JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title:Homeless Prevention Co-ordinator

Grade: Local Government (NJC Scale Point 25)

Salary: £22, 658 per annum pro-rata

Hours of duty:16 hours per week, to include occasional evenings & weekends

Responsible to:Director

Responsible for: To provide effective coordination and administration of the Homeless Prevention Champion service across Exeter, Teignbridge, East Devon and Mid Devon

General:This job description sets out the range of responsibilities currently envisaged for this post. These may vary from time to time in response to changing circumstances, within the general level of responsibility.

Contract type: Fixed term contract for 24 months.

A collaboration of Exeter, Teignbridge, East Devon and Mid Devon Local Authorities have been awarded one of the Department for Communities and Local Government's network of Homelessness Prevention Trailblazer areas, to go further and faster with reform and support more people to avoid a homelessness crisis in the first place. As part of this initiative, we are about to launch a brand new ‘Homeless Prevention Champion’ service; which this post will have a key role in delivering.

We aim to identify, promote & celebrate the excellent prevention work taking place across the 4 areas, and support colleagues in the voluntary & statutory sectors to ‘do more, better’. This offer will include access to training and an outcomes-based payments ‘pot’ to both recognise existing and create new (homeless prevention) activities.

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery

a)Promote the service to a wide range of agencies to develop a shared commitment to homeless prevention. Create and deliver a package of support & training to underpin that commitment

b)Developing and sustaining operational and strategic partnerships with a multitude of organisations across the VCS and wider stakeholder groups across the 4 Local Authorities.

c)Assist in rolling out an outcomes ‘pot’ through which agencies can claim funding for their homeless prevention activity

d)Actively promote and publicise the service with regular updates via a dedicated website and social media accounts

e)Identify and capture examples of good practise across the Local Authorities.

f)Recruit & co-ordinate a network of Homelessness Prevention ‘Champions’

g)Assist in the collating and updating of a directory of services

h)Disseminating resources and information to stakeholder groups.

i)Keeping up-to-date with the latest approaches across the Homelessness Prevention Trailblazers programme.

j)Promote and facilitate effective multi-agency and joint working to prevent homelessness

k)Work in collaboration with the 4 local authorities to promote & implement their homelessness strategies

Wider Engagement

  • Support clients to influence & help shape the service through their experiences and unique perspective
  • Identify opportunities for wider community groups to contribute; e.g. private landlords, letting agents.
  • Attend community forums and meetings to promote the service

Staff & Volunteers

  • Work closely with nominated senior staff from CHA and Julian House to respond to strategic challenges
  • Identify overlaps with existing services and any potential volunteering opportunities
  • Work in partnership with the 4 District Councils to support the wider ‘Trailblazers’ initiative

Monitoring & Evaluation:

  • To collect and collate qualitative and quantitative data on the service.
  • To collect information on levels of need and levels of service, and incorporate this in feedback to stakeholders
  • To support analysis of this data, indicating areas of unmet need, and contribute to recommendations for changes in services.
  • To highlight areas of good practice
  • To regularly meet with the Steering Group to review progress and agree on-going priorities

Promotion & publicity

  • Develop engaging, interesting ways to present information
  • Ensure new content is being generated to promote the service
  • Actively publicise the service via social media and presentations

Administration and Finance

  • Support the development of an online portal to capture (and remunerate) prevention activity across the voluntary sector
  • Ensure systems are in place to record feedback and service activity
  • Contribute towards regular reports
  • Ensure adherence to local authority policies on data protection, recording and storage
  • Maintain complete, accurate and up to date client, provider and financial records

Personal Development

  • Engage actively in own supervision including regular restorative supervision sessions.
  • Use annual Performance Development Review to set and agree own performance targets and training needs

Since job descriptions cannot be exhaustive; the post holder may be required to undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities