Housing / Property Specialist

Colbern Limited; Lowestoft; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

Colbern Limited seeks a Housing Advice and Prevention Officer in Lowestoft. The role is primarily home-based with equipment provided, and some face-to-face team meetings. DBS checks are required to support housing needs work within the local authority context.

Applicants will assess homelessness, determine housing priority, and support prevention and relief activities under housing legislation, with a varied caseload and cross-team collaboration.

Qualifications

• Experience in housing advice and homelessness.
• Experience working in a housing needs team.
• Knowledge of Housing Act Part 6/7 and homelessness procedures.

Responsibilities

• Assess and verify applications under Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996.
• Determine council’s homeless duty under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996.
• Participate in duty rota, telephone duty, home visits and out-of-hours standby.
• Undertake homelessness casework to prevent or relieve homelessness using available interventions.
• Manage a varied caseload from application to bid/offer stages with accurate documentation.
• Interview and investigate applicants to determine housing need and circumstances.

Skills

Housing advice

Homelessness

Education

DBS check

Tools

Civica

Job description

Housing Advice and Prevention Officer

Lowestoft

Contract

£22.20 per hour PAYE or £30 per hour limited paid via umbrella company inside IR35

Our client is looking for an experienced Housing Advice and Prevention Officer

Mainly working from home. Can send equipment out. Do have team meetings some face to face.

Basic DBS required

Sits within housing needs team. Experience around housing advice and homelessness. Housing team in a local authority, assessing homelessness, writing homeless decisions. Parts 6 and 7 of housing act. Used the system they have used - Civica.

Key Responsibilities

• To assess and verify all applications made under Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996 in line with the current Allocations Policy including requests for reviews of the Council's decision on the applicants housing priority/status.
• To assess and determine the Councils statutory homeless duty towards people under Part 7 the Housing Act 1996 that present to the Council for assistance in line with the homeless legislation, case law, and statutory code of guidance.
• To participate in the Council's housing advice and assistance duty rota, telephone duty, home visits, and out of hours standby rota including responsibility for an assigned specialist area of expertise linked to a wide range of client groups/schemes.
• To undertake active homelessness casework to prevent or relieve homelessness using your prerequisite expertise, knowledge, and skills to deploy a range of interventions including in-house private rented sector access schemes and applications to the register.
• To manage a varied and complex caseload, supporting customers at application stage, through to the bidding and offer stage, keeping an accurate account of all relevant information to ensure decisions are reached within target and that they are correctly documented.
• Interview and investigate homeless applicants and customers threatened with homelessness in the most appropriate way to determine their housing need and circumstances, being aware of current homelessness legislation.
• To ensure robust, accurate and consistent casework, including but not limited to: Eligibility and Qualification for housing, support to care leavers, homelessness investigations and prevention advice, veterans and members of the Armed Forces, prisoner resettlement, MAPPA, MARAC, supported and Move On accommodation, domestic Abuse, violence, anti-social behaviour, threatening and coercive behaviour, safeguarding, property condition and tenancy sustainment, income assessments and referrals to specialist income advisors and attending case conferences and other forums as required.
• To ensure the casework is recorded in line with laid down procedure and statutory guidance.
• To be responsible for the overall administration of the Housing Need Service including the monitoring and maximisation of income associated with the provision of emergency and temporary accommodation, and the Councils Private Rented Sector Access Schemes.
• To assess against funding criteria when financial assistance is required and provide a recommendation for approval to the Team Leader in order to assists with Homelessness Prevention.
• To work in partnership with Statutory and Voluntary Agencies on cases involving acute housing need.

Colbern Limited along with our clients are an equal opportunities employer