Housing Options Advisor (Pre release Officer)

What will you be doing?

• Providing specialist housing advice to people leaving prison and approved premises, helping them access suitable long-term accommodation.
• Delivering housing assessments and developing personalised plans to prevent or relieve homelessness.
• Acting as a key point of contact for individuals and criminal justice partners, offering practical support and guidance.
• Conducting outreach and in-reach work within prisons and approved premises across North Northamptonshire.
• Managing a varied caseload and making informed decisions in line with homelessness legislation and Council policies.
• Working with landlords, support services, families and partner agencies to secure sustainable housing solutions.
• Collaborating with internal teams and external organisations to coordinate support and improve outcomes.
• Identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns, ensuring vulnerable individuals receive appropriate support.
• Maintaining accurate case records and contributing to service performance and improvement.
• Keeping up to date with housing legislation, best practice and emerging issues to ensure high-quality service delivery.
• Supporting new initiatives and identifying opportunities to improve services for customers at risk of homelessness.

About you

• Hold a minimum of 5 GCSE’s grade A-C (or other Level 2 NVQ qualification) or able to demonstrate an equivalent capability
• Experience of working within a local authority, housing association or voluntary organisation. 
• Experience of working in an advisory / support role or customer focussed environment and  managing a caseload
• Knowledge of homelessness legislation, guidance and caselaw.
• Spoken and written English fluency
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and work independently using own initiative
• Problem-solving and negotiation skills, with the ability to develop practical and creative housing solutions.
• Proficiency in IT systems, including housing management software and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships, and work collaboratively and proactively with key partners, landlords and other stakeholders 
• Full driving licence and access to own transport for work purposes

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.  

Our Employment and Disability Service provides bespoke support to individuals facing barriers to employment, helping them work towards their goals to start, stay and succeed in employment. For further information please click here The Employment and Disability Service (EADS) | North Northamptonshire Council

Armed Forces Community 

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)