Temporary Housing Options Officer - Planning & Regeneration

Reference no: N Yorkshire RQ775363

Pay rate: £15.00 per hour PAYE

Hybrid role

Car driver with valid license and insurance to attend home visits as required

To prevent homelessness wherever possible and assist households to achieve sustainable housing solutions. To fulfil the Council’s statutory duties, powers and functions under the relevant homeless legislation (currently Housing Act 1996 Part 7 as amended).

To provide a comprehensive housing advice service and maximise housing options for customers.   Experience in dealing with homelessness assessments and issuing decisions is required.

Key responsibilities:

• Actively prevent homelessness through a variety of methods including home visits, advocacy, and referral to specialist advisory services and utilising the range of options available through the Council’s Homeless Prevention Toolkit.
• Provide advocacy support for customers at risk of losing their home in a range of situations including: negotiating with mortgage lenders, social and private landlords.
• Interview those households that present as homeless in accordance with relevant legislation, case law and statutory guidance, carry out homeless assessments and issue decision letters.
• Arrange suitable temporary accommodation for households presenting as homeless in liaison with the Rent Support Worker.
• Provide advice to customers on a range of housing issues including security of tenure, issues of disrepair, landlord and tenants’ rights, referring to specialist agencies and partners as required.
• Offer comprehensive advice in relation to housing options available based on the customers individual needs and resources to achieve a sustainable housing solution. Sign post and make referrals as appropriate.
• Administer the Council’s Bond and Rent in Advance Scheme including assessment of eligibility for the scheme, inspection of properties to assess suitability and at the end of tenancies, dealing with landlord claims, preparing inventories and agreements.
• Assist with the administration of the housing register including making decisions regarding eligibility to join the register, banding for applicants with health and wellbeing needs or those at risk of homelessness, carry out home visits and other verification duties as required.
• Advertise properties on behalf of other Registered Providers with whom the Council has nomination agreements, and provide nominations in accordance with the North Yorkshire Home Choice Policy.
• Deal with enquiries from applicants to the housing register, and assist customers to effectively engage with North Yorkshire Home Choice including assisted bidding for vulnerable households.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

Qualifications:

• A minimum qualification of 3 GCSEs grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) to include English and Maths.

Experience:

• Experience in dealing with homelessness assessments and issuing decisions is required.
• Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
• Experience of delivering customer focused, quality services.
• Substantial experience of interviewing and providing housing advice to vulnerable clients.
• Experience of managing a client case load.

Skills & Knowledge:

• In depth and up to date knowledge of the law in relation to homelessness and allocations, including relevant case law.
• Knowledge and understanding of the broad Housing Agenda and its impact on society.
• Ability to make and communicate difficult decisions. Excellent interpersonal and listening skills.
• Ability to calmly deal with people in challenging situations at all levels and to empathise and display sensitivity and courtesy at all times.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills to effectively manage a varied workload.
• Strong IT skills using Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).
• Car driver with valid license and insurance or ability to travel to home visits.

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF.

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.