939 - Strategic Housing Specialist- HMP Eastwood Park

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• The Strategic Housing Specialist will be responsible for co-ordinating the strategic response of 1-3 prisons to improve housing outcomes for prison leavers and people in prison. They shall strengthen and support partnership working between the prison, all relevant housing stakeholders and other key resettlement agencies. They will identify existing structures/partnership working to address homelessness from custody in the region, and work to develop new solutions to homelessness from custody.
• They will champion delivery of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) and Duty to Refer (DtR), Offender Pathway (Wales) within the prison. This to include:
o Working with partners to ensure referrals under the DtR are as efficient and effective as possible. Design and deliver (or coordinate the delivery of) training related to homelessness within the prison and relevant statutory criminal justice agencies, so staff understand accommodation issues, increase their knowledge around the HRA and DtR, can identify related needs and have the knowledge to respond appropriately. o Promote the HRA and DtR amongst prisoners to address unhelpful myths, set realistic housing expectations and encourage engagement with the commissioned rehabilitation service, prison housing stakeholders, and local authorities. o Developing pre-release assessments with Local Authorities in response to DTRs, through telephone, video and in-person assessments.
• Promote the work of the Accommodation Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) within the prison and support these services by representing the prison on any joint engagement with external partners, such as local authorities or HPTs or local homelessness board. Contribute towards Accommodation CRS becoming successfully embedded into the prison and promote their work to the prison's Senior Leadership Team. Help to find solutions to issues that arise in relation to practical challenges in service delivery and an understanding of the role of CRS with all relevant staff groups. This role will act as an enabler and will not manage, or duplicate efforts of, the Accommodation CRS.
• When working within a Probation Region delivering the Community Accommodation Service - Tier 3(CAS3) temporary accommodation provision:
o Ensure processes are in place to make sure the Duty to Refer has been discharged appropriately and that all other accommodation options have been fully explored before a CAS3 referral is made. o Work with the Regional Probation team and their Homelessness Prevention Taskforce to maximise use of the accommodation offer for those at risk of homelessness, so that they can access interim accommodation at the point of release. o When working within a Probation Region which is not delivering the Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS Tier 3) work with the prison and in particular the Heads of Reducing Reoffending and the Resettlement Team to support them in ensuring that strategic and operational links are made with the relevant Regional Homelessness Prevention Team.
• Support and upskill staff across the agency (including CPPs and POMs) to ensure accommodation needs are identified and addressed appropriately, to understand relevant referrals and troubleshoot any issues which may arise.
• Promote work within the prison to help prepare prison leavers to sustain accommodation in the community, in line with the Prime Minister's accommodation target, such as developing and delivering training solutions on tenancy readiness or prisoner's housing rights.
• Support prisons, PGDs, and relevant partner agencies (such as HPTs) to improve the quality and use of data where it relates to prisoners and housing outcomes, including the use for research and service design and provision.