What is Social Housing?
Working in housing is not just about the bricks and mortar - it’s about making a positive difference in people’s lives, their communities, and their life chances by providing them with a decent home and environment in which to live.
The social housing industry is always on the look for skilled professionals to help improve the sector and if you’re considering a career in social housing, Service Care can help you. For us, recruiting in social housing goes beyond placing people and we help job seekers from various backgrounds find their perfect roles within the sector.
So, before you delve into your job search, here’s a little introduction to social housing and why it’s a fantastic sector to be part of.
How does Social Housing work?
Social housing provides a stable and affordable home that people can stay in for the long term. The price of rent is linked to the average local income, making them more accessible to those on lower wages or social welfare.
Social housing can be rented from housing associations or councils, or it can be part-sold, or part-rented as shared ownership. The affordability and stability of social housing can be an anchor for local communities and labour markets. They enable workers to continue living close to the jobs that need their skills, and near to family and care networks, making communities resilient to rising market prices.
So, why choose a career in social housing?
Make a Positive Difference in People’s Lives
Working in housing is a very fulfilling role. Each day the tasks that you are required to do, ensure that residents’ homes are safe and secure. Safety is a basic human requirement that sadly not everyone is fortunate to have, so having the ability to provide this to residents provides a real sense of accomplishment.
For example, recent studies show that in England, the number of rough sleepers is still high with up to 2,444 people sleeping on the street per night. Here at Service Care Solutions, we have a track record of helping rough sleepers find a safe home and have provided countless social housing professionals to help organisations combat homelessness. This is just one of the many ways that you can make a positive impact on communities with a role in social housing.
Career Longevity
The social housing industry is widely recognised for its career longevity due to the increasing need for safe housing for England’s population. In light of the current housing supply crisis, the government has recently committed to end rough sleeping by 2024, signifying an increase in investment in social housing. The strategy is designed to help build hundreds of thousands of new social homes every year, demonstrating the sector’s growing need for talent attraction, retention, and nurturing.
Leading organisations are now being forced to react to a shift in consumer expectations for high-quality, energy-efficient houses, and as a result, there is a greater demand for commercially focused and technically capable employees.
There will be no let-up in the speed of change over the next 50 years, thanks to an increasing variety of ownership tenures, the need for investment in digital technology to improve how businesses engage with their customers and manage their houses, and energy use. As a result, the brightest minds in the field of social housing can look forward to a long and fruitful career.
Learning & Development
A career in social housing is exciting and can provide an incredible variety of options, from support officer to operations manager – to mention just a few.
Working in social housing is a skilled job and supporting vulnerable people and dealing with complex situations requires a vast amount of mental fortitude. That’s why the majority of social housing firms offer training and development programmes to help professionals take the next step in their careers. Although many of the organisations are non-profit, they can provide free training on a range of topics to help develop your skills for current and future roles.
The demand for social housing workers is on the rise and organisations are constantly on the look for individuals with specific skills, knowledge, and values that can help improve their operations. Therefore, by joining an industry that promotes learning and development, you will be awash with career opportunities and have the chance to flourish in a variety of roles.
Find your next Social Housing job with Service Care Solutions
Are you looking for a new job in the social housing sector? We have various social housing jobs, ranging from entry-level to directorships in both the public and private sectors.
We have built relationships with a multitude of Housing clients across the UK, recruiting and sourcing roles in the following sectors:
Professional Housing - Housing Officer, Homelessness Prevention, and Senior or Executive positions.
Supported Housing - Support Workers, Scheme Managers, and Homeless Outreach.
Business Support - Admin Support and Customer Service, Finance, HR, IT, and Marketing positions.
If you can’t find the ideal role for you, feel free to submit your CV and we will contact you when a fantastic opportunity arises. Alternatively, if you want to get into the industry but don't know how. Give one of our Social Housing consultants a call, they would be happy to lend you some expert advice.
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