Allocations & Lettings Officer

Overview of the job:

• Allocating accommodation in line with part VI of the Housing Act 1996, essentially to council and registered provider homes.
• Allocating permanent homes in line with the Housing Allocations Scheme through the choice based lettings system.
• Complete direct matching processes for those with medical needs (including delayed discharge of care cases), under occupiers, management transfers, sheltered applicants.
• Verify the applications of final shortlisted applicants for permanent properties.
• Provide comprehensive housing advice on housing options for applicants to the housing register awaiting rehousing and to those allocated homes.
• Allocate temporary accommodation, prevention and PRSO’s in line with the Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy and suitability assessment.
• Let temporary accommodation and prevention and PRSO’s properties, completing sign ups and providing appropriate advice to customers.
• Deal with the decision making aspect of refusals of suitable interim temporary accommodation under Section 188 of the Housing Act.
• Discharge the homeless duty where appropriate and issue a decision letter.
• Conduct affordability assessments of households who will be made offers under Part 6 of the Housing Act.

Role Context:

This position is fundamental to the provision of allocations processes across the range of areas affecting vulnerable customers on the housing register, in temporary accommodation and who are being assisted into the private rented sector to prevent homelessness or discharge the housing duty. This is a specialist role that requires good knowledge of the law relating to housing allocations around part VI of the Housing Act 1996.

Education:

Level 4: Specialist learning with ability to undertake detailed analysis of a high level of information and knowledge in an area of work or study. May be evidenced by: Certificates of higher education; NVQ level 4; HND; BTEC Professional; and equivalent qualifications, or evidence of demonstrable application in the course of experience.

Key Subject or Content Areas (inc: Desirable Qualifications):

• Knowledge of the law relating to homelessness as covered by the 1996 Housing Act and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
• Knowledge of the Children’s Act, and the Care Act as this social care legislation interacts with housing and homelessness issues.
• A good knowledge of the Welfare Reform Act.
• A good knowledge of the housing allocations as covered by the Housing Act 1996 Part VI.

Knowledge:

• A good level of knowledge of housing allocation as covered part VI the 1996 Housing Act, case law and codes of guidance, and the Council’s Housing Allocations policy.
• Knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Children’s Act, the Care Act and the Welfare Reform Act.
• Understanding of access to social housing locally.
• Awareness of issues facing local authority housing and the initiatives to respond to them.

Experience:

• Experience of implementing an equality and diversity approach to service delivery.
• Experience of working in a team.
• Experience of working in a demanding front line customer service environment.
• Experience of dealing effectively with confrontational and challenging situations.
• Experience of working with vulnerable customers and providing appropriate support.
• Experience of carrying out interviews, investigations, negotiations.
• Experience of effective record keeping including electronically.
• Experience of successfully working to performance targets and deadlines.