Homelessness Prevention & Solutions Officer

Pertemps Network Group; Harrow; On-site; GBP 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a proactive Homelessness Prevention & Solutions Officer to join the Housing Services team in Harrow. Key responsibilities include providing housing advice, managing caseloads, and supporting clients towards independent housing solutions. Ideal candidates will have strong knowledge of housing legislation and excellent customer service skills. This is a temporary position offering £22.59 per hour.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of housing benefit rules and eviction processes.
• Experience advising vulnerable clients and handling sensitive information.
• Ability to meet performance targets and interpret complex legislation quickly.

Responsibilities

• Provide housing advice via interviews and electronic enquiries.
• Manage caseloads and conduct assessments under the Homelessness Reduction Act.
• Guide clients on rental markets and assist with securing tenancies.

Skills

Strong knowledge of housing legislation

Excellent customer service

Negotiation and mediation skills

Investigative skills

Communication skills

Job description

Homelessness Prevention & Solutions Officer

Employer: Pertemps Recruitment Partnership (on behalf of London Borough of Harrow)

Location: Forward Drive, Harrow, HA3 8NT

Contract: Temporary – 6 months, possible extension

Pay Rate: £22.59 per hour PAYE

Pertemps Recruitment, in partnership with the London Borough of Harrow, is seeking a proactive Homelessness Prevention & Solutions Officer to join the Housing Services team.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide housing advice via rota duties, interviews, duty line, and electronic enquiries.
• Deliver tailored support to homeless clients, assessing housing/financial needs and tenancy sustainability.
• Manage caseloads, conduct statutory assessments under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and meet deadlines.
• Build supportive relationships to empower clients towards independent housing solutions.
• Create and maintain Personal Housing Plans (PHPs), ensuring timely updates and council actions.
• Guide clients on rental markets, benefits, and housing options; assist with securing tenancies.
• Support resettlement by signposting to relevant agencies to help sustain tenancies.

Candidate Profile

• Strong knowledge of housing legislation, homelessness policy, and prevention tools.
• Understanding of housing benefit rules, supply/demand issues, and eviction/possession processes.
• Excellent customer service, investigative, and communication skills.
• Experience advising vulnerable clients, interviewing applicants, and handling sensitive information.
• Skilled in negotiation, advocacy, mediation, and accurate record-keeping.
• Ability to meet performance targets and interpret complex legislation quickly.

About us:

For almost 60 years, Pertemps Recruitment Partnership have been the market leader in providing permanent and temporary staffing solutions and we are one of the most established players within the recruitment industry. The Sunday Times has listed us as one of the Best 100 Companies to work for 14 years running. We are not a big scary faceless company, quite the opposite: we strongly believe in the personal touch with everything we do. We are proud to be accredited 'investor in people' which is reflected across our business in length of service and career progression of our employees.

London Borough of Harrow is the 12th largest London borough and one of the most culturally diverse local authorities in the UK, making it a great place to live, work and visit. Located 10 miles from the city centre and just 13 minutes to Euston from Harrow & Wealdstone station there are great transport links via the Metropolitan Line, Watford DC Line and national rail service. It is easily accessible to the M1, M25 and A406.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, any your data protection rights, can be found by visiting www.cifas.org.uk/fpn