Migrant Housing Move On Specialist

We're looking for a Migrant Housing Move On Specialist to join Your Place and be part of our dedicated team to help us with our mission to solve homelessness in east London, one person at a time!

About the role

Based in the PDT team this role will contribute towards Your Place’s overarching mission to end homelessness one person at a time and meet organisational KPI’s around outcome based contracts.

In response to an increasing proportion of residents who have been referred to us holding refugee status we are seeking to develop our supported accommodation services to meet the particular needs of this group.

This role will be responsible for developing our services to make them more accessible to our resident population who are from a migrant background. This includes:

• Developing our move on offer to residents from a migrant background including the design and delivery of move on training in particular ensuring that they have a realistic understanding of the housing market and to provide the appropriate support to enable them to maintain accommodation in future.

• The development of bespoke accommodation pathways and support to ensure that barriers that migrants face within housing market are overcome.

• To identify and liaise with reputable private sector landlords including on issues such as rent, housing standards and tenure.

• Working with Frontline Services colleagues to improve accessibility and cultural relevance of services to resident from a migrant background that promotes inclusivity and is trauma informed.

• To provide additional support to Housing Service team around Clearing House referrals where appropriate.

This post is funded by London Housing Foundation.

Salary : £32,240-£38,480 annual salary
Contract : Full-time
Hours: 37.5 hours
Location : Canning Town, London

Responsibilities

• To work with residents/tenants to develop culturally accessible resources to prepare them for a move to appropriate accommodation, including advice and support on move-on accommodation, rent deposit schemes, understanding tenancies, budgeting, accessing utilities and services, and accessing welfare/housing benefits and grants.

• Identify and liaise with landlords, building relationships to secure move on accommodation for residents. Negotiate reasonable rents and deposit/advance payments.

• Receive details of appropriate properties from landlords, view property for suitability and carry out Health & Safety check.

• Ensure that properties meet relevant standards for safe occupancy (Housing Health & Safety Rating Systems, LA Licencing).

• Identify suitable residents; prepare them and their paperwork which includes Housing Benefit, deposits, loan applications, Discretionary Housing Payments. Arranging viewings.

• Develop networks of migrant support which contributes towards this migrant move on pathway. Act as a broker to facilitate access to relevant services.

• Working in conjunction with the Resettlement Officer supporting residents into their own accommodation arranging utilities connections, supporting resident access to furniture/furnishings, moving resident or supporting to move their belongings. Liaison with landlord for access. Managing expectations of both resident and landlord. Identify and apply for grants for move on funds for residents.

• Where residents have additional support or care needs to lead and co-ordinate on finding specialist accommodation.

• Keep up to date and inform team on changes in law, local authority conditions and benefits that affect move on. Respond to changes and implement strategy.

Person specification

Ideal attributes for meeting the needs of position and being an effective member of the wider Your Place team.

Experience

• Experience of housing support with people with a migrant background.
• Experience of negotiating with private landlords
• Experience of working with vulnerable people presenting significant levels of need and risk, with an ability to devise and deliver on action plans through high quality risk management and needs assessment.
• A current understanding of safeguarding procedures.

Skills & knowledge

• Good understanding of private rented sector accommodation and good practice in relation to move on accommodation.
• Good understanding of the challenges migrants experience within the housing market, in particular within private rented sector.
• A working knowledge of being able to support clients into supported accommodation and/or other floating support services, with a demonstrable understanding of Housing and other related legislation.
• Multi-lingual in East African languages.

Abilities

• Effective negotiation skills
• Effectively liaise with a range of service providers and agencies in order to establish or improve services for clients.
• Self-motivated and able to work under pressure, manage time effectively, prioritise tasks appropriately and produce work of a high standard.
• The ability to motivate people to move towards an appropriate level of independence and inclusion.
• An ability to adopt a person centred approach to supporting vulnerable people including being able to adapt to different cultural backgrounds of individuals.

Personal qualities

• Ability to be mobile and to travel across London to support the work with our residents.

• Able to work flexibly and at weekends if required.

Before starting this position, you’ll need to undergo a criminal record check by the Disclosure and Barring Service. You must be entitled to work in the UK.