Tenancy Sustainment Officer

Tenancy Sustainment Officer 3-6 month contract 37 hours per week to £34 per hour (Umbrella) dependent on experience Barking office based We are currently seeking an experienced Tenancy Sustainment specialist from a Social Housing background for our client based in Barking You will be providing intensive tenancy sustainment support to vulnerable residents, helping them to sustain their tenancy and reduce the risk of tenancy failure. You will support residents with diverse and complex needs helping to maximize their quality of life. You help maximize the income of households by advising on claims such as for welfare benefits, Discretionary Housing Payment, and the Household Support Fund. Responsibilities include: Responsible for logging and appraising referrals for support and providing intensive support to a caseload of residents following referrals from internal and external agencies. Provide a high-profile responsive service to residents. Working with other teams such as the Neighbourhood Team (who will also make referrals to the Tenancy Sustainment Officer) and working daily with external organisations such as debt advice agencies, credit unions, Law Centres, and other teams. Provide an excellent service to tenants (who have Assured Shorthold Tenancies) in the areas of Welfare Benefits (including Universal Credit), and other statutory and discretionary benefits, schemes, and options. Manage a caseload of residents, working with each to offer an individual and empowering service. To holistically assess a customer`s circumstances by conducting interviews, undertaking visits to customers in their homes and maintain accurate cases notes. Carrying out a risk assessment with each resident, highlighting any risks to themselves, their tenancy or others. Assess need and formulate Support Plans for individual tenants with the broad aims of promoting independent living and sustaining the tenancy. Regularly review support plans with tenants and in collaboration with other support agencies to ensure the appropriate type of support remains in place. Regularly undertake a comprehensive assessment of tenants’ support needs (as early as possible, including at sign up) to identify challenges and any issues that could pose a threat to the sustainment of their tenancy. Have expert knowledge of Housing Benefit, Welfare Benefits and Universal Credit to support and assist tenants with applications for welfare benefits and appeals, including complex welfare benefits cases and backdate requests. Support and assist residents with applications for grant funding to maximize income and help to manage urgent financial matters and short or longer-term financial hardship with the aim to maintain and sustain their tenancy. Refer vulnerable tenants to external partners and floating support to meet their longer-term support needs and signpost those tenants who are no longer able to live independently to other agencies or to different housing solutions. Identify where residents require referrals to advice agencies and additional support including Social Care. Lead on identifying, setting up and chairing meetings with external agencies as part of ensuring the support plans for residents are delivered. Demonstrate knowledge and skills that will enable a comprehensive understanding of options to resolve complex case enquiries such as those covering a wide range of services and agencies. For further details about this role, please contact specialist Social Housing Recruiter, Mark Grove, on (phone number removed) or apply via this site