Receptionist 3 Month FTC-The Fitze Millenium Center – Evolve Housing + Support, Crystal Palace

Are you passionate about making a real difference through supporting vulnerable people, we would love to hear from you!

We have a service receptionist role in our supported housing service in Crystal Palace. The role is built on customer care, health and safety, flexibility, adaptability and other skills to assist homeless individuals who are unable to live independently, by offering them the practical and emotional support they need to regain their independence.  

We have a vacancy in our Fitze Millenium Centre - an 80-bed service for single homeless people aged 18-30. Conveniently located, we are a 15-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride from Crystal Palace Station, offering excellent transport links across London and beyond. Parking is available on site for colleagues. 

Our customers come with a range of support needs, such as those associated with mental health, care leaver status, probation, ex-offending, domestic violence, learning disabilities and asylum seeking.

You will join a lively, supportive, and friendly team to work together to provide an excellent service for our young people. 

As a service receptionist, you will join a lively, supportive, and friendly team to work together to provide an excellent service for the residents we support. You will serve as the first point of contact for our residents and external partners.

Key responsibilities

Customer Service

› To serve as the first point of contact and deliver the highest standard of customer service to all parties including customers, their visitors and external agencies.

› To use skills, experience, and knowledge to respond to challenging customer situations and deal professionally with emergency services.

› To act as a central point of contact for external agencies and stakeholders whilst supporting the team and customers in maintaining good communication and positive working relationships.

› To be aware of the general wellbeing of customers (considering those who are vulnerable) and highlighting concerns including safeguarding matters to other staff members and assist them with individual queries and requests.

Housing Management

• Support the team in organising interviews for potential customers. This may include ensuring referral paperwork is delivered to the team, booking interviews directly with our potential customers, preparing documentation and updating both internal and external databases.
•  To be responsive and proactive in dealing with behaviour that causes or is likely to cause nuisance and annoyance to neighbours and the surrounding community.
• To report repairs and maintenance in accordance with policy and procedure.

• To pass on relevant information to all support workers and support the team leader/manager with any tasks required to allow a smooth-running service

• To deposit rent/ service charge payments in accordance with policy and procedure.

• Take part in activities and provide them with opportunities that generate aspiration and confidence. 

• To ensure new/agency/existing staff have access to all resources/paperwork needed for interviews/booking ins/signing in sheets and all reception based paperwork

A key part of the role is enabling customers to gain necessary support from other agencies so you will need to be able to network/build relationships with those in other organisations and support customers through their processes to access the support they need such as accessing benefits, housing and education. 

You need knowledge of safeguarding and how this may apply in the day-to-day work we do as well as. understanding of the reasons why people become homeless and the needs and challenges they face and of statutory as well as the voluntary resources available to homeless people.  

Evolve Housing + Support is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including people who have experienced homelessness themselves. Equality, diversity and inclusion are key objectives for us, and we reflect this in our recruitment practices, actively seeking applications from all parts of the community regardless of race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability.    

You will need to have the correct right to work in the UK in place, as Evolve does not have a sponsorship license.  

Please ensure that your answers give a clear outline of how your application meets the criteria for this role using the included job description and person specification.  

You will need to be able to work shifts on a pre-planned rolling rota - 5 /7 days a week including mornings (from 7am), evenings (to 10pm) - these also include mid shifts and weekends. 

In return, we can offer you:  

• Over 6 weeks holiday per annum (rising with service)  
• Ability to buy or sell additional one week holiday per annum  
• Employee paid DBS checks  
• Occupational sick pay   
• Employer contributory pension scheme  
• 4 x Life Assurance  
• Medical Cash Back Plan  
• Yulife Employee Assistance & Rewards Programme  
• Cycle to work scheme  
• Full training and induction programme