Accommodation Advisor Job Description
Location: Shropshire & Telford
Hours: 22.5 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent (subject to continuation of contract funding)
Salary: £15,100.08 starting (£15,553.18 after probation)
Reports To: Team Manager
About YSS
YSS enables people to be emotionally resilient, to thrive, and to feel they belong to a community. We uphold people’s rights and responsibilities, ensuring they can exercise them with dignity and respect.
We are a charity that helps people to help themselves, and we’ve been doing so for more than thirty years. There are thousands of people in our communities who struggle with life and face what seem to be insurmountable barriers - they are why we exist. We provide a wide variety of community-based support for people and are often described as the ‘glue’ between those at risk of social isolation and the wider mainstream society.
We run a diverse range of services working with 7- to 70-year-olds but our aim is always the same – to help people to break through barriers and to achieve their potential. Our website – www.yss.org.uk – contains further information about YSS and all our projects and services.
Job Purpose
The Accommodation Advisor provides housing support, information, advice, and guidance (IAG) to men within the criminal justice system, ensuring successful resettlement into accommodation. Managing a high caseload, the role operates within tight key performance indicators (KPIs), supporting individuals in the community.
Key Responsibilities
Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Housing Support
Provide tailored housing advice to men transitioning from prison or serving a community sentence.
• Assess accommodation needs, risks, and preferences,
Develop SMART personalised action plans to address barriers to accommodation using the seven reducing reoffending pathways.
Liaise with local authorities, housing providers, and relevant agencies.
• Help clients understand their housing rights and responsibilities.
Case Management
• Manage a high caseload efficiently, meeting set performance targets.
• Maintain accurate case records and documentation on relevant systems.
• Attend regular supervision and team meetings to review progress and challenges.
KPIs & Targets
Meet or exceed KPIs related to housing outcomes, client engagement, and resettlement success.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting of casework and outcomes.
Collaboration & Partnership
Work closely with prison staff, probation officers, housing providers, and other agencies.
• Build strong relationships with external housing providers to explore accommodation options.
Administration & Record Keeping
Maintain accurate client records, ensuring compliance with confidentiality and data protection regulations.
• Submit reports and documentation in a timely and accurate manner.
Community & Prison Support
• Develop clear resettlement plans for clients, ensuring follow-up care postrelease.
• Advise clients on maintaining tenancy, managing landlord relationships, and addressing tenancy issues.
Safeguarding
• Understand and adhere to safeguarding processes, demonstrating professional curiosity about risks.
• Confidently manage safeguarding concerns and risk factors.
Key Skills & Attributes
Experience & Knowledge
• Experience supporting individuals in prison, on a custodial license, or a community order.
• Knowledge of accommodation services and housing-related support.
Competency in IT applications, case management systems, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to manage high caseloads with complex support needs.
Communication & Collaboration
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to engage with diverse clients and liaise effectively with stakeholders.
• Experience in building professional relationships and networks.
• Awareness of risk management principles.
Leadership & Adaptability
• Ability to self-manage and support individuals through change.
• Strong problem-solving skills to address housing-related challenges.
• High standards of professional behaviour and accountability.
Teamwork
• Works collaboratively to achieve service quality standards.
• Supports colleagues and external agencies in joint solutions.
• Flexible in supporting colleagues across different geographical areas.
Diversity & Inclusion
• Commitment to equal opportunities and anti-oppressive practice.
Respectful of cultural differences and inclusive in approach.
• Willingness to reflect on and challenge personal biases.
Customer Focus
• Ability to work with partner agencies to tailor bespoke housing solutions.
• Understanding of factors contributing to social and economic exclusion.
Notes
YSS operates in a fast-moving environment and may from time to time vary the content of this job description after consultation to reflect changes to the job, without altering the general character of the post or level of responsibility.
The duties described in this job description must be carried out in a manner which promotes equality of opportunity, dignity and due respect for all employees, volunteers and service users and is consistent with YSS policies.
Occasional weekend and/or evening work may be a feature of the role. This will be discussed at interview.
YSS values people as individuals with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles, and circumstances. We are committed to building a culturally diverse team and therefore encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates, to help us reflect our world and the communities we work alongside.
Our organisation follows Safer Recruitment principles and guidelines for all posts where contact with children and/or adults at risk is possible – this includes a full application process, interviewing candidates, taking up and verifying two satisfactory references (one of which must be from your last employer), verifying qualifications, identity checks, an enhanced (Disclosure and Barring Service) DBS check and HMPPS prison vetting.
• You must have the right to live and work in the UK to be considered for this role.
• A full UK license and access to a vehicle are essential.
Why work for YSS?
• Annual leave of 27 days, excluding bank holidays and company holidays.
• Pension Scheme.
• Employee Health & Wellbeing plan.
Occupational sick pay.
Flexible working / hybrid working.
• Monthly supervision for support / personal development.
Robust induction and training programme with an organisational commitment to ongoing training and personal development.