Homelessness & Housing Solutions Officer

What's involved with this role: Interim Homelessness & Housing Solutions OfficerReference no: Bromsgrove & Redditch RQPay Rate: £24.02 per hour PAYEHours per week: 37 Monday - Friday, normal working hoursRole Length: This opening assignment is for 2-3 monthsCity: Redditch, WorcestershireBasic DBS disclosure required for this roleHybrid working - 2 days a week in the office The purpose of the role is to provide a professional and compliant specialist customer facing Homelessness and Housing Solutions service firmly focussed on the prevention and relief of homelessness through a range of housing options delivered across a range of tenure types.The ideal candidate will have experience in homelessness or housing options, with in-depth knowledge of housing legislation and case management. Also, strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to work in a high-paced environment.Key responsibilities:

• Responsible and accountable for the Local Authorities operations in accordance with its legal obligations to provide professional housing and homelessness advice services in accordance with: Part VI & VII Housing Act 1996 (as amended); Homelessness Reduction Act 2017; Welfare Reform, Safeguarding and the Children's Act.
• Support the strategic and operational managers in delivering the vision, strategies and initiatives for the Homelessness and Housing Solutions Team and the wider Housing Service of which you are an integral part.
• Deliver superior quality Homelessness and Housing Solutions and Advice Services that are customer centric and have high regard for equality, diversity, understanding and respect for people and their individual circumstances.
• Professionally and effectively manage a designated caseload by thoroughly assessing, researching, analysing, and applying the most up to date case law to homeless applications across all tenures to conclude a robust legal decision on behalf of the Council.
• Ensure that any reports are written with a high degree of diligence, rationality, and quality, so that legal decisions are "right first time".
• Ensure that those applicants for whom the Council has a statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation are placed into accommodation that best meets their needs and in strict accordance with legislation and guidance.
• Be aware of the requirement for prudent control of expenditure, particularly for the provision of temporary accommodation and use of grant funding, always acting with a high degree of integrity and transparency and in accordance with financial regulation and policy.
• Upon request, assist and support colleagues in the roles of providing temporary accommodation to applicants under assessment with managing and monitoring the licence agreement, including but not limited to, management of any breaches to the terms of the licence, charges, and welfare benefits.
• Through casework, teamwork and partnership working, ensure that any housing solution or package of solutions are wholly sustainable and that the expectations of both the applicants and associated stakeholders are effectively managed.
• Maximise opportunities to nurture and develop relationships with Private Sector (PRS)
• Landlords in the discharge of duties, ensuring that any such initiatives or schemes to prevent homelessness in, or access to the PRS are maximised.
• Prepare and maintain accurate and up to date case files that provide management with enough information to monitor, audit and report on individual and team performance and for the Council to meet its duties to provide various statutory and non-statutory submissions and returns.

Qualifications:

1. GCSEs or equivalent including English, Maths and or a second language at Grade A-C.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

1. At least 3 years demonstrable experience working in a homelessness, housing options or other relevant advice service.
2. In depth knowledge of legislation, regulation, and policy in relation to the provision of relevant services.
3. Experience of dealing with and managing complex and contentious issues and highly charged and emotive situations
4. Experience of casework and writing complex discursive reports.
5. Experience of problem solving through collaboration and partnership working that has achieved excellent outcomes for people.
6. Demonstrable experience of collaboration and partnership working that has achieved excellent outcomes for people.
7. Experience of service improvement and being involved projects.
8. Good general knowledge of legislation, regulation, and policy in relation to the provision of generic housing services.
9. Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

Full UK driving licence required for this rolePlease quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for.Unless the DBS requirement stated above is for a Basic Disclosure, your DBS must be either through us or be accompanied by a subscription to the DBS updating service.Clients are generally looking for candidates who are local to, or who can commute easily to the place of work. It will help your application if your CV states, in broad terms, where you reside - there is no need for a full address.Please feel