Accommodation Support Officer /
BACKGROUND
Since October 2011 Anglia Care Trust has beendelivering the Suffolk Offender Accommodation Project, now funded by the Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, bringing together the National Probation Serviceexpertise in the management of often complex offenders to work with an organisation that has expertise in the housing sector. In 2015, we expanded this work in to the Community Rehabilitation Company (Sodexo), delivering identical advice services around housing, finance, benefits and debt.
PURPOSE
These servicescontribute to the aims of reducing re-offending, thereby improving community safety and protecting the public by supporting offenders and those at risk of re-offending who are in housing need, to access and subsequently sustain settled and suitable accommodation. Anglia Care Trust’s role is three-fold:
- To maximise the number of offenders in housing need in the community or leaving prison or approved premises who access and engage with the service and who are enabled to access and subsequently sustain settled and suitable accommodation
- To advise offenders experiencing issues related to finance, benefits and debt that impact their ability to effectively manage their finances
- To maximise the range of accommodation options available to offenders referred to the service.
SERVICE OUTLINE
The service is provided both by telephone and face to face at offices in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds. Contact and advice is also delivered in other settings, such as ACT offices when the need arises. Some work is carried out in prison before offenders are released.
Accommodation Support Officers spend a large proportion of their time in Probation Offices but will be expected to also spend time as a team away from Probation premises supporting the service delivery and development and ensuring outcomes are being met. Key to this is the ongoing development of relationships with accommodation providers upon which rests the success of the service.In addition, we have integrated the use of volunteers within this project and this has proved an important part of the role.
Currently we receive referrals from NPSOffender Managers (OMs), CRC Responsible Officers (ROs) Prison Resettlement Staff, Police Officers working with Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPOs)in and Integrated Offender Management (IOMs). We also receive self referrals which need close liaison with the OMs and IOMs to ensure accuracy of information provided and very focused risk assessment.
Key Elements of the Role
- Support to find and access settled and suitable accommodation
- Support with budgeting, utilities, furniture (e.g. helping people to set up payment arrangements, planning expenditure)
- Support, advice, signposting and information account accessing other services (e.g. money advice, benefits advice)
- Support and advocacy by attending appointment relating to finding and accessing accommodation.
- Representing the service at Key panels and forums to ensure the housing needs of offenders are heard by partner agencies and accounted for.
- Record activities and interventions on electronic case management systems.
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Knowledge and Understanding
- Knowledge of the housing sector within Suffolk
- Experience of working with offenders and/or those who are difficult to house
- General knowledge of the housing and benefits system
- Ability to motivate and inspire service users who are historically difficult to work with
- Resilience and tenacity to not give up where others have
- Risk assessment knowledge and risk management awareness
- Ability to build relationships with accommodation providers
- Innovative approach to building the range of accommodation options available.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- 3 days in Ipswich, 2 days in Bury St Edmunds
- 37.5 hours per week
- Starting salary: £19,324
Updated October 2017