Housing & Welfare Officer

4Recruitment Services; Walsall; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

4Recruitment Services seeks a Housing & Welfare Officer to work in Walsall. You will provide a highly specialised service covering housing rights, homelessness prevention, income maximisation, and welfare benefits, representing customers in tribunals and hearings where required.

Key duties include assessing homelessness risk, advising on private rented sector options, and coordinating referrals to partner agencies.

Qualifications

• Proven experience with Housing Legislation, Welfare Benefits and related council tax benefits.
• Ability to interpret legislation and understand how it affects customer service delivery.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Understanding of people and complex interactions.
• Enhanced DBS check.

Responsibilities

• Work with the public applying for housing or welfare benefits, delivering high standards of customer care.
• Assess risk, reduce waiting times, and maximise resolution of enquiries at first point of contact.
• Prevent and resolve homelessness by providing guidance and information.
• Advise on private rented sector options and assist with Housing Benefit claims.
• Make decisions on homelessness applications under relevant housing legislation.
• Refer applicants to other agencies when specialist intervention is required.
• Nominate applicants for housing allocation and manage relevant processes.
• Provide information about welfare benefits and housing options to callers.
• Conduct housing options interviews/assessments for applicants threatened with homelessness.
• Negotiate between callers, families, landlords, and other housing providers to prevent homelessness.

Job description

4Recruitment Services are seeking a Housing & Welfare Officer to work for our client based in Walsall.

Purpose of the role:

To provide a highly specialised Housing and Welfare service an all matters relating to Housing, Housing rights in accordance with the homelessness legislation, income maximisation, promotion of welfare benefits, protection of welfare rights and the delivery of increased prosperity and wellbeing to customers across the borough in accordance with Council policy, procedure and objectives. To support the delivery of joint working and externally funded projects and initiatives within the service and with other partner agencies/stakeholders. To represent customers in Tribunals and/or Court Hearings in relation to Housing and Welfare matters.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• To work with members of the public who are applying for housing or welfare benefits assistance from the Council, offering high standards of customer care at all times.
• To work effectively and efficiently to assess risk and elevate issues of concern, minimise customer-waiting times, reduce the number of missed and unanswered telephone calls and to maximise the resolution of all customer enquiries at the first point of contact.
• To prevent and resolve homelessness wherever possible by providing advice, support and information to those with housing need
• To assess the suitability of households for participation in the Council's private rented sector access scheme (direct lettings) based on their present housing situation, income, support needs and other circumstances.
• To advise households looking for private rented sector accommodation in relation to their obligations as a tenant and to provide appropriate support and assistance in any efforts made to secure accommodation; including support and assistance in relation to the accurate and timely submission of Housing Benefit claims and the updating/completion of any other claim for welfare benefits.
• To make decisions on the outcome of individual homelessness applications in cases under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 as amended, accepting or refusing duties as appropriate in accordance with statute, case law and the Homelessness Code of Guidance. In line with framework of statute law, Central government guidance, case law precedents, and other relevant legal instruments.
• To manage the assisted choice process for applicants who are assessed as having a priority for housing under the Council's scheme of allocation and nominations.
• To make appropriate referrals to other agencies where the nature of their support needs requires a more complex level of intervention e.g. applicants with serious mental health issues, ex-offenders, entrenched rough sleepers and applicants with serious substance misuse problems.
• To be responsible for the nomination of applicants with sufficient priority for housing association and other accommodation (including long term temporary accommodation and private rented sector) in accordance with the Council's scheme of allocation.
• To provide appropriate advice and information about welfare benefits and housing options to all callers requiring assistance. To provide an advice and information service to non-priority need applicants to assist them in their own efforts to secure suitable accommodation.
• To carry out full housing options interviews/assessments with all applicants threatened with homelessness, carrying out enquiries into applicants' circumstances, checking and verifying documents where housing assistance is requested, providing advice and appropriate assistance including money advice to enable applicants to remain in existing accommodation or to source alternative affordable accommodation.
• To prevent and resolve homelessness wherever possible by negotiation with and/or between personal callers, their families, landlords, solicitors, financial institutions and other housing providers.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE:

• Proven experience of working in line with Housing Legislation, Welfare Benefits, Housing and Council Tax benefit, money management, regulations and working practises.
• Proven knowledge and ability to interpret legislation and law and how it impacts customer service deliver.
• Proven experience of developing and maintaining good working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• An ability to understand people and the complex nature of some of their interactions
• Enhanced DBS check

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. 4Recruitment Services is an equal opportunities employer.