Housing Advisor

Belmont Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Lambeth Council is seeking a Housing Advisor to join a busy housing service on a temporary contract with potential extension or permanency for the right candidate. The role is based at SE5 8RX with hybrid working and focuses on front-line housing advice and casework support.

You will assess housing needs, direct customers to the appropriate service, handle tenancy mediation, and manage a caseload to prevent homelessness and secure suitable accommodation.

Responsibilities

• Provide a front of house service for customers seeking housing advice and assistance.
• Direct priority and non-priority customers to the appropriate part of the service.
• Deliver a customer-facing service via a telephone advice-line with full casework as required.
• Assess temporary accommodation needs and follow placement and sign-up processes.
• Manage a caseload of priority and non-priority housing need customers with records and targets.
• Use housing options to provide alternatives to temporary accommodation and work with Lettings.
• Provide private sector advice and casework to prevent loss of accommodation and ensure affordability.
• Gather, record and verify information relating to housing and homeless applications and assist bidding for properties.
• Provide advice and support to tenants affected by welfare reform and prevent homelessness via negotiation and support services.
• Respond to homelessness risk through negotiation, mediation, or securing immediate access to accommodation and promote housing options approach.

Job description

Good Afternoon, I am currently representing Lambeth Council who are offering an initial temporary contract for a period of 3-6 months with a view to be extended or offered a permanent position for the right candidate at a rate which is negotiable dependent upon experience

We are looking for a Housing Advisor. This role will be based at: SE5 8RX Hybrid

• 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 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.
• 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.
• To gather, record and verify information in relation to housing and homeless applications and assist those customers or who need support to bid for permanent council or registered provider properties.
• To provide advice and support to tenants affected by welfare reform. The post holder will actively engage private tenants and other residents affected by benefit changes and prevent homelessness by negotiating with landlords, increasing incomes, helping tenants to move to more affordable accommodation or supporting them into work and engaging with other support services.
• To respond effectively to prevent homelessness through advice, negotiation, mediation or conciliation, or by securing immediate access to alternative accommodation and generally promoting a housing options approach to service delivery to a full range of customers, including people who are challenging and demanding