Preventions Officer x 2
Housing & Community Services
Grade 8 £24,697 - £26,791 + Essential Car User Allowance

Maidstone – Great people, great place, great opportunity
An exciting opportunity has arisen for two Preventions Officers to join our busy Housing & Inclusion Team, on a full time, permanent basis working 37 hours per week.

With at least two years’ experience in the field of homelessness and housing advice, or a housing related field, you will have the key skills and knowledge needed to ensure that the council offers an excellent Housing Advice and Homelessness Prevention service.

Your main duties will be:
• To deliver a first class customer orientated service which provides the customer with a suitable solution regarding their housing issues, to prevent homelessness and provide early intervention support.
• To provide expert advice and assistance to people in threat of homelessness, by work intensively with customers at threat of homelessness and landlords of a variety of tenures to prevent homelessness.
• To carry out appointments and conduct home visits to confirm details provided regarding potential homelessness.
• To create action plans which are robust enough to be used, as evidence in any review or legal proceedings, and create processes that ensure the Council meets its statutory functions under the Homelessness Regulation Bill, once this becomes law.
• To investigate and attempt to resolve landlord/tenants disputes and family breakdowns, by seeking to conciliate wherever possible, ensuring that all relevant parties are aware of their rights, responsibilities and remedies, to in order to prevent homelessness.

The Council considers this to be a customer focused role and the ability to converse at ease with customers adapting communication style to suit differing audiences and provide advice in accurate spoken English is fundamental to the role.

The successful candidates will be expected to have a full clean UK driving licence in order to conduct outreach visits at the client's home, prison, hostels, hospital or other locations in-line with documented procedures.

Maidstone Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.


The Council considers that the successful applicant will have access to young people and/or vulnerable adults and it is a requirement under The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 that you hold an enhanced disclosure and barring scheme check. Upon successful appointment, you will be required to provide evidence of an enhanced DBS check if you subscribe to the DBS Update Service or complete the process to obtain a DBS check.

Working in Maidstone you’ll also be less than an hour from London by train and have all that Kent can offer at your fingertips. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop your skills and experience within an organisation that prides itself on supporting its staff.

For further information or to discuss this opportunity in more detail, please contact Stuart Clifton, Housing Advice Manager on 01622 602583

Closing Date: 26th March 2017
Interview Date: Wednesday 5th April 2017

To apply for the position please visit www.maidstone.gov.uk/jobs and complete the online application form or by phone on 01622 602555
Council Benefits: career average pension scheme, professional fee payment, flexible working (including opportunities for home working and job share), to employee benefits package and generous leave entitlement.