JOB DESCRIPTION

DIRECTORATE:Housing and Health

JOB LEVEL:Housing Solutions Officer

GRADERANGE:Grade 5

REPORTING TO:Senior Housing Solutions Officer

LOCATION:Marmion House or as required

PURPOSE

To deliver the Council’s housing solutions service. To apply a customer focused, pro-active, problem solving approach to overcome housing difficultiesin order to prevent homelessness, including effective homelessness case management. To ensure all customers receive a comprehensive assessment of all available housing options - including proactive advice and support to sustain existing accommodation where possible (and appropriate) or to access alternative accommodation solutions where necessary.

KEY RESPONSIBILITES

  1. To provide effective, accurate, timely and impartial advice to households threatened with homelessness in order to minimise the incidence of homelessness throughout the Borough.
  1. To make home visits / visits to other locationsas necessary to assess possible homelessness, identify appropriate prevention options, including the Council’s homelessness prevention policies and toolkit and produce jointly agreed action plans for follow up.
  1. To ensure all necessary steps and actions are followed up in a timely manner to minimise the risk of and prevent homelessness where possible and practicable and to seek to encourage, empower and support service users to resolve their own housing issues.
  1. To be responsible for fulfilling the Council’s statutory duty in respect of homelessness by accurately assessing and determiningapplications and ensuring the provision of appropriate, advice, information and assistance as required.
  1. To liaise with landlords and partner agencies to minimise the risk of homelessness through effective resolution of disputes and issues.
  1. To liaise with all other agencies in order to provide the most effective and pro-active service aimed at the prevention of homelessness.
  1. To negotiate with local lettings agents and private landlords with the aim of securing tenancies for households in housing need.
  1. To develop and maintain effective working partnerships and arrangements with all statutory, voluntary and commercial organisations to include contributing to active partnership working with voluntary sector and other local partners to address the support, education, employment and training needs of customers.
  1. To work proactively with all other members of the Strategic Housing Service and colleagues in Landlord Services in order to prevent homelessness.
  1. To assist the Senior Housing Solutions Officer in the allocation and monitoring of the Repossession Prevention Fund and Spend To Save resources in order to prevent homelessness in specific cases.
  1. To administer the Councils homelessness prevention strategies and procedures in an appropriate and pro-active manner and to assist in the development and delivery of new initiatives and approaches (including homelessness education activity) as identified in the directorate business plan and housing related plans and strategies.
  1. To develop maintain and review information provided to the public and other agencies in relation to the prevention of homelessness in conjunction with the other members of the Strategic Housing Service under the direction of the Housing Solutions Manager and Senior Housing Solutions Officer.
  1. To develop, update, maintain and monitor statistical information in relation to the service for internal and external agencies, providers and to support the development of the Council’s approach to homelessness prevention.
  1. To keep accurate and up to date records of all interviews, telephone calls and correspondence.
  1. To fully utilise and participate in the use of existing and new information technology as it is introduced.
  1. To review and identify training needs and undertake such training as may be deemed necessary by the Housing Solutions Manager and Senior Housing Solutions Officer.
  1. To deliver the Council’s statutory functions in respect of homelessness. To provide out of hours homelessness advice and support, on a rota system, including cover at weekends and over bank holiday periods.
  1. To provide cover during periods of staff absence to ensure continuity of service provision.
  1. To undertake all corporate requirements on health and safety, equal opportunities, data protection, risk management and financial regulations.
  1. To undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the grade and general nature of the post.