TA Housing Solutions Officer

Connect2Luton are excited to recruit a TA Housing Solutions Officer on behalf of Luton Borough Council.

Main purpose of position:

The TA HSO will liaise with TA homeless applicants undertaking assessments on clients to ensure the accommodation is suitable for them. The officer is required to assess the suitability of the property and provide tenancy related advice and support working together with the household to help them maintain an existing tenancy or support the household to move on from temporary accommodation, into their own permanent home.

The post holder will also be responsible for monitoring the choice-based lettings bidding of accepted homeless households to ensure compliance within the councils allocations policy and intervene as necessary.

The post holder will also be required to work towards achieving targets set by Managers and Team Leaders, assuring effective and efficient management of cases, working towards reducing the number of households in TA.

As a Housing Solutions Officer, you will be responsible to:

• Visit/work with households in Temporary Accommodation (TA) to provide them with advice and guidance on the full range of housing options available to them and manage their expectations, taking into account their needs, their priority on the Housing Register and ability to sustain other options, including private rented accommodation.
• Undertake detailed suitability assessments giving consideration for example to the physical condition of the accommodation, location, affordability, overcrowding, and risk of violence from any person to enable to discharge the council homeless duty.
• Liaise with Landlords and Agents to secure properties and undertake assessments on clients to ensure a private rented tenancy is suitable for them.
• Monitor bidding activity across households in TA and offer support to those households who require assistance, in order to help them make informed choices ensuring compliance within the councils allocations policy and intervene as necessary.
• Undertake casework including: completion of financial affordability assessments, assessing suitability of properties and issuing discharge of the duty decisions subject to the council's statutory duty for households to whom the council owes a full housing duty under the Housing Act 1996 Part VII as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act.
• Have knowledge and understanding of how the council is able to end the main housing duty for example through a final part VI offer of social housing, private rented sector offer, refusal of final offer of TA.
• Have knowledge and understanding of the Public Sector Equality Duty subject to the Equality Act 2010 and its effect on discharge of duty decisions.
• Signpost/refer households in TA to other agencies as required, including employment and training providers, supported housing services, children's services or adult care.
• Assist homeless households in TA deal with the effects of the welfare reforms by providing advice and assistance on benefit entitlement and referral for employment opportunities and support.
• Ensure that systems are in place to ensure effective move-on from emergency accommodation, helping to minimise high cost placements and subsidy loss.

Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrable experience of working with vulnerable individuals and families with complex needs.
• Demonstrable experience of partnership working, liaison and negotiation with external agencies and partners.
• Strong communications skills both written and orally, influencing, negotiating in person and on behalf of individuals and providing advice to aid with empowering individuals to resolve their problems.
• Good numerical skills to carry out affordability tests to recommend financial awards/grants/loans working on ledgers and assessing on finance issues whilst ensuring within affordability envelope to protect the council from incurring additional costs.
• Able to problem solve, critically analyse financial and management information, think outside the box and sell the positives of a property or service in a reassuring and supportive manner.
• Able to undertake casework including: completion of financial affordability assessments, assessing suitability of properties and issuing discharge of the duty decisions subject to the council's statutory duty for households to whom the council owes a full housing duty under the Housing Act 1996 Part VII as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act.
• Demonstrable knowledge of Housing and Homelessness legislation, Housing Act 1996, parts VI and VII, as amended, the Homelessness Act 2002, Localism Act 2011, Homelessness Suitability of Accommodation (England) Order 2012, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and related legislation and case law.
• A good understanding and awareness of housing issues and homelessness issues.
• NVQ level 3 in a relevant vocational relating to Housing or equivalent work experience or training.
• GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English.

Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council.

We are an equal opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.