Homeless Support Officer

The Position & Role

The Homeless Support Officer role is based within the Housing Section of Kildare County Council. The holder of the post will be working directly with people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless.

The Homeless Support Officer will work as part of the Homeless Team with a focus on prevention, place-finding and generally moving clients from emergency facilities to more suitable and sustainable accommodation. The sourcing of emergency accommodation for clients is a key role. The role will involve intensive and direct interaction and engagement with individuals, families and other agencies and the provision of clear advice and support to enable clients to exit homelessness. The holder of the post will have an opportunity to gain knowledge of housing legislation and social housing options, as well as policy and procedures. Ongoing training will be provided.

The Competition

The purpose of this recruitment campaign is to form a panel for Kildare County Council from which permanent or temporary posts may be filled for Homeless Support Officer as vacancies arise.

The Candidate

The candidates shall demonstrate through their application form and at the interview that they have:

• Experience of homeless services or relevant equivalent;

• Have a comprehensive understanding of housing, social and welfare rights and entitlements;

• Understanding of the role of a Homeless Support Officer;

• Possess an understanding of homelessness and how to respond effectively;

• Have the capacity to support people experiencing homelessness to make informed decisions;

• Be able to ensure policies, procedures and quality standards are adhered to and maintained, in particular those that support safe services;

• Be capable of conducting assessments of need in a sensitive and professional manner;

• Be self-motivated with ability to work on own initiative.

• Ability to work as part of a team and to liaise with external service providers.

• Experience of working effectively with clients experiencing homelessness.

• Excellent networking skills and ability to work in partnership with a range of agencies to solve complex issues.

• Good negotiating and influencing skills.

• Be capable of representing the Council in a professional and credible manner with all stakeholders;

• Have an ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines in the delivery of key operational objectives;

• Knowledge and understanding of the structure and functions of local government, of current local government issues, priorities and concerns and of the key influencers of local government;

• A good knowledge of services within the homeless sector and understand the role of Non-Governmental Organisations and charity groups operating in the sector;

• Experience of liaising effectively with a wide variety of people, particularly more vulnerable client base and using appropriate language to ensure needs are met and appropriately managed.

• Have non-judgmental professional relationships with clients.

• Relevant administrative and work experience at a sufficiently high level;

• A career record that demonstrates an ability to manage staff to ensure delivery of complex work programmes;

• Ensuring strong governance and ethical standards are set and maintained;

• Understanding of the changing operating environment in the Council and be capable of leading change in order to deliver quality services to our citizens;

• Proven management analysis, report writing and presentation skills;

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;

• Excellent report and record management skills;

• A strong, positive work ethic;

• Solutions-focused working approach;

• Experience of dealing with conflict and challenging situations.

• Experience in carrying out assessments, including risk assessments

• Experience in developing support plans and carrying out review

• Effective financial and resource management skills;

• Knowledge and experience of operating ICT systems.

• Have an ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines in the delivery of key operational objectives.

• Have an awareness of relevant legislation and regulations in the area of Health and Safety and in data governance, their implications for the organisation, the employee and their application in the workplace.

• Possess a current unendorsed full driving license as the person will be required to have their own vehicle and to drive in the course of their duties.

Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will join the Homeless Team in Kildare County Council, which is dedicated to working with people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness in County Kildare.

The duties of a Homeless Support Officer will include but are not limited to the following:

• Interviewing and assessing of clients seeking a homeless service by appointment or unscheduled presentation at public counter/or presentations by telephone or by any other method; Develop positive and good working relationships and liaise closely with other agencies for the benefit of the client;

• Prioritising homeless prevention at assessment stage and carry out mediation and intervention measures where necessary;

• Arrangement of temporary emergency accommodation within the existing services available should it be required;

• Assess and advise people who are homeless on housing options and support households to source private rented accommodation with the assistance of Housing Assistance Payment and the Homeless Housing Assistance Payment;

• Case manage families and individuals in emergency accommodation including B&B/hotel accommodation, or those in certain other types of emergency accommodation that require support;

• As Case Manager be responsible for engaging the clients who are homeless to identify their individual support needs, help them engage with appropriate services and develop and implement an exit strategy from homelessness in each case;

• Work with households who present at risk of homelessness from the private rented sector. The Officer will be required to have knowledge of all protections available to tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act;

• Provide information and assistance to the client in preparing and submitting an application for social housing;

• Enable and assist clients to source suitable private rented accommodation and develop a support plan in conjunction with the client which will enable them to sustain their tenancies for the long term in an appropriate home;

• Work closely with the HAP Place Finder Service on homeless prevention and achieving exit goals for homeless clients in emergency accommodation;

• Refer the clients to appropriate community or health services;

• Work as part of the Homeless Action Team (HAT) to meet the needs of the homeless clients, or those at risk of homelessness;

• Work in consultation with other support services and specialists to meet the needs of the homeless clients;

• Promote positive, person-centered responses for persons who are homeless and at risk of homelessness, in partnership with existing service providers

• Maintain a caseload of clients and offer clients ongoing support;

• Communicate clearly, report any concerns and deliver hand-over reports as appropriate to colleagues and line management;

• To be responsible for keeping up to date casework records and written assessments, and ensure all necessary information is recorded on the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS), ihouse and other systems as required;

• Provide progress report and presentations as required in relation to caseload;

• As part of the Homeless Action Team (HAT) attend regular meetings and provide information as required;

• Attend inter-agency meetings and reviews of clients as and when required;

• Undertake additional tasks as reasonably assigned;

• Attend appropriate meetings as requested;

• To participate in relevant training and development courses as agreed with KCC.

• Follow all Kildare County Council policies and procedures.

Qualifications

Character:

Each candidate must be of good character.

Health:

Each candidate must be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Education, Training and Experience etc.:

Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms:

(i) (a) Possess the National Diploma in Applied Social Care Studies awarded by Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI)

OR

(b) Possess the Diploma in Social Care awarded by Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI)

OR

(c) Possess the Diploma in Applied Social Studies/Social Care from DIT

OR

(d) Possess a BA (Ord) in Social Care Practice (minimum Level 7 on the QQI framework)

OR

(e) Possess an equivalent qualification in a related field.

AND

(ii) Minimum of 2 years’ experience working in the area of homeless service provision or similar type service.

(iii) Excellent report writing and organisational skills.

(iv) Demonstrate initiative, good interpersonal and teamwork skills.

(v) A good knowledge of services within the homeless sector.

(vi) Proficient administration and computer skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working on own initiative, lone working, managing one’s own caseload and time management.

• A good knowledge of services within the homeless sector.

• Experience and knowledge of working in one or more of the following areas: Family Support, Tenancy Sustainment, Residential Care, Mental Health, Challenging Behaviour or Substance Misuse.

• Experience of working in, or a strong interest in the charity or not-for-profit.

• Knowledge of statutory and voluntary social care services and systems.

• Experience and knowledge in the area of child protection and associated legislation and guidelines.

Please supply copies of any certificates, diplomas or degrees you may have with the application form. If qualifications were obtained outside of Ireland, please supply a comparability statement with your application.

Driving Licence

Applicants must at the latest date for receipt of applications hold a full unendorsed driving license for Class B vehicles, be a competent driver and, shall drive a car in the course of their duties and for this purpose provide and maintain a car to the satisfaction of the local authority. The council must be indemnified on their insurance.

Competencies for the post of Homeless Support Officer.

Key Competencies for the post include the following and candidates will be expected to demonstrate sufficient evidence within their application form of competence under each of these. Please take particular note to these when completing the application form as any short-listing or interview processes will be based on the information provided by the candidates:

Management and Change

• Effectively and efficiently manages resources in compliance with all governance protocols.

• Demonstrates creativity and innovation to secure successful outcomes

• Effectively manages the introduction of change;

• Fosters a culture of innovation and creativity in employees and overcomes resistance to change.

• Has a clear understanding of the political reality and context of the local authority.

Performance through People

• Leads and motivates staff and provides clear direction to others inspiring high standards of performance.

• Identifies, manages and deals with escalated issues of unacceptable or poor performance and conflict to reach beneficial solutions and positive outcomes in line with HR and procedure policies.

• Leads by example in terms of commitment, flexibility and a strong customer service ethos.

Delivering Results

• Demonstrates flexibility and an openness to change.

• Challenges the status quo to see how systems, processes and practices may be improved.

• Can work with multiple stakeholders to implement change

• Implement change in an orderly and determined manner.

• Recognises that people react differently to change and manages this accordingly

• Understand the need for change and get this across persuasively to others.

• Make a positive case for change and elicit commitment from others.

Personal Effectiveness

• Keeps up to date with current developments, trends and best practice in their area of responsibility.

• Demonstrates the required specialist knowledge, understanding and training for the role.

• Demonstrates appropriate and positive self-confidence.

• Remains calm under pressure and values the wellbeing of self and others by managing stress levels and work-life balance.

• Is enthusiastic about the role and sets challenging goals to achieve high quality outcomes.

• Manages time and workload effectively and can operate in an environment with significant complexity and pace.

• Maintains a positive, constructive and enthusiastic attitude to their role.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• Knowledge and understanding of the structure and functions of local government including service requirements.

• Knowledge of current local government issues.

• Understanding of the role of a Homeless Support Officer.

• Understanding key challenges facing the local government sector and Kildare County Council.

• Knowledge and experience of operating ICT systems.

Particulars of Employment

The Post

The post is wholetime (i.e., 35 hours per week) and appointment will be permanent or Temporary.

Location

Kildare County Council reserves the right to assign you to any premises in use by the Council, now or in the future.

The person appointed will be required to report to their place of work by their own means of transport and at their own expense.

Commencement

Kildare County Council shall require a person to whom an appointment is offered to take up such appointment within a period of not more than one month and if they fail to take up the appointment within such period, or such other longer period as the Council in its absolute discretion may determine, Kildare County Council shall not appoint them.

Working Hours

The current working hours are 35 hours per week, the hours of work are 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays (rotas operate for lunchtime opening). Kildare County Council also has a flexi time system in operation, details of which are available from the Human Resources Section.

The Council reserves the right to alter your hours of work from time to time.

You may be required to work overtime on various occasions.

All hours worked are subject to and recorded in accordance with the provisions of the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997, and the Organisation of Working Time Regulations, 2001. Kildare County Council requires employees to record their hours using a Clocking system.

Reporting Arrangements

The Homeless Support Officer reports directly to the appropriate supervisor in the Section or to any other employee of Kildare County Council as the Director of Services or other appropriate employee may designate for this purpose.

A system of regular appraisal will be operated during employment, which will involve discussions between the employee and the line manager regarding performance and conduct.

Probationary Period of Employment

Where a person is permanently appointed to Kildare County Council, the following provisions shall apply –

a) there shall be a period after appointment takes effect, during which such a person shall hold the position on probation;

b) such period shall be twelve months, but the Chief Executive may, at their discretion, extend such period;

c) such a person shall cease to hold the position at the end of the period of probation, unless during this period the Chief Executive has certified that the service is satisfactory;

d) the period at (a) above may be terminated on giving one weeks’ notice as per the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts;

e) there will be assessments during the probationary period.

Remuneration

€51,722 per annum to €58,076 per annum (maximum)

€59,967 per annum (LSI 1) (after 3 years satisfactory service at maximum)

€61,865 per annum (LSI 2) (after 6 years satisfactory service at maximum)

On appointment successful candidates will be placed on the first point of the salary scale. Appointment to a higher point of the salary scale may apply to candidates employed elsewhere in the public service, subject to verification of service history.

Remuneration is paid fortnightly by PayPath directly to the employees nominated bank account. The current wage pay cycle may be revised during the period of employment.

Remuneration is subject to all statutory deductions, e.g., P.A.Y.E. and P.R.S.I.

Increments are paid annually subject to satisfactory attendance, conduct and performance and national agreements. Increments may be withheld if performance, attendance and/or conduct are not satisfactory.

Superannuation & Retirement

A person who becomes a pensionable employee of the County Council will be required in respect of their Superannuation to contribute to the Local Authority at the appropriate rate.