Housing Advice & Homeless Prevention Officer

3 months contract with local authority

The role involves delivering comprehensive housing options advice to individuals, focusing on security of tenure, low-cost home ownership, and homelessness prevention. The position requires managing a caseload across housing options, move-on, and homeless prevention, supporting clients in accessing various housing solutions, and making referrals to other services when necessary. The post-holder must ensure compliance with statutory requirements and contribute to achieving local team targets through effective case management.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive housing options advice, including security of tenure and low-cost home ownership.
  
• Prevent homelessness by investigating household circumstances and conducting statutory assessments.
  
• Manage a caseload across housing options, move-on, and homeless prevention.
  
• Support and guide clients to access a broad range of housing options and make relevant referrals.
  
• Ensure statutory requirements are met and local team targets are achieved.
  
• Deliver professional, responsive, and individualized service to residents requiring housing advice.
  
• Provide holistic, informed, and accurate housing advice to all service approaches.
  
• Empower residents to independently manage their housing situations and make informed choices.
  
• Advise potentially homeless clients on available benefits and assistance.
  
• Assess and determine applications from homeless households under the Housing Act 1996.
  
• Maintain high standards of record-keeping and adhere to agreed procedures.
  
• Stay informed about housing legislation, policies, and case law.
  
• Communicate effectively with staff, customers, and stakeholders to manage expectations.
  
• Represent the service at meetings and contribute to strategy and policy development.
  
• Detect and prevent fraudulent housing applications and refer cases to the Counter Fraud Team.
  
• Investigate complaints and ensure corporate standards are met.
  

Requirements

Requirements:

• Expertise in housing options, including low-cost home ownership and homelessness prevention.
  
• Ability to manage casework using knowledge of legislation and established networks.
  
• Experience in developing relationships with private sector landlords and agents.
  
• Ability to engage with various teams and services to deliver a seamless service.
  
• Skills in identifying and managing safeguarding concerns and risks.
  
• Experience in providing expert advice on security of tenure and managing complex cases.
  
• Ability to build effective working relationships with social care and external partners.
  
• Understanding of social care legislative requirements as they affect housing.
  
• Capability to investigate and discharge the Council’s homeless duty appropriately.