Norfolk housing trust launches new support team to help tenants find work

North Norfolk's largest social landlord has created a new team to help its residents find employment and ensure they have the skills to hold down a job.

Victory Housing Trust has appointed two employment support officers as part of an initiative to help residents acquire the skills they need to make them work-ready, help them find employment, and support them once they are in work to ensure that employment is sustainable.

A qualified careers advisor, Julia Knight has a wide experience in the careers field over many years, including as part of the Learning for Everyone team at North Norfolk District Council.

Louise Bennett has joined Victory from City College Norwich, where she was an apprenticeship tutor and assessor, specialising in business administration, customer service and ICT.

Victory housing director Christine Candlish said: 'With the shift to Universal Credit, we are seeing an increasing need to support our residents to become work-ready, find work, and to remain in employment – right at a time when the funding for similar initiatives is being squeezed.

'Much employment in north Norfolk is transient and seasonal, and so it is important to provide the support necessary to help people to ensure they have the skills to find and sustain employment.

'The Victory Board has decided that rather than simply signposting our residents to other organisations for help, we should be supporting them and providing specialist help ourselves, which is why we have created these new posts.'

• The team is looking for employers able to offer work experience placements. Email julia.knight@victoryhousing.co.uk or louise.bennett@victoryhousing.co.uk if you can help.