Tenancy Support Adviser

Job Introduction

37 hours per week (Job share will be considered).     

The Social Housing Sector has seen considerable change in the last 2 years with the addition of new and revised regulations including a new set of consumer standards. Portsmouth Homes is undertaking a programme of change to respond to the new environment and changes in expectations from our tenants and leaseholders. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to join us as a Tenancy Support Adviser!

What is the role? 

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. 

Please see the full job profile attached at the bottom of this page for all details of the role and the duties involved!

Who is the person? 

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

If you would like to discuss this further or have any questions, please contact:

Danny Ardrey - Head of Sheltered Housing and Support Services - Danny.Ardrey@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or Holly Lovejoy - Tenancy Support Manager - Holly.Lovejoy@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

When completing the application form, please thoroughly tailor your application to the 'Who is the Person' points with the use of examples from your experience. This is really important or you are likely not to be shortlisted. The full job profile is attached at the bottom of this page.

About Portsmouth City Council

What we can offer you:

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our careers portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616800