Job Details
Job Description
JOB ROLE PURPOSE
Deliver a professional Housing Options and Homeless service providing advice, support and guidance to ensure that all clients receive timely interventions and assessments to support them into permanent and settled affordable accommodation.
KEY TASKS
Ensure that housing advice and assistance is given to all clients with due regard to housing legislation (under the 1996 Housing Act, Homelessness Act 2002 & Children’s Act 1989) within the agreed timescales ensuring compliance to the requirements of the legislation.
Identify problems causing potential homelessness and provide tailored solutions, advice and assistance to facilitate and secure alternative settled accommodation and prevent homeless.
Work proactively with relevant Council departments, Floating Support Providers/Partners, Health/Hospital Trust, Private Landlords Family Support Unit, Probation and Registered Providers to ensure that effective support is identified and implemented to prevent homelessness, ensure timely assessments and support clients into settled accommodation.
Provide advice and assistance to clients with complex needs and sign post to the relevant services and support
Keep up to date with all current housing and benefit’s legislation to ensure compliance.
Ensure that Families and individuals are placed appropriately in temporary accommodation that fully meet their needs, ensuring that move on plans are in place and that clients do not exceed legal deadlines.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
People
Work with complex and chaotic clients who require assistance to secure safe and affordable accommodation and to work with support agencies to ensure that they maintain their tenancies.
Work with clients to offer advice, assistance and support with mortgage related issues arranging and negotiating repayment plans with financial providers (Bank’s/Building Societies).
Negotiate on behalf of the tenant with landlord were there are rent arrears and offer advice to clients on their legal rights.
Work with clients, were possession orders have been issued by the court, to access alternative accommodation.
Liaise with Children’s and Young Peoples Department (CYPD) when dealing with homeless families to ensure that all safeguarding issues are addressed and that the families’ needs are met.
Undertake direct work with clients via home visits where appropriate, to provide potentially homeless applicants with a full appraisal of their situation identifying and discussing a range of options for them to consider.
Identify the support needs of service users and make appropriate referrals to other Council teams and external agencies.
Assist clients to access and signpost to other statutory, non statutory and voluntary agencies where relevant.
Highlight any concerns about service users where appropriate to the relevant agency (Safeguarding).
Negotiate and facilitate the placement of clients within emergency /short term accommodation
Carry out a full investigation and evaluate the main factors and reasons why a client has been unable or unwilling to maintain their tenancy/mortgage.
Offer budgeting and money management advice to clients who are in rent arrears or who are subject to a reduction in benefits due to welfare reforms.
Provide peer training and support to colleagues to ensure there is a consistent approach to the delivery of service.
Carry out housing surgeries throughout the borough offering advice and assistances to Health and Social Care Services clients.
Financial
Negotiate and process claims for discretionary housing payment (DHP) to assist clients to manage and reduce rent arrears, and to move on to more suitable a sustainable accommodation.
Carryout affordability evaluations of the client’s financial ability and negotiate with debtors on payment reduction plans and writing off of debts.
Negotiate, assess and allocate Discretionary Housing Payments and negotiate with creditors to reduce debt or agree and implement payment plans.
Update systems and compile reports detailing financial assistance that has been negotiated and the decisions made.
Please be aware this is a Long Term Temporary post to start ASAP.
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