Specialist Housing Advisor (AfEO) – Accommodation for Ex-Offenders

This is a specialist frontline role within the Homelessness Prevention & Advice Service, focusing on supporting individuals leaving custody or at risk of homelessness due to offending history, ensuring safe, lawful and sustainable accommodation pathways. This is not a generic assessment role. It requires strong negotiation skills and the ability to work to externally monitored performance targets set by MHCLG.

The post holder will join the Specialist Pathways Team and contribute to the Accommodation for Ex-Offenders (AfEO) program. The AfEO project operates at the intersection of homelessness prevention, public protection, and reducing reoffending. The selected candidate will collaborate with a range of internal and external partners, including Probation Services, prisons, adult social services, mental health professionals, estate agents, and supported accommodation providers, to identify safe and sustainable housing solutions.

The role is challenging, high accountability, and impact driven. The right candidate will directly contribute to reducing homelessness for ex-offenders in Newham.

Homelessness in London remains a significant challenge, with over 6,500 households approaching the London Borough of Newham last year. A substantial proportion of single homelessness is linked to prison release and complex needs. The AfEO Specialist Housing Advisor will:

• Take and assess homelessness applications in line with Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017)
• Manage complex single applicants with offending histories, including high-risk and MAPPA cases
• Lead pre-release accommodation planning with prisons and Probation
• Build and maintain working relationships with estate agents, landlords and supported accommodation providers
• Identify financially viable placements within Local Housing Allowance thresholds
• Develop legally robust Personalised Housing Plans and statutory decision letters
• Attend MAPPA meetings to manage safeguarding and public protection risks proportionately
• Deliver against weekly and monthly performance targets set under MHCLG AfEO funding requirements

This role is target driven. The postholder will be expected to evidence weekly outcomes linked to accommodation secured and prevention activity. The post will require attendance in the office and community settings, including partner meetings and provider engagement. Attendance in the office or community may be required up to three times per week and is subject to change depending on service demand. This role is suitable only for experienced Housing Officers.

You must have demonstrable experience of:

• Working within a homelessness prevention and assessment service post-HRA 2017
• Applying housing legislation confidently and producing legally sound s184 decisions
• Securing accommodation within the private rented sector
• Working with supported accommodation providers to manage risk
• Managing complex single homelessness cases, including offending history and high support needs
• Working in multi-agency environments including Probation
• Operating within a target-driven environment and delivering measurable outcomes
• Producing high-quality written communications to a corporate standard

You will be confident in difficult conversations, and able to balance risk, affordability and sustainability. You must submit a supporting statement through our recruitment portal. The supporting statement must demonstrate how you meet the relevant requirements listed in the person specification section of the job description. This should be no more than 2 sides of A4.

Shortlisting decisions will be based on candidates' relevant experience and on candidates' suitability for the role in line with the person specification, as described in your supporting statement.

IMPORTANT: If you are an LBN member of staff and applying for this role as a secondment you should note that secondments are subject to the agreement of your current employing service. Please ensure that you inform your line manager of your intention to apply for the post in the first instance.

We are committed to creating an inclusive, anti-racist environment for all. When you apply for a job at Newham, your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or sexual orientation. If you share our vision and values, and you bring the experience and skills we need, that’s all that matters to us.

The London Borough of Newham has important responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. If you are appointed to a job that involves working with these groups, you may be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Please attach your supporting statement, explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role. We practice anonymised recruitment. Please ensure that you remove all personal information from any documents that you upload.