Housing Options Advisor – Homelessness Prevention

Carrington Blake Recruitment; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 34,000; Part time

Job summary

Carrington Blake Recruitment is seeking an experienced Housing Options Officer for a local authority in Darlington. The role covers homelessness prevention, housing advice, and case management within a busy Housing Options team.

The ideal candidate will have about two years in housing or related services, knowledge of Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and the ability to work out-of-hours when required.

Qualifications

• Approximately 2 years of relevant experience in housing or a similar setting.
• Knowledge of Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
• Experience managing a caseload and liaising with landlords and external agencies.
• Ability to travel independently and undertake out-of-hours duties when required.

Responsibilities

• Provide housing advice and assistance to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their accommodation.
• Investigate and assess homelessness applications in line with the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
• Develop Personalised Housing Plans to help applicants secure suitable accommodation.
• Manage a caseload of homeless and potentially homeless applicants, maintaining accurate records and completing case reports.
• Explore temporary and permanent housing options, including council housing, housing associations and private rented sector.
• Negotiate with landlords and other agencies to prevent homelessness and help applicants retain or secure accommodation.
• Arrange emergency and temporary accommodation where required.
• Carry out home visits and basic property inspections where necessary.
• Work closely with social services, housing providers and voluntary organisations to support vulnerable individuals.
• Participate in an out-of-hours service to respond to emergency homelessness situations.

Skills

Communication skills

Organisation

Workload management

IT literacy

Travel independence

Housing knowledge

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Job description

Carrington Blake Recruitment is seeking an experienced Housing Options Officer for a local authority in Darlington. The role covers homelessness prevention, housing advice, and case management within a busy Housing Options team.

The ideal candidate will have about two years in housing or related services, knowledge of Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and the ability to work out-of-hours when required.