Housing Officer

Housing (Homelessness) Triage/First contact Officer

Office based – 36 Hours per week (flexibility for hybrid working considered once role established)

To provide an effective triage and duty service and conduct a pre assessment/filtering service by telephone or face to face interviews to provide advice and assistance for those in housing need or are threatened with homelessness or are homeless in accordance with the Homelessness Act 2017.

Duties

Interview and assess homeless on the day approaches in person.  Make preliminary investigations ensuring customer provides evidence and documentation at the earliest opportunity. Provide comprehensive advice on a full range of options to solve their housing problem including tenancy rights, housing, and welfare benefits.

Makes initial enquiries into reason to believe client is eligible and homeless.

Filters and contacts online housing options form and conducts preliminary enquiries, providing advice and assistance to prevent homelessness occurring.

Checking Section 21 validity and Refer to Safer renting regarding illegal evictions. 

Undertake email duty and respond to emails or forward to the most appropriate service/team

Undertake telephone duty – provide housing advice or advise of the relevant service/team details.

Respond to ‘Duty to Refer’ and make initial enquiries and first contact.

Capture and process data on the Council’s housing system (NPS) to accurately reflect the application process and stage of application, creating new application records as necessary.

Ensure accurate and comprehensive case notes and records are kept of contact and advice given.

Ensure documents are scanned and labelled correctly and added to the customers records.

If homelessness cannot be prevented or client is homeless referred to the Housing Duty Manager for allocation to a case officer and requesting temporary accommodation. 

The list above is not exhaustive, and the officer will be required to support the Homelessness Prevention and Solutions Service to manage its front-line functions  

Knowledge

Working knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and Part V11 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended)

Knowledge of security of tenure

Knowledge of welfare benefits and advice services including Domestic Abuse services

Experience and Skills

Experience of dealing with customers in person, telephone, and email

Experience of working in housing advice/homelessness

Ability to work independently and able to manage a workload and to prioritise urgent cases.

Good communication skills both written and orally.

Experience of using IT applications

Any further questions please contact Mia for more information.