Warm Homes Healthy People Vulnerable Support Officer

• East Suffolk Council - West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3YU
• £29,269 - £32,076 per annum (Band 5)
• 37 hours per week
• Fixed Term for 12 months
• Essential Car User allowance

We are very excited to advertise an additional role to support our more vulnerable residents with an the opportunity to join the Suffolk-wide Warm Homes Team as a Warm Homes Healthy People Vulnerable Support Officer.  Although hosted by East Suffolk Council this role will primarily support residents living in the west of Suffolk and as such your work base will be West Suffolk Council offices with home working available. 

There are 2 other similar roles covering the rest of the County including one vacancy for the eastern areas – please see the separate job listings.

Your role

The key purpose of this role is to promote and deliver Warm Homes Healthy People (WHHP) services to eligible residents of Suffolk with a focus on supporting the most vulnerable residents through the complexity of grant applications and evidence gathering to ensure they do not miss out on significant grants which deliver warmer homes that are cheaper to heat. You will assess each vulnerable client and determine what support they need to navigate the system and provide this in the form of home visits, contractor liaison, evidence gathering and linking with other services to facilitate a wraparound support network to ensure as far as it is reasonable that when the job is completed the client has a safe home environment.

You will be required to visit residents at home and will need to be able to assess their living conditions to identify any other support services they may be able to access to improve their quality of life. With their consent you can then make appropriate referrals and be a point of contact for partners.

What you will need

You will have extensive experience in a customer facing environment and working knowledge of the benefits system and basic domestic energy efficiency. You will be able to work flexibly as part of a team, with elements of lone working and have a caring and empathetic approach when dealing with the personal circumstances of vulnerable clients. This is a role for someone who wants to make a difference, enjoys being part of a team and enjoys a challenge.

If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don’t meet all of the essential requirements, please apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Below is a case study of the kind of client you may support.

Client: 93 year old female. Health vulnerabilities: Mobility and Immunosuppressant.

Background: The client is a widow living in a privately rented, two storey property.  The property was built in the 1800s and the client has lived here for 20 years. The property doesn't have sufficient heating, the client only uses the kitchen, bathroom, and is sleeping in an easy chair in the living room. The client can't access the shower and has a strip wash only. The client is reluctant to raise any issues with the landlord as she fears a rent increase or eviction. 

Support outcomes: The client was provided two loan heaters and shown how to use the storage heater properly. Draft proofing items were purchased including a door seal and pipe lagging. A referral was made to Citizens Advice for benefit checks, the client is now in receipt of Attendance Allowance of £400 per month which will be used for home support 3-4 times a week. Client had applied previously and was declined.

A referral to the Social Prescriber at her surgery has been made for additional support 'locally' to Customer First for grabrails, a level access shower and ramps and to Safe Suffolk Renters to check there are no safety hazards with the property, a Stepping Homes referral made to obtain a key safe, a hospital table, and to Care Coordination Centre for zimmer frame with basket and seat so that client can go into her garden safely.

Feedback: The client commented what a difference the support has made to her mental health and wellbeing. She feels she is being looked after, and is very grateful for all the continued help the Support Officer is doing to improve her day to day living.

Why work for us?

East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council, take a look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work (youtube).

Here are some of the main benefits: 

• Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays) 
• Local government pension scheme 
• Flexible working arrangements 
• Learning and development tailored to your role 
• A wide variety of staff support networks including access to health and wellbeing initiatives and programmes. 
• Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services. 

Find more information about what we offer in our benefits brochure (pdf). 

The majority of our teams are working in an agile way, with a mixture of home and office working, depending on individual preferences and service requirements. If you wish to discuss how that might impact your working arrangements if you were the successful candidate, please contact the recruiting manager listed at the bottom of this advert. 

For more information

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact either Gary Crockett by calling 07860916504 or Teresa Howarth by calling either 01394 444206 or 07990848926.

Closing date: 20 October 2024

Interview date: 28 October 2024 

How to apply

• Step 1 - Read the advert and the Job Description and Person Specification (docx)
• Step 2 - Complete the Supporting Statement template (docx). Your statement needs to indicate how you meet each of the criteria contained within the Person Specification. Please use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted).
• Step 3 - Complete the online application and upload your statement. Please note, CVs are not accepted.

For more information, check out the How to Apply section of our Career Site (suffolkjobsdirect.org)