Housing Information and Advice Officer

Job Description

• Housing Information and Advice Officer
• Public Sector - Local Authority
• Full Time - Monday to Friday, 36 hours per week
• Temporary Role - 3 months with possible extension
• £18.34 per hour PAYE / £23.46 per hour Umbrella
• This role is currently full time office based in Twickenham. This may be reviewed once in post.

The successful candidate will possess the following skills/experience:

1. Good working knowledge of homelessness legislation
2. Excellent written and oral skills
3. Ability to give housing advice on a range of housing options
4. Ability to assess, determine duties owed and write 184 decisions as required

Job Purpose

• To work proactively and collaboratively with households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness to assist them to sustain their current housing where possible, or otherwise to secure alternative, suitable and affordable accommodation.

• To hold a personal caseload of households, to agree practical and reasonable steps for the Council and the household to take to prevent and/or relieve homelessness. Households will include private or social tenants, home owners, those evicted by familymembers or facing relationship breakdown, and may be vulnerable and/or have complex needs.

• To provide a flexible and responsive service for applicants who are homeless or threatened with homelessness by delivering services from Richmond and Wandsworth Council offices and community based locations, ensuring comprehensive housing advice is availablefor customers, staff and partner agencies. To carry out home visits to assess homelessness and the sustainability of the applicants current housing.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

1. To provide comprehensive advice and information covering a range of housing issues including:

• Housing and tenancy rights in both the private and social rented sectors, and for home owners
• Financial advice including welfare benefits, maximising income and tackling debt
• Housing options including private rented sector, housing register, specialist accommodation such as refuges, low cost home ownership
• The Councils statutory duties under the homelessness legislation

1. To triage homeless applications made to Richmond and Wandsworth, assessing priority for further action and making appointmens for an assessment of housing need as necessary.

1. To assess the housing and wider needs of individuals and households, including by interview in and across both boroughs, to find tailored solutions to meet their immediate and longer-term housing needs in a manner which is considerate and empathetic towardsthe applicants perspective.

1. Work with Social Services, the Police, Probation and other agencies across the Richmond and Wandsworth boroughs to enable applicants to access the services needed to meet their support needs and enable them to live independently.

1. To take the Homelessness Preventions and Solutions Service out into the community by providing housing surgeries in the Job Centre Plus, Childrens Centres and other locations as required.

1. To visit applicants in their homes in and across both boroughs to mediate and negotiate with the home owner/housing provider to prevent homelessness wherever possible

1. To use the Homelessness Prevention budget to provide innovative and cost-effective housing solutions to prevent and relieve homelessness.

1. To assist with the continual improvement of the housing service across the SSA through:

• the development of the information available for customers including personal housing plans, advice leaflets, website content
• Identifying opportunities to work with new service providers
• Involvement in projects or new initiatives to prevent or relieve homelessness

1. To represent the Housing Assessment Service at internal and external meetings and case conferences across the SSA as relevant to the role.

1. To undertake homelessness investigations, create and seek the applicants agreement to a bespoke and scenario specific personal housing plan, to issue statutory decisions and to discharge/end duties in accordance with the homelessness legislation

1. To manage a caseload of applicants who have approached the Council for assistance under the Homelessness Reduction Act, keeping your caseload under review and taking timely action to minimise the time in temporary accommodation and ensuring the Councilsduties are met within statutory timescales.

1. To undertake comprehensive casework such as negotiating with landlords/family members, completing referrals to support agencies, helping to address problems with benefit claims and advising on options to maximise income, reviewing progress against PersonalHousing Plans, making home visits where necessary/beneficial.

1. To work with Managers and Deputy Managers in the Housing Assessment Service to ensure that appropriate service cover is always provided across both housing offices and to promote and develop the highest customer care standards. To assist with the trainingand induction of newly appointed colleagues as directed.

Adecco acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and an employment business for the supply of temporary workers. The Adecco Group UK & Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer.By applying for this role your details will be submitted to Adecco. Our Candidate Privacy Information Statement explains how we will use your information - please copy and paste the following link in to your browser https://candidate-privacy

Keyskills :
HousingLocal AuthorityPublic SectorHomelessnessHousing Advice