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Greyfriars House, 55 Princes Street, Perth PH2 8LJ

We have an exciting opportunity for individuals who would be interested in a Support Officer post based within Greyfriars House which is Perth and Kinross Council's homeless hostel. This is a permanent post. This Support Officer role has the power to make a positive difference to the lives of people who are experiencing homelessness. It involves providing practical support and guidance to residents within the hostel and on occasions, short-term, outreach support when residents move on to alternative Perth and Kinross Council accommodation.

The role has a strong emphasis on supporting residents who are homeless throughout their stay in Greyfriars until such time as they move on to alternative accommodation by offering a range of support and assistance and promoting their general health and wellbeing. You will be managed by the Co-ordinator for Locality Support and Greyfriars. You will work closely with one other Support Officer in Greyfriars House but will be part of the team at Greyfriars House including Senior Accommodation Assistant, Accommodation Assistants and Handyman. You will also be part of a wider team of Support Officers within Locality Teams and Homeless Support. You will generally be required to work standard office hours for 4 weekdays, but due to the nature of the work, we would require one late day/evening working during one weekday and some hours over weekend days. This is to ensure the needs of the residents are met and your colleagues who provide a service 24 hours a day have additional assistance especially for crisis situations and this is also an added support for the Duty/On Call Manager.

You must have experience of working in a housing/housing support setting. You should ideally have experience of working with homeless customers who could have a range of complex needs such as drug or alcohol issues; mental health issues; abuse/trauma; criminal history; challenging behaviours. We are looking for a people-person who is enthusiastic, innovative and creative. You will be able to communicate effectively with residents to build relationships and with other internal and external agencies to provide a person-centred approach and the best possible outcomes for individuals. You should be a resilient, tenacious individual who can deal with the challenges and hurdles you may encounter and you should have strength of character and be solution-focused to work with individuals to help them achieve their goals and outcomes.

You will have a non-judgemental attitude, be empathetic and sensitive to residents’ needs. You will understand and have an awareness of the wellbeing and individual needs of people. You should be a highly organised individual and have the ability to prioritise your own workload. You will be required to use various computer systems and databases to keep accurate records and produce support plans and as such, you will need to have good digital skills. You should have a good awareness of Health and Safety Legislation including lone working and keeping yourself safe. You should be registered with or are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council within 6 months of commencing employment and are responsible for maintaining your annual membership. You should have SVQ3 in Social Services and Healthcare (or equivalent in a relevant discipline) or a willingness to work towards it. You must be able to drive and hold a full UK driving licence.

If you need more information about this exciting opportunity, please contact Andrea McCallum, Team Leader on 01738 476079.

When completing your application for this post, please ensure you provide current contact details (including e-mail addresses) for two referees, one should be your present or most recent employer. However, if you are an existing employee of Perth & Kinross Council, you are only required to provide reference details for your current employer.

At PKC our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Offer. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours. Find out more about PKCand you could soon be joining our team!

Please APPLY ONLINE. Facilities are available at all public libraries in Perth and Kinross. If you have a disability and require reasonable adjustments, please call 01738 475555 to discuss.

As part of our safer recruitment measures, Perth & Kinross Council carries out rigorous checks on the right to work in the UK, qualifications, employment history, including references, and fitness to undertake the post.

Some jobs may have been traditionally carried out predominately by one gender, but we would encourage you to apply if you meet the requirements, irrespective of your gender.

A healthy work life balance is important to Perth & Kinross Council and we provide supportive management and flexible working arrangements to help you achieve a healthy work life balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.

Perth & Kinross Council welcomes applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government.