Independent Living Officer in Portsmouth

We offer a vibrant, friendly, inclusive culture that supports, develops and attracts the best people. We are recruiting for an Independent Living Officer to join our tenancy management team covering the Portsmouth and surrounding South Hampshire area. This is a permanent, full-time position working 37 hours per week with a minimum of 20% of this to be office based to promote collaboration and team working.

Want to know what we can offer you?

• 26 days holiday (plus bank holidays), with the opportunity to buy or sell annual leave
• A productivity-related bonus scheme to enhance your take-home
• A generous contributory pension of 6%. We will match employee contributions between 7% and 10%
• Life assurance paid at x 3 annual salary
• Private medical insurance
• Health care cash plan called Medicash
• Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave
• Access to counselling, legal and financial information
• Electric car scheme
• Huge variety of in-house & e-learning courses and a range of coaching and mentoring programmes

Here are the facts about the role:

We aim to create vibrant, sustainable communities full of satisfied customers. In order to do this, we need to manage tenancies effectively. As an Independent Living Officer, you will provide an enhanced housing management/tenancy support service to our Independent Living customers in extra care and sheltered housing schemes across our operating area. You will be the first point of contact for scheme residents, liaising with colleagues internally and externally to ensure that support is provided to enable customers to feel safe and able to sustain their tenancies, and our schemes are safe and well maintained.

You will organise and host promotional events on VIVID schemes to attract future customers, support potential trial placements, identify potential residents and promote schemes through partnership working with local agencies. You will also work closely with the Tenancy Support team to identify potential suitable tenants for moving to extra care or general needs housing for older people.

As Independent Living Officer, you will understand the level of care and support needs and contribute to multi-agency support plans for new customers moving into VIVID schemes ensuring immediate needs are met before tenancies begin. This will require you to contribute to relevant housing panel meetings with local authority and county colleagues around customers due to move into VIVID schemes and support signing up residents moving into extra care and housing for older people schemes. You will ensure customers are supported to effectively sustain their tenancy and, where possible, live independently.

The ideal candidate will hold an appropriate professional qualification (CIH, NVQ), have vast experience of working in a customer-centric environment, with elderly or vulnerable client groups and good working knowledge of Housing Legislation and current best practice. Due to the complex nature of the role, you will need to have a sound understanding of Benefit systems, Social Services, Health Services and knowledge of safeguarding and mental capacity.

As this role involves travel, a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use is a requirement. Business mileage will be paid. Offers are subject to a satisfactory DBS check. Interviews are due to take place Tuesday 10 March (subject to change).