Private Accommodation Sustainment Officer

Come and join us in this rewarding opportunity as a Private Accommodation Sustainment Officer, helping our customers who are homeless, or have been at risk of homelessness, to attain and/or sustain long-term, settled housing. This will include working with customers who need short-term tenancy support to ensure the sustainability of their current or new accommodation. This role is permanent, 37 hours per week and at the salary of 33,119 - 37,562 p.a.

Your new role

Portsmouth City Council's Housing Needs, Advice & Support Service works directly with customers to help resolve housing issues and prevent homelessness in the city. It is a busy front-line service dealing directly with customers, many of whom are vulnerable and/or facing homelessness. The service assesses and advises customers on the Housing Needs, Advice & Support available to them. It also provides support services to vulnerable people and rough sleepers, which includes temporary accommodation where necessary, and works collaboratively with both housing and support providers across the city to help people move into a long term, settled home.

The Private Accommodation Sustainment Officer will support customers with claiming welfare benefits, maximisation of their income, managing their household budget and work alongside partner agencies, when needed, to achieve positive outcomes. They will ensure the customer understands the terms of their tenancy agreement, give advice on setting up rent payments and to mediate with landlords to agree affordable arrangements for arrears based on the household's individual circumstances.

The role will require developing a professional working relationship with local landlords to negotiate tenancy arrangements on behalf of customers including rent deposits and rents as appropriate.

For full details of what this role will involve please see the job profile which is attached at the bottom of this page!

Who is the person?

You will be someone who:

• Ideally has previous experience of working with customers in a challenging front-line service and be comfortable visiting customers in their home.
• Ideally has worked with vulnerable customers, supporting them to sustain successful tenancies
• Has up-to-date and detailed knowledge of the current issues in homelessness at a local and national level
• Has current knowledge and experience of the welfare benefits system
• Has an awareness of the diversity within Ports mouths private housing market, and the options for accommodation.
• Is self-motivated, with the autonomy to make decisions and implement improvements where necessary.
• Understands the customers' needs and translate them into finding the right sustainable housing solution.
• Has excellent people skills with the ability to resolve conflict.
• Has a sympathetic, friendly, and empathetic manner to be able to understand the situations of our customers.
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Has strong negotiation, mediating, and relationship building skills
• Is emotionally resilient and able to deal with the impact of being exposed to customer's difficult circumstances.
• Is able to remain professionally detached and focused even if the message you deliver involves saying no in difficult circumstances.
• Is competent in the use of IT systems with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Packages (to include Word, Outlook, and Excel) and databases.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.

Learn more about our values and behaviours .

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

As part of Local Government Reorganisation, current plans will see Portsmouth City Council combine with the district and borough councils of Fareham, Gosport and Havant and parts of East Hampshire and Winchester district councils to form a new, larger unitary authority for south east Hampshire.

We are working towards an implementation date of 1st April 2028, known as vesting day, subject to Parliamentary approval. Until then, we remain focused on maintaining continuity, supporting our workforce, and continuing to deliver excellent services to our residents throughout the transition to the new unitary authority.

This is an exciting time to join us, offering the opportunity to contribute to organisational transformation, develop your career, and help shape future services for our communities.

More information about Local Government Reorganisation can be found on our website:

Additional Information

Assessment & interviews: 5th & 6th October…