Senior Housing Advisor - 247311

Wakefield Council; Wakefield; Hybride; GBP 32 000 - 42 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Hybrid working

LGPS pension scheme

Training and development opportunities

Résumé du poste

Wakefield Council is hiring a Senior Housing Advisor to join the Housing Advice Team. You will provide specialist information, advocacy and casework to tenants, licensees, and owner-occupiers facing housing difficulties, including those at risk of homelessness.

You will support compliance with statutory duties and new obligations under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, work on financial assistance applications, and collaborate with a range of agencies to secure suitable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Provides information, advice, advocacy and consultancy to households at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable service users.
• Understands and applies relevant landlord/tenant law and welfare benefits.
• Acts on debt and debt recovery procedures with a sound understanding of housing options and enforcement.

Responsabilités

• Provide specialist, accurate and timely housing advice to tenants, licensees and owner-occupiers.
• Undertake detailed casework on housing, debt and benefit issues.
• Liaise and negotiate with landlords, government departments, local authority departments, employers and creditors on behalf of clients.
• Identify and apply for financial assistance from external agencies and internal schemes.
• Prepare reports for court submissions and signpost users to relevant statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Investigate complaints under housing and tenancy laws and gather information for civil or enforcement actions.

Connaissances

Information advice

Advocacy

Casework

Landlord & tenant law

Formation

Level 4 qualification (QCF) or equivalent

Description du poste

Are you passionate about making a difference to our citizens and the district that they reside in? Then, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our team.

About the Role:

We are seeking a Senior Housing Advisor to join our Housing Advice Team To work as part of a team of Housing Advisors providing specialist, accurate and timely housing advice to tenants, licensees, and owner occupiers experiencing housing difficulty, those threatened with homelessness, or facing possession action. The postholder will ensure compliance with statutory duties under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 and new obligations arising from the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, supporting early intervention, homelessness prevention, and lawful tenancy practice.

Key Responsibilities:

To participate in a duty rota ensuring specialist advice is available during office hours to the Housing Needs Service Single Point of Access.

To undertake detailed advice and casework on housing, debt and benefit issues

To liaise and negotiate with a wide range of agencies and groups, such as landlords, government departments, other local authority departments, employers, and creditors, in undertaking casework for clients.

To explore & support applications for financial assistance available from a range of sources including external agencies and charities and internal scheme such as the Spend to Save budget and the Repossession Fund.

Prepare reports and other supporting information for submission to court

To signpost service users to other statutory, non-statutory and voluntary agencies that could offer assistance.

What will be expected from me?

To provide a comprehensive information advice, advocacy and consultancy service to individuals and agencies including households at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable services users.

To investigate complaints under Protection from Eviction Act 1977, Renters Rights Act 2025 and other Landlord/Tenant legislation delegated to the Housing Needs Service and prepare detailed casefiles, including legal arguments and documents to support any legal/enforcement action

To ensure landlord compliance with all relevant legislation regulating the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, including Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Participation in case conferences with the Team Leader, and representatives from Legal Services to prepare cases for appropriate action, including prosecution. Giving evidence in Magistrates and Crown Court as appropriate.

To provide service users with a full appraisal of their housing situation providing realistic and assertive but sensitive advice taking into account individual needs and situations and to encourage them to consider all options available to them to prevent losing their existing accommodation or obtain new accommodation referring on to appropriate services.

To Identify breaches of the Renters Rights Act 2025, and gather information required to issue a Civil Penalty under the relevant part of the Act.

A qualification at level 4 of the qualifications and Credit Framework or significant work based experience

A detailed knowledge of landlord and tenant law

A detailed knowledge of the law relating to mortgages and secured loans

A detailed knowledge of homelessness legislation and case law.

A working knowledge of welfare benefits

A thorough understanding of debt and debt recovery procedures

What can I expect?

Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy up to 10 extra days of annual leave

Hybrid working (subject to role suitability)

Access to high-quality training programs to advance your career to the next level.

We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff. We recognise that resilient teams need good work life balance as well as supportive leadership.

Discounted and subsidised public transport (Arriva Bus Annual Travel Ticket, Northern Trains Limited (NTL), MetroCard).

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) scheme providing a tax efficient way to increase our pension.

Great range of benefits including an Employee Assistant Programme, discounted membership to our excellent leisure facilities with free 12 weeks exercise program, discounts for a range of retail, entertainment, health and leisure providers, a cycle to work scheme, and many more

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about the role, the recruitment process or working for Wakefield Council, feel free to contact.

Tel: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]