Care Leaver Homelessness Prevention Specialist

Can you help shape brighter futures for care-experienced young people?

We’re looking for a passionate and motivated professional to join our Children in Care and Care Leavers Service as a Care Leaver Homelessness Prevention Specialist.

This is a unique role where you will make a real difference. You will work directly with young people leaving our care to prevent homelessness at a critical stage in their lives.

This newly created post is temporary for 2 years, however there is the possibility of it being extended beyond this point in the future.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?
You will:

• Use your expertise to prevent homelessness before crisis point
• Support young people to navigate housing pathways and access suitable accommodation
• Develop personalised housing plans that build independence
• Work closely with Housing teams, providers and partner agencies to get the best outcomes for young people
• Act as an advocate for young people 
• This is an expert role where you will provide advice on housing and homelessness to other professionals as well as young people.

If you would like to know more, we encourage you to contact Emma Atkinson, Service Manager by e-mail at View email address on northeastjobs.org.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role.  

WHAT WILL I NEED?
To apply for this exciting new post you will need:

• An NVQ 3 in a relevant subject (or equivalent), as well as a current driving licence and access to a car
• Experience of working with care-experienced young people or vulnerable adolescents.
• Experience of working in a housing or homelessness service.
• Experience of partnership and multi-agency working.
• Experience of managing risk and working proactively to prevent crisis.

Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria. 

If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. 

Our commitment to safeguarding
Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Children’s Barred List an, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation

SHORTLISTING
Please be aware that we are expecting a high volume of high quality applications for this post so shortlisting may take up to a week after the closing date. Please don’t worry if it takes just over a week for us to confirm next steps.   

INTERVIEWS
Interviews are expected to be held on during the week commencing 24 July 2026 at Spennymoor Council Offices, DL16 1JQ.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU
We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on  our website

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

We are committed to providing a culture where good practice can flourish. We ensure our practitioners are highly supported and encourage flexible working to achieve a good work-life balance.

You will benefit from a range of training opportunities and professional development through personalised induction and professional supervision.

HYBRID WORKING
Durham County Council currently operates a hybrid working policy where a model of 2 days in the workplace and 3 days at home/remote will apply. This model is pro-rated for part time roles and arrangements are at managers discretion, alternatively you can work all of your contracted hours within the workplace if you prefer.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

HOW TO APPLY 
Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted.
Please visit our website to understand our position on using AI to support your application and for guidance on completing your application.

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on View phone number on northeastjobs.org.uk, or via email View email address on northeastjobs.org.uk

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from View email address on northeastjobs.org.uk . Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

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