Job title: Housing Officer (Support) - LAASLO Team

Salary: C3 £28,163 - £30,060 (subject to current pay award)
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Merrion House

We're looking for a compassionate and motivated Housing Officer (Support) to join the Local Authority Asylum Seeker Liaison Officer (LAASLO) Team within Leeds Housing Options.

This is a rewarding opportunity to support newly granted refugees and families arriving through Family Reunion programmes to access suitable accommodation and successfully settle into life in Leeds. You'll play a vital role in helping some of the city's most vulnerable residents navigate housing systems, secure accommodation, and access the support they need to thrive.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

We're looking for someone who has:

Experience of working with vulnerable individuals and families, providing advice, support and advocacy.
Knowledge of housing, welfare benefits and the challenges faced by refugees and people newly arrived in the UK.
Excellent communication and listening skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly and sensitively.
Experience of working effectively with partner organisations and within a multi-agency environment.
Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied caseload and competing priorities.
The ability to build positive relationships with customers, landlords, support agencies and stakeholders.
A commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion.
Good IT skills, including experience of using Microsoft Office applications and maintaining accurate records.

About the role

As a Housing Officer (Support), you will provide housing advice, support and practical assistance to newly recognised refugees transitioning from asylum accommodation into settled housing. You will also support customers who are preparing to welcome family members through Family Reunion schemes.

Working closely with accommodation providers, landlords, voluntary sector organisations and internal services, you will help customers overcome barriers to housing and sustain successful tenancies. The role requires a flexible and person-centred approach, excellent partnership working skills and the ability to support customers through complex and often challenging circumstances.

Key Responsibilities

Provide housing advice and ongoing support to refugees and their families throughout the housing process.
Assist customers to access social housing, including housing registrations and Choice Based Lettings.
Manage a caseload of customers, providing advice, signposting and support for up to six months.
Work closely with accommodation providers, landlords and partner agencies to secure suitable housing solutions.
Support customers transitioning from asylum accommodation within required timescales.
Develop effective working relationships with organisations including MEARS, RETAS, Red Cross, PAFRAS and other support services.
Ensure accurate record keeping, reporting and monitoring of outcomes.
Identify and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns involving children and vulnerable adults.
Promote equality, inclusion and community cohesion while supporting successful integration into local communities.
Monitor and report hate crime and other incidents affecting service users.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job Purpose:

The LAASLO (Local Authority Asylum Seeker Liaison Officer) team provides advice and support for newly granted refugees who need to move on from their NASS accommodation, we also assist customers who are bringing their family over as part of Family Reunion to access suitable housing in preparation for the arrival of their family.

The role requires close working with the home office housing provider (MEARS) with the transition of asylum seekers with positive decisions to be rehoused within a 28 day timescale. Effectively working with a range of landlords to procure properties and maintain good relations. The successful applicant must be able to work to tight deadlines and link closely with other 3rd sector organisations who support customers such as RETAS, Red Cross and PAFRAS. You will also be responsible for completing required information to the Refugee Integration Service on a monthly basis.

Main Duties

Responsibilities for Grade:

To provide ongoing housing support.
To provide housing advice for families wishing to apply for social housing, registering and advice on choice based letting.
To provide a safe and welcoming environment for refugees, ensuring that standards are maintained, monitored and that the service meets all statutory and contractual requirements.
To link in effectively with wider support services also also supporting customer throughout the housing process and transition into secure accommodation.
To carry a caseload and provide signposting, advice and support in relation to all housing matters for upto 6 months.
To work in partnership with various organisations to enable the delivery of cross service projects to achieve positive outcomes
To maintain good practice in the use of interpreters, including assessing the need for interpretation, taking into consideration complexity of information or advice.
To record accurate client information, actions taken and advice given.
To be aware of, identify and act upon issues around safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in accordance with the Leeds City Council Safeguarding Policy.
To work with volunteers in a manner that effectively compliments the framework of integration support.
To be aware of and adhere to Leeds City Council Health and Safety Policy being responsible for your own health and safety whilst at work and that of your colleagues and service users.
To work within all relevant policies, procedures and systems established corporately or locally and to support the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policies.
To carry out duties in accordance with the Council Values and culture
Monitoring and reporting hate crime wherever it is found

Specific Responsibilities

To deal with sensitive and confidential information on issues relating to families on the programmes.

Qualifications

Must have relevant experience in this area of work

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION: Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements

Skills Required

Ability to negotiate clearly and sensitively with agencies on behalf of clients.
Ability to communicate complex information to confused and distressed clients.
Excellent listening skills with the ability to empathise.
Sensitivity to working in a diverse organisation with a diverse group of people
Good command of spoken and written English and an ability to communicate in a professional manner.
Competent IT skills including excel, word and email.
Ability to take a flexible and creative approach to the demands of the post, working on own initiative as well as within a team.
Ability to work effectively with colleagues and interpreters to establish good working relationships including partnership working.
Commitment to and understanding of equal opportunities and its practical applications for own working practice.
Able to work effectively with communities in groups and secure their commitment to achieving learning outcomes
Ability to effectively manage conflict
Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own workload whilst delivering to a work programme and adapting it to changing circumstances whilst ensuring deadlines are met
Able to lead on responding to immediate safeguarding/health & safety issues
Ability to prepare and present regular reports and keep an up to date record of work progress
Ability to record spend accurately
Ability to handle sensitive/confidential information

Knowledge Required

A good knowledge of welfare benefits, housing, immigration systems and an understanding of how these affect refugees.
Knowledge and understanding of the difficulties faced by newly arrived refugees, including language, mental health and the ability to adapt service delivery to address this need.
Understanding the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
A working knowledge of national policies relating to refugees
An understanding of community cohesion issues.
A knowledge of, and evidence of the ability to communicate effectively with, many different organisations.

Experience Required

Sensitivity to working in a multi-cultural organisation and the ability to work with colleagues from different cultures
Experience of working with vulnerable groups
Effectively record and evaluate community sessions, produce reports within specific timescales
Working in a multi-agency setting to achieve shared objectives
Experience of working with complex cases

Behavioural & other Characteristics required

Conscientious, honest, and reliable
Willing to have a flexible approach to meet the changing demands
Able to undertake a flexible and varied working pattern i.e. late evenings & weekends
Committed to continuous improvement of the service
Prepared to be DBS Checked
Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all, working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.