes, and work towards maintaining stable housing for families.

About you:

• Experience working within housing, social care, or family support environments.
• Knowledge of housing legislation and familiarity with Southampton’s local housing sector and frameworks are required.
• The role involves working with families and communicating within a multi-professional setting; therefore, effective interpersonal and communication skills are necessary.
• The ability to focus on solutions and apply problem-solving strategies is also essential for this position.

Essential Skills:

• Understanding of challenges faced by families in need, particularly those at risk of homelessness or complex needs.
• Knowledge of housing legislation, welfare benefits, safeguarding, and child protection procedures.
• Strong communication and advocacy skills.
• IT literacy and record-keeping skills, maintaining accurate, up-to-date records.
• Ability to travel across Southampton to perform this post.

Desirable Skills:

• Relevant professional qualification in housing, social care, or equivalent (e.g., CIH, NVQ Level 3 or above).
• Experience working in multi-agency or partnership settings.
• Knowledge of Southampton’s local housing sector and statutory frameworks.

What we can offer you:

Salary: The salary band for this role is £32,061 – £36,362 (pro rata if part time). The starting salary is £32,061 (pro rata if part time) with annual progression through the salary bands.

We offer a range of benefits, including:

• Excellent local government pension with 16.8% employer contribution.
• Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service.
• Flexible working options (role-dependent).
• Family-friendly policies – Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents.
• Training and development, including coaching and mentoring.
• Health and wellbeing support – Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks.
• Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform.
• Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres.
• Sustainable travel benefits – low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans.
• Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution).
• Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer.

Please note: We are not able to offer Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship on this role, at this time.

For further information about this role, please contact Stephanie Bollon. For recruitment contact details, please email recruitment@southampton.gov.uk or call 023 8083 4033.