Job info	Job info details
Job title	Young Peoples Homelessness Worker
Strategic team/Directorate	Childrens Services
Service	Early Help
Business unit	Children’s Safeguarding
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Service Manager – Early Help
Accountable to (line manager)	Service Manager – Early Help
Salary grade	G
JE ref	COMSA149

1. Key purpose of job

• The Homelessness worker will have a central role in the EH Service, delivering interventions and activities that contribute towards the prevention of youth homelessness and helping young people access suitable accommodation.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Ensure that all Young People referred to EHS access appropriate housing services, accommodation resources and the support they require to meet their needs. 
• Ensure that the necessary systems and processes are in place to identify the risk of homelessness amongst young people.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding. concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• Develop internal mechanisms that clearly identify young people at risk of homelessness and ensure appropriate interventions are put in place at the earliest opportunity to prevent homelessness or access accommodation.
• Undertake as directed specialist housing casework with young people and their families, including:
  • Mediation within families as risk of breakdown.
  • Advocacy at homelessness and housing interviews.
  • Challenging inappropriate local housing authority decisions.
  • Accessing accommodation services.
  • Provision of housing advice and support.
• Deliver Training on housing and welfare benefits issues to EHS staff.
• The post holder will ensure that they work in accordance with the local housing or homelessness strategies and other relevant partner strategies and are involved in any review of these where it is relevant to housing and homelessness for young people.
• Record, monitor and collate data on the housing needs of young people accessing the service and ensure this is consistently shared and compared with local housing data.
• Establish links with local housing providers and develop working protocols/agreements with all relevant local agencies to:
  • Facilitate and improve communication opportunities with particular focus on Children’s Services, Local Housing authority, and accommodation providers.
  • Highlight the importance of and facilitate preventative homeless work to support young people within the family home, whenever appropriate to do so.
  • Raise the profile of the accommodation needs of young people and in particular those with complex needs and care leavers in the local housing arena.
• Ensure that good quality housing advice is given to young people and families to prevent homelessness and to enable them to resolve their own accommodation issues with support.
• In seeking to prevent homelessness, liaise with families, landlords, solicitors, Housing Services, voluntary sector and other relevant agencies, organisations and individuals.
• Maintain accurate case management records on electronic and paper based case management systems.
• Contribute to procedure and policy development.
• Contribute to the strategic development of accommodation resources for young people and families.
• To work unsociable hours where appropriate and when necessary. 

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

• Voluntary Sector,  Probation, Landlords, letting agents, support providers.

Internal

• Housing, Children’s Services, Safer Communities, Careers South West. 

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children's Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council. 
• The post is eligible for both hybrid and permanent home working.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Young Peoples Homelessness Worker
Strategic team/Directorate	Childrens Services
Service	Early Help
Business unit	Children’s Safeguarding

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Ability to deal with difficult situations in a calm and sympathetic nature.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise accordingly.
• Good negotiation skills.
• Ability to engage with young people and families in a support and challenge role.
• Ability to challenge other agencies and hold to account.
• Ability to work in a multi disciplinary team.
• Ability to deliver training to team members on accommodation related issues.
• Ability to use IT systems.
• Ability to travel effectively and efficiently across Torbay.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Trained in family mediation/parenting work.
• Proven track record of effective multi agency working.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Awareness of Homelessness issues.
• Knowledge of Housing issues.
• Knowledge and awareness of issues facing young people with complex needs.
• Awareness of Child Protection procedures.

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge of Care Leavers legislation and Youth Justice legislation.
• Knowledge of Family interventions.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Previous experience of working with Young People.
• Experience of giving housing advice.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of using structured assessment tools.
• Experience of working in a social housing or related field.
• Multi-agency working.
• Developing protocols and procedures.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Educated to A Level standard or equivalent. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Qualified or part qualified member of the Institute of Housing. 
• Relevant qualification for working with Young People.

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
• Ability to accommodate occasional/permanent home-working.