Housing Options Officer – Homelessness Prevention

Temporary Housing Options Officer - Homelessness Prevention

Reference no:  Warwick 5227526

Pay Rate: £12.17 per hour PAYE

This opening assignment is for 11-12 months

The purpose of the role is to provide an excellent, customer focussed housing advice and assistance service.  To discharge the Council’s legal obligations to people threatened with or experiencing homelessness and those in housing need.

The post holder will be required to undertake diagnostic in depth Housing Options interviews to identify the nature and cause of a wide range of housing and housing related problems and provide advice, intensive casework, referrals and joint working and other interventions to prevent and relieve homelessness in accordance with the law.

As a Housing Law specialist to act on behalf of clients in written form and through representations, negotiation and liaison with landlords, letting agents, lenders, solicitors, police, housing providers, Social Care staff, Housing Benefit staff, DWP staff and third party organisations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Liaison with private sector landlords.
• Liaison and mediation with householders excluding family members and others.
• To administer and discharge the Council’s obligations to people threatened with or experiencing homelessness. Consider each individual application in accordance with the Council’s legal duties and ensure that any accommodation provided is provided in the most cost effective way.
• Undertake relevant home visits, including working with some of the most difficult and challenging customers during times of anxiety and stress.
• Provision of emergency advice in relation to landlord and tenant law, family law, tenants’ rights, and unlawful eviction.
• Access to accommodation options.
• Completion of emergency Court applications to suspend possession orders and bailiff’s warrants, including preparation of legal pleadings on behalf of clients.
• Referrals to tenancy deposit scheme, support providers including the Direct Access Hostel and women’s aid refuges in order to prevent or relieve homelessness.
• To prepare and review Personal Housing Plans and Housing Needs Assessments.
• To provide housing advice and housing options in order to maximise the customers housing opportunities. To attend multi-agency meetings and external agency drop-in sessions when required.
• To Develop and maintain effective relationships with other Council officers and teams, Registered Providers and partner agencies. Ensure a seamless service is provided to customers through the provision of housing advice and options, allocation, letting and vacation of Council properties.

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

Qualifications:

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

Skills & Experience:

1. Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
2. 3-5 years’ experience of delivering customer focused, quality services.
3. Substantial experience of interviewing and providing housing advice to vulnerable clients.
4. Experience of managing a client case load.

Skills & Knowledge:

1. In depth and up to date knowledge of the law in relation to homelessness and allocations, including relevant case law.
2. Knowledge and understanding of the broad Housing Agenda and its impact on society.
3. Ability to make and communicate difficult decisions. Excellent interpersonal and listening skills.
4. Ability to calmly deal with people in challenging situations at all levels. To empathise and display sensitivity and courtesy at all times.
5. Excellent customer service skills.
6. Excellent time management and organisational skills to effectively manage a varied workload.
7. Ability to take ownership of own performance and focus on achieving targets.
8. ICT Skills: Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

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.