Housing Adviser

Contract to start ASAP

Duration: 26 weeks with a possible extension.

Job Purpose

To prevent homelessness in accordance with the provisions of the Homelessness Reduction Act, associated Code of Guidance, case law and best practice.

To undertake a housing needs assessments for people seeking housing assistance and create housing plans tailored to the individual's needs and circumstances.

To manage a complex and demanding case load in a busy and often challenging environment and prevent or relieve homelessness through the provision of advice, advocacy, negotiation and mediation.

To ensure that all housing options have been thoroughly explored to ensure best efforts to prevent homelessness. T

o undertake the assessment and investigation of homeless applications under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 where prevention/relief is not possible, and inform clients of their assessment outcome.

Responsibilities:

To provide a front of house service for customers seeking housing advice and assistance, ensuring that both priority and non priority customers are directed to the appropriate part of the service.

Provide an advice and mediation service for households who live with families of friends and have been asked to leave, conducting home visits if required in order to help them to remain in their current accommodation and to avoid them having to move into temporary accommodation

To deliver a customer-facing service via drop in and appointments and work occasional evening meetings where required to accommodate the demand and flow of customers.

To deliver a customer-facing service via a telephone advice-line providing a full casework service for callers, as required.

Assess the temporary accommodation needs of customers as required and follow established placement and sign-up processes in order to provide a seamless service Manage a caseload of priority and non-priority need customers in housing need and maintain accurate and detailed casework records identifying priorities and meeting individual and service performance targets.

Manage conflicting priorities between case work, face to face interviews and operate an effective telephone service to ensure all customers can speak to housing advisers on the day of enquiry

To use a range of housing options to provide alternatives to temporary accommodation, assessing the suitability of private renting as an option, working closely with the Lettings service.

To provide private sector advice and casework to prevent the loss of private rented and owner-occupied accommodation and to ensure that accommodation is affordable and in a fit state of repair.

Disclaimer: On applying for this vacancy, you agree that your personal details will be passed onto our client for their consideration of your suitability for the role. I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to notify iWork Recruitment Limited of any hirer who I do not want my details to be passed onto.

OR115426-09-26