Housing Support Practitioner - London, United Kingdom - Kineara

Description

Job description

Kineara has a new vacancy for an experienced Housing Support Practitioner to join our small and dedicated team for our Private Renters Project in Southwark.

Housing Support Practitioner

Contract and term:
Self-employed 12 month contract, with a 3-month probation

Hours:35 hours per week Mon - Fri with some occasional evenings when needed

Location:
Flexible, with time split between home, our Southwark office 3 days per week

Interviews are expected to take place on the week commencing 4th of March.


About the project

In mid-2020 at the height of the Covid 19 lockdowns, we mobilised to deliver a project to respond to rising rent arrears and financial instability facing renters.

In an innovative partnership with Southwark Council, Southwark Law Centre, and Impact for Urban Health, we've been supporting close to 200 private renters over the last 3 years who have been threatened with eviction by their landlords, or are living in temporary accommodation, to sustain their tenancies and/or find onward housing in the social or private sector that is suitable for their health, needs and aspirations.

After a successful start, Kineara continues to receive funding to reach more renters and be part of Southwark's ongoing support response for local residents.

We've already delivered crucial crisis support to vulnerable renters and are looking for a passionate housing support worker to be part of the next phase of the project.

You can find out more about the work here.


About Kineara

Kineara is a unique community interest company that supports people in poverty across London who facing barriers to housing, employment and education.

We break down barriers, provide holistic support for families, vulnerable adults, and school pupils, and deliver intensive one-to-one interventions to those in need of extra help through challenging times.

We use holistic, trauma-informed methods, partnership working and a flexible, non-judgemental approach that puts the needs of those we work with first.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, and energetic support worker to take up a full-time role within our organisation as a Housing Support Practitioner in our small and dedicated team.

The role will be based mostly in Southwark, and you will be working in partnership with the Council's housing officers, solicitors, community services, social prescribers, and mental health support workers to coordinate tailored support for each client to avoid eviction and sustain tenancies, mediating with landlords where necessary and providing advice for onward housing when needed with the support of the Housing Link Worker.

The objectives of these programmes are to avoid evictions, sustain tenancies or move to a better suited property, increase employment opportunities, improve wellbeing, and increase educational outcomes.

You will be working in partnership with other stakeholders such as schools and health professionals to improve family health, build relationships and engage families and individuals and their networks of support.

About you
You will have experience of working with individuals with complex needs.

You will be an enthusiastic person who is self-motivated, confident and thrives when working independently with a passion to support change.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills, experience delivering holistic support, be a solution-minded thinker, have a good understanding of strength-based approaches and be able work sensitively and empathetically with people in vulnerable circumstances.

You will also have experience working in a systemic and therapeutic way.
It is also important to us that you have the competency to work with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

To work as part of a team and independently, the roles require you to think creatively and use the resources around you effectively.

Job description and main responsibilities

• To deliver Kineara's intervention supporting those in the private rented sector whose tenancy is at risk or needing to find alternative accommodation. Provide practical and emotional support to improve security and sustainability of the tenancy and the client's overall wellbeing.
• Use a holisict flexible approach to support families and individuals with regards to their specific individual support needs, while working towards overall project objectives and personal, tailored client outcomes.
• To communicate efficiently with our partnership organisations regarding the delivery of the interventions. Attend regular update/ review meetings with stakeholders.
• Liaise with our inhouse Housing Link Worker to help the clients find new accommodation and explore their housing options.
• Work alongside Housing Officers, Southwark Law Centre, Social Workers and other professionals with the aim to build a working support network for the family.
• Communicate with landlords and property agencies about prop