Housing Triage Officer

Portsmouth City Council's Housing Needs Advice & Support team works directly with customers to deal with housing issues and prevent homelessness in the city. We are a busy front-line service dealing with customers who may be vulnerable and facing homelessness. We give advice, work to prevent homelessness, assist people to resolve their housing need and make assessments of housing and support needs in accordance with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Housing Act 1996 and Portsmouth City Council's Allocations Policy. We are committed to excellent customer service, and to listening to and understanding our customers' circumstances and working collaboratively with them to identify housing solutions. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting good practise and all employees are required to adhere to internal safeguarding policies.
You will be part of a team which deals with the initial contact from customers face to face and by telephone and email. You will need to listen carefully to understand the circumstances of each customer, showing understanding and empathy to each person. You will make an initial assessment of each customer's circumstances, and gather information and ask questions to clarify the circumstances. You will give advice on a range of housing issues including the Portsmouth Housing Register, homelessness and private renting. You will deal with enquiries yourself, explaining the criteria for accessing social housing and where appropriate will signpost to other relevant services. Where further assessment is required, you will understand the main presenting demand and identify the correct team to continue the assessment with the customer. Using our IT systems, you will make clear records of each contact. You will undertake other administrative duties as required.


Skills:

We are looking for somebody who:
• Has an interest and experience of the issues facing vulnerable and homeless people and households with housing needs, and a desire to work to assist customers to resolve these issues.
• Has excellent listening skills and is able process and gather information to understand what is needed and wanted by a customer.
• Is confident and can clearly and effectively communicate both verbally and in writing, giving advice and explaining housing policy to our customers.
• Has excellent organisational skills, and an ability to prioritise work and organise the daily demand from customers to the service.
• Is flexible and able to respond to changing priorities and levels of customer demand.
• Is an excellent team player.
• Is able to show empathy and understanding to customers contacting the service and deal tactfully and sensitively with their enquiry.
• Is adaptable, able think on their feet to find solutions to deal with the presenting issues.
• Is emotionally resilient and able to deal with the impact of being exposed to customer's difficult circumstances, and remain professionally detached and focused even if the message you deliver involves saying no.
• Has an awareness of equalities issues and is committed to equal opportunities.
• Has an understanding of safeguarding and ability to recognise safeguarding concerns and take appropriate action to manage risk.
• Works proactively and is able to remain motivated, working on their own initiative.
• Has IT skills suited to working in a busy office.
• The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.