Senior Housing Practitioner

Job Introduction

About us

Oxfordshire County Council’s, Health, Education and Social Care (HESC) supports a population of 700,000 people across the County. We are focussed on delivering the best life outcomes for every age group and every area of need. 

About the role

This post is funded by the DFE for 12 months to provide specific interventions to aid good housing outcomes and a reduction in homelessness for young people who have exited care. This post will work closely with the Housing Commissioning Manager, Leaving Care Personal Advisors, District and City Council Housing Officers and partner agencies to achieve positive housing outcomes for 18 – 25 year old care leavers.

The post holder will work in partnership with County and District Council Officers to prevent homelessness and improve housing outcomes for clients unsuitably housed or approaching a planned transition. 

The client group are among the most vulnerable in the county, and closer and more effective joint working at strategic and operational levels is essential for the improvement of outcomes for our young people. 

It is widely recognised that safe and appropriate accommodation can lead directly to improved health, employment and other positive outcomes.

Good partnership arrangements can also lead to efficient use of resources, creating savings and avoiding costs

About you

You will ideally have pursued a qualification, additional training or personal study relevant to this role and have previous experience of housing services (preferable in local government or wider public sector). You will have the ability to analyse needs, demands and gaps in services working with the data we have available, through research and engagement with our community and stakeholders (including partners). This will require you to have good communication skills (verbal and written) and be able to work in a collaborative way, resulting in the effective design of new or existing services. You will have experience of constructing reports, such as business cases, options appraisal and other associated reports to support the Housing Commissioning Manager. You will be able to influence change and work with partners to adopt and roll out new legislative duties and conduct training to relevant internal and external stakeholders. 

We are also looking for:

• The ability to work with stakeholders at all levels.
• To be able to work flexibly in a fast paced and quickly changing environment.
• Able to negotiate with and influence others.
• Using a range of tools to support commissioning such as data analysis, cost modelling and associated Microsoft Applications.

Rewards and benefits

• Culture of flexible and hybrid working
• Technology to support agile working where role permits
• Up to 33 day’s holiday p.a. plus bank holidays 
• Option to ‘buy’ additional holiday
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development

For an informal discussion about the role please contact – Caroline Kelly (Head of Commissioning – Start Well) on 07526986062 or email caroline.kelly@oxfordshire.gov.uk 

Our commitment to:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:

Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:

Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:

Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, full time and part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact – Caroline Kelly (Head of Commissioning – Start Well) on 07526986062 or email caroline.kelly@oxfordshire.gov.uk