Housing Officer – VALOUR

Job Title: Housing Officer – VALOUR
Reports To: Valour Partnerships & Engagement Lead
Grade: H
Hours: The role is primarily worked Monday to Friday,
9am–5pm, with occasional requirements to work outside these hours. Based at
Riverside

Service Areas: Veteran

Primary Focus
The Housing Officer – VALOUR is responsible for delivering high-quality, trauma-
informed housing advice, prevention and homelessness support as part of the
VALOUR Recognised Centre (VRC) and wider VALOUR system. The role
focuses on supporting veterans and their families to access safe, sustainable
accommodation through early intervention, rapid triage and coordinated housing
pathways.

The Housing Officer works directly with individuals experiencing housing
insecurity or at risk of homelessness, ensuring that housing needs are identified
promptly and addressed in a strengths-based, person-centred way. The role
operates within a defined VALOUR service area and contributes directly to the
delivery of the mandated VALOUR housing offer.

Scope & Accountability
This role contributes significantly to frontline service delivery and outcomes but
does not hold line-management responsibility. The Housing Officer is
accountable for managing a defined caseload, delivering housing assessments,
maintaining accurate records and ensuring timely interventions.

The role involves day-to-day engagement with service users, identifying housing
risks, providing advice and coordinating referrals to local authority housing
options teams, supported accommodation providers, Op FORTITUDE and other
relevant services. The Housing Officer works closely with colleagues and
partners to ensure that housing support is integrated with health, employment
and wellbeing provision, escalating risks, safeguarding concerns or operational
issues appropriately. The remit is limited to the agreed VALOUR housing
pathway rather than organisation-wide responsibility.

Financial Responsibility
The Housing Officer supports effective financial stewardship by contributing to
homelessness prevention and tenancy sustainment, helping to reduce avoidable
housing loss and associated costs. The role supports accurate recording of
housing interventions, referrals and outcomes, contributing to income protection,
funding assurance and evidence for commissioners.

While the post does not hold direct budget responsibility, it plays a key role in
supporting value for money through early intervention, effective pathway use and
reduction of repeat homelessness presentations.

Leadership & Practice
The Housing Officer applies and models trauma-informed, strengths-based and
best-practice housing approaches in all interactions with service users.
Leadership is demonstrated through professional practice, consistency and
positive role-modelling rather than formal authority.

The role contributes to a culture of safe, compassionate and effective housing
support by working collaboratively with colleagues and partners, sharing learning
from complex cases and supporting problem-solving within the VALOUR system.
The Housing Officer plays an active role in partnership working with statutory and
voluntary agencies to ensure coordinated, person-centred housing solutions.

Competency Expectations

Housing & Homelessness Expertise: Practical understanding of housing
options, homelessness prevention, tenancy sustainment and supported
accommodation pathways.

Trauma-Informed Practice: Ability to work safely and compassionately with
individuals experiencing trauma, exclusion and housing insecurity.

Assessment & Casework: Strong skills in housing assessment, risk
identification, action planning and case coordination.

Partnership Working: Ability to work effectively with local authorities, housing
providers, health services and wider VALOUR partners.

Safeguarding & Risk Awareness: Sound understanding of safeguarding
responsibilities and the ability to identify and escalate concerns appropriately.

Communication & Professionalism: Clear, respectful communication with
service users, colleagues and external partners.

Data & Compliance: Accurate record-keeping and contribution to data
collection, reporting and audit requirements.

Other: -

•  To foster the Mission, Vision, Values and Christian ethos of Alabaré in a

responsible and positive way on all occasions.

•  Work towards the outcomes outlined in the Charity’s Strategy for Growth

and Resilience 2025-30.

•  We reserve the right to ask you from time to time to undertake any other

reasonable duties as required within this role.

•  To be committed to safeguarding children and young people and

vulnerable adults in line with Alabaré, Local Children’s Safeguarding
Board and Adult Care Guidelines.

•  To adhere to the list of general duties contained within the staff

handbook.

The purpose of this job description is to indicate the general level of responsibility
and standards expected of the post.  The detailed duties may vary or develop
over time according to needs without changing the nature or level of
responsibility of the post.

   The job role as described will be reviewed from time to time and where
necessary be amended. This Job Description also forms the basis at the annual
discussion of the Charity’s Appraisal Program.

Name…………………………………………………………..

Signed ………………………..……………………………….

Date……………………………………………………………

  Person Specification – Housing Officer (VALOUR)

** A = Application   I = Interview **

Category
Knowledge

Knowledge

Knowledge

Knowledge

Knowledge

Experience

Experience

Criteria
Practical knowledge of
housing options,
homelessness
legislation/processes,
allocations and
tenancy sustainment.
Understanding of local
authority Housing
Options / Rough
Sleeper pathways and
routes into supported
accommodation and
the PRS.
Awareness of Op
FORTITUDE and
veteran-specific
housing
considerations within a
VALOUR context.
Understanding of
safeguarding
(Adults/Children), risk
management, and
trauma‑informed
practice.
Knowledge of GDPR /
Information
Governance for
frontline casework and
data recording.
Direct experience of
housing triage,
assessments and
prevention (arrears,
eviction risk, PRS
access, welfare
liaison).
Experience in
multi‑agency
coordination and warm
handovers with LA

E/D
E

Assessment
A / I

E

A / I

E

E

D

E

A / I

I

A / I

A / I

E

A / I

Experience

Experience

Skills

Skills

Skills

Skills

Values

Values

Housing Options/RS
teams and specialist
partners.
Managing a housing
case‑load: action
planning, advocacy,
timely escalation, and
accurate records.
Working with veterans
or other
complex‑needs groups
in supported
housing/homelessness
settings.
Strong communication
(verbal/written); able to
explain rights, options
and processes clearly
and respectfully.
Problem‑solving and
negotiation skills; able
to overcome barriers
and secure
sustainable outcomes.
Data quality and IT
proficiency (case
notes, monitoring
returns, evidence
packs) with attention
to detail.
Risk identification and
escalation; confident
use of safeguarding
procedures and
professional
boundaries.
Demonstrates
trauma‑informed,
strengths‑based,
person‑centred
practice.
Integrity, compassion
and resilience; positive
contribution to team
culture and
partnership working.

E

D

E

E

E

E

E

E

A / I

A / I

I

I

A / I

I

I

I

Values

Commitment to
equality, diversity and
inclusion and to the
values of the
organisation and
VALOUR.

E

I