Assistant Legal Officer

Tower Hamlets Council Pension Fund; London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking council as an Assistant Legal Officer in the Housing Options Service. This role is pivotal in providing specialized legal support, ensuring clients receive the right advice and that cases are handled efficiently. You will work closely with legal services to secure accommodations and assist homeless applicants, making a real difference in the community. With a commitment to diversity and flexible working arrangements, this position offers a dynamic environment where your contributions will be valued and impactful.

Qualifications

• Experience in legal support work, preferably within housing services.
• Strong understanding of the Housing Act 1996 and relevant legal processes.

Responsibilities

• Serve Notices to Quit and secure possession of accommodations through courts.
• Provide customers with advice on housing options and ensure cases are progressed efficiently.

Skills

Legal Support Experience

Understanding of Housing Act 1996

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Time Management Skills

Job description

Town Hall
160 Whitechapel Road
LONDON
E1 1BJ

Join our dedicated team at the Housing Options Service as an Assistant Legal Officer, where you will play a critical role in providing specialist and comprehensive support in all aspects of legal work. You will be responsible for serving Notices to Quit on occupiers, securing possession of accommodations through the courts, and assisting with various legal processes related to housing homeless applicants under Sections 188 and 193 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended).

Your work will ensure that our clients receive appropriate advice on their options and that all enquiries and cases are progressed efficiently to meet our targets.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve Notices to Quit on occupiers and secure possession of accommodations through the courts.
• Instruct the Council's Legal Service on the repossession of properties used for temporary accommodation.
• Issue money judgement claims for rent arrears and pursue further action as necessary to enforce orders.
• Provide customers with appropriate advice on their housing options, either directly or through referrals to relevant teams/agencies.
• Ensure that all enquiries and cases are progressed speedily and efficiently, achieving all set targets.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Experience in legal support work, preferably within housing services.
• Strong understanding of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended) and relevant legal processes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work efficiently and meet set targets.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.

Hybrid working is available, dependent on service needs.You will be expected to work from the office at least 3 days per week.

For the initial 6 months from the appointment date, you will be expected to work from the office at least 4 days per week.

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect.

Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of those groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class.

We welcome applicants interested in flexible working arrangements and also applicants who live in the borough.