Specialist Refugee Integration Officer

Hestia; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job description

We are Hestia. We make a difference. At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. We provide a range of services, including Domestic Abuse support, Modern Slavery assistance, Mental Health & Complex Needs care, and Criminal Justice. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence.

The service you will work in…. Are you passionate about making a difference in people's lives and driven to achieve tangible results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment? We are looking for a proactive and motivated case officer to join our outcome-focused project, where achieving specific, measurable targets is critical to both the success of the individuals you support and the overall program. The Rough Sleeping Refugee Service is a transformative initiative dedicated to addressing the housing and integration challenges faced by individuals granted Refugee status. We focus on empowering individuals to rebuild their lives by providing tailored, practical solutions that lead to lasting stability.

Working in close partnership with west London local authorities, the service takes a proactive, results-driven approach to supporting individuals transitioning from temporary accommodations or homelessness into secure, long-term housing. Our work is deeply rooted in making a tangible difference through four key areas:

1. Personalised Planning: Collaborating with clients to design bespoke housing and integration plans that reflect their aspirations and goals.
2. Access to Housing: Supporting individuals to find, secure, and sustain appropriate accommodation.
3. Integration and Independence: Facilitating employment opportunities, community connections, and access to essential resources to foster long-term self-reliance.
4. Sustained Support: Providing ongoing guidance to ensure tenancy stability and continued progress.

This service is ideal for individuals who are solution-focused, thrive in a target-driven environment, and are motivated by achieving meaningful results. It's an opportunity to be part of a team committed to driving change and creating impactful outcomes for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. If you're passionate about making a difference in people's lives and enjoy the challenge of delivering high-quality results in a collaborative and innovative setting, this service will inspire and reward you.

In this role, you'll manage a busy caseload, supporting clients to access private rented accommodation and achieve lasting, positive outcomes. You'll need to be highly organised, able to balance competing priorities, and skilled at working to clear targets. Your ability to deliver results is essential, as meeting set targets ensures our clients' success.

A day in this role looks like…. As a Specialist Refugee Integration Officer at Hestia, you will play a crucial role in our Homelessness service. Your contributions will directly influence the lives of our service users, guiding them towards a path of empowerment and independence. A day will never look the same and some of the things you can expect to do/be responsible for are:

1. Coordinate a frontline service for refugees at risk of homelessness or already homeless in conjunction with 7 West London boroughs.
2. Apply specialist knowledge of housing and homelessness legislation, including private rented housing, the Homelessness Reduction Act, and Housing Act, to relieve homelessness and sustain tenancy.
3. You are required to be target-led, negotiating with local lettings agents, private landlords, and other agencies to find optimal solutions to clients' housing needs.
4. Deliver against all sets of individual financial outcome targets and service standards on a weekly basis.
5. Manage own caseload effectively and drive engagement with clients in line with service standards and Hestia Values.
6. Travel may be required for property viewings with individuals and building relationships with local organisations to ensure the successful integration of individuals into their new communities and tenancy sustainability.
7. Undertake comprehensive assessments and ongoing reviews of client needs, creating co-produced Integration Plans and implementing actions to improve housing options and community integration. Including the wider support planning, linking with education, employment, health and other support providers and agencies.
8. Actively work with clients to relieve their homelessness by assisting them to secure accommodation in private sector or other housing pathways.
9. Advise clients and manage expectations on housing options with regards to private rented accommodation and other pathways.

Why Hestia? Joining Hestia means more than just a job; it's an opportunity to be part of something bigger. We offer a supportive, inclusive and resolution driven work environment where your contributions are recognised and valued. As a member of our team, you will have the chance to grow both personally and professionally while making a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

We are looking for candidates who bring a combination of passion, expertise, and dedication to the table. To excel in this role, you should possess:

1. Demonstrate knowledge, experience or relevant qualifications in housing and homelessness legislation, in relation to private rented housing, rough sleeping, the Homelessness Reduction Act and Housing Act.
2. Demonstrate knowledge in welfare benefits legislation (including welfare reform) to support service users effectively.
3. You are Solution focused and pro-active in achieving high quality client work and results in a fast paced and outcome focused environment.
4. You have previously worked in a target led environment.
5. Previous experience in sourcing, negotiating, and maintaining relationships with agents and landlords in the private rented sector.
6. You thrive in negotiating and accomplishing daily outcomes.
7. You have strong work ethics with excellent customer service focus.
8. You have impeccable organisational skills.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer. Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement: Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates: If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed. We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.