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PRS Access & Resettlement Worker

Lambeth
Full-time
Listed 1 day ago

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

Company Limited by Guarantee num ber 1741926 Charity Number 287779 Registered in England as Single Homeless Project

shp Single Homeless Project

Job title: PRS Access & Resettlement Worker

Delegated Authority: Level 7

Team: Lambeth PRS Resettlement

Responsible to: Service Manager

Responsible for: N/A

Job purpose

The PRS Access & Resettlement Officer plays a vital role in creating real, lasting move on opportunities for clients by opening up and strengthening access to the private rented sector.

This role exists to turn housing ambition into practical reality, increasing the range and volume of properties available to SHP clients and making PRS a genuinely accessible, sustainable option for people ready to take that next step out of homelessness.

Working at the intersection of client support, housing knowledge and external partnerships, you will help shape and grow effective housing pathways across services. You’ll assess readiness for PRS, ensuring clients are supported at the right time and in the right way, and work alongside colleagues to build confidence and understanding around housing and welfare processes. Through your work, teams are better equipped, clients are better prepared, and barriers to move on are actively reduced.

Crucially, this role is about more than securing tenancies, it is about sustaining them. You will support clients to settle, stabilise and maintain their homes, connecting them into ongoing support where needed and helping to prevent repeat homelessness. Every successful move on is a step towards long term independence, and this role is central to making that happen at scale across SHP.

Key accountabilities

Referrals, Assessment and Support Planning

To undertake comprehensive assessments that lead to focused and co-produced Housing Plans for clients.

To deliver support using a strengths-based model with clear defined support objectives outlined leading towards agreed goals.

To support the Team Manager to manage the assessment and allocation of referrals to the service.

To provide guidance and support to the team relevant housing and welfare legislation.

Procurement of Accommodation

To source Private Rented Sector Accommodation for the service including building and maintaining relationships with letting agents and landlords.

To develop partnerships with a range of accommodation providers to meet the needs of the service and its client, including but not limited to supported housing providers, social/registered landlords and other third sector providers.

To ensure that all procured accommodation complies with relevant health and safety and building control regulations.

Maintaining a up to date and current knowledge of changes in legislation relevant to local authority housing assistance, welfare reform and other key areas that impact on our clients’ lives.

Developing and Maintaining ongoing relationships

Providing a point of contact for landlords to discuss concerns in relation to the way tenancies are being conducted and advocating on behalf of both Landlord and client according to where any responsibility for tenure breach sits.

Where required, maintain contact with tenants and landlords for 8 months after homelessness had been relieved and gather supporting evidence where the tenancy has been sustained.

To work effectively with SHP projects/teams to ensure clients referred to the service are suitable and where not, why this is the case.

Homeless Relief and Tenancy Sustainment

To provide regular updates to relevant SHP projects/teams about a range of accommodation options for the service.

To ensure that the properties being sourced are relevant for the client group through regular communication with the team.

To ensure support is in place for clients to attend viewings and tenancy sign-ups, for successful move on.

To ensure that all necessary support is in place to improve the chances of the client sustaining their tenancy including signposting and attending appointments if appropriate.

Information Management

Produce, maintain and record accurate, relevant and up to date information including recording all contacts with clients appropriately to promote effective service delivery and evaluation. Ensure recording systems are up to date for periodic service reviews and service development and that client information is recorded in line with the GDPR.

To ensure the timely and effective recording of information required to evidence client outcomes, contacts and any other related Key Performance Indicators for the service.

To comply with and follow any information management processes or procedures within SHP and externally if using partnership agencies databases/systems.

Health and Safety

To be aware of the roles and responsibilities and work in accordance with SHP’s and legal guidance around health and safety at work. To take responsibility for the safe working of self and others and to ensure that local procedures around Lone Working and Fire are followed.

Teamwork and personal development

To be flexible, to share skills and knowledge and support colleagues both internally and externally.

To participate in team meetings, supervisions, performance reviews and training by being fully prepared, ready to share and discuss ideas and offer solutions.

To take responsibility for personal on-going development and learning.

Miscellaneous

SHP is at discretion to amend your responsibilities and, in addition to these, you may be required to perform other duties as may be required for the efficient running of the organisation.

To create inclusive working environments and cultures to enable colleagues and clients to feel safe and empowered to achieve their full potential.

Willingness to work outside of office hours on occasion.

Technical and professional know-how needed for position

When completing your application, you will be required to address (using examples) some of the points below

Experience and Knowledge

Experience of building and maintaining relationships with landlords and lettings agents in the private rented sector and/or other types of housing provider.

Experience of delivering high quality, structured and time limited interventions that have relieved or prevented homelessness.

An up-to-date working knowledge of welfare benefits and reform and its relation housing as well as a good understanding of tenure law. An ability to advise others as and when needed.

A good level of numeracy, literacy and comprehension to prepare and maintain case records, communicate in writing with other agencies and analyse written and numerical information.

Skills and Abilities

Ability to co-ordinate the work of several individuals or agencies to get tasks completed to time and to specification.

Ability to work in close partnership with external agencies and effectively liaise with a range of service providers or agencies to establish or improve services for clients.

Ability to be self-motivating, work under pressure, and manage time effectively, prioritising different areas of work according to need.