Tenancy Support Adviser

To provide a responsive and needs-led frontline advice and support service to Portsmouth Homes tenants and their households, who have complex needs requiring additional and on-going support, in order for them to be able to maintain their tenancies satisfactorily and to complement the support offered by the generic Housing Officers.

A Tenancy Support Adviser (TSA) provides specialist housing support and advice to Portsmouth Homes tenants and their households to prevent and reduce the risk of homelessness due to unsafe housing conditions that could be a breach of tenancy conditions. Utilising good negotiation and persuasive skills to ensure support plans are met and tenants and their households are supported appropriately.

This may be difficult particularly when there is pressure on services and a lack of funding or high eligibility criteria. To support Housing Officers and other staff within Portsmouth Homes when managing complex cases and working collaboratively with other departments and external agencies as necessary. TSAs will act as a single point of contact within Portsmouth Homes for those in most need of support to prevent the risk of homelessness, communicating effectively and confidently with tenants and households with complex needs, showing empathy and understanding for personal circumstances, whilst being impartial and honest, setting realistic expectations and small step milestones.


Skills:

1. You must have experience of multi disciplinary working in a Social Housing or similar environment, to ensure tenants with the most complex needs are supported effectively in order for them to be able to maintain their tenancies.

2. You must be able to be part of a frontline response to crisis situations, as well as chronic circumstances. In addition to being able to identify a persons support needs and social issues which necessitate joint-working to enable tenants to maintain tenancies.

3. You must be confident to attend multi-agency meetings to coordinate and encourage input and relevant support from external partners and agencies and to help formulate realistic support plans for our tenants.

4. You should have experience of assessing tenant/households' level of risk and support needs to be met, enabling them to maintain their tenancy, by working on collaboration with the tenant/household, external partners and agencies, leading on this as appropriate.

5. You should be able to prioritise cases by gaining a thorough understanding of the persons previous experiences and behaviours. Engaging appropriate professionals by attending and/or chairing multi-agency meetings to identify the right support necessary.

6. You should have a knowledge of Social Housing policy (local and nationally) and legislation regarding tenancy support and sustainment. You should be able to demonstrate this in the context of Portsmouth Homes commitment to supporting our tenants.

7. You must be able to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of issues which create risk to a persons tenancy and the wider impacts these risks may create.

8. You should be confident in making appropriate decisions without recourse to supervision about the storing, management and disclosure of personal and sensitive personal information, in accordance with data protection legislation.

9. You should have an awareness of funding constraints and the challenges this creates in seeking appropriate support and the importance of appropriate support being proportionate and timebound.

10. You must have good communication, negotiation and persuasive skills to ensure identified support needs are met and tenants and their households are supported appropriately.

11. You must be prepared to work in tenants, homes, and may involve the provision of practical help, including cleaning, decluttering and sorting personal possessions, belongings and furniture.

12. You must be able to create accurate and relevant records of your actions/involvements with tenants/professionals, providing robust reasoning for decisions made and actions taken. You should be confident to present these in court if required.