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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Help people find housing solutions and prevent homelessness through advice and support.
- Company: Join a dedicated team focused on delivering essential housing services in the community.
- Benefits: Enjoy a mix of on-site work, personal development opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in people's lives while working in a dynamic and empathetic team.
- Qualifications: Experience in housing services, strong communication skills, and knowledge of relevant laws are essential.
- Other info: Work two days on-site with potential for a third day; regular evaluations for growth.
The predicted salary is between 28800 - 43200 £ per year.
Who You Are
You are a skilled Housing Needs Officer with extensive experience in decision making, customer interviewing, and assessments related to homelessness, particularly under Part 7 of the Homelessness Act. Your proficiency in Housing Reduction Act (HRA) regulations allows you to excel in delivering excellent customer-focused services in fast-paced environments. You possess strong analytical skills, mediating effective solutions efficiently while maintaining professional boundaries yet showing empathy. With deep knowledge of current housing laws, immigration issues, and relevant legislations, you are both an adept team player and an independent worker, keen on addressing changing service needs using your initiative. Your outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, are complemented by a sound understanding of equality, diversity issues, safeguarding, and data protection. You are also competent in IT, familiar with systems like Word, Excel, and databases, effectively managing complex tasks and utilizing resources for preventing homelessness.
What the Job Involves
As a Housing Needs Officer in the Housing Demand Team, your focus will be on delivering high-quality, customer-focused housing needs services. This involves providing housing advice, addressing housing issues, and preventing homelessness in line with relevant legislation. Your role will include coordination with internal teams like Rough Sleeper Outreach, Temporary Accommodation, and Social Lettings, as well as with external agencies such as Slough Mental Health Team, Probation, and Police. You'll employ holistic strategies to guide tenants, licensees, landlords, and others about their rights and available options, while managing complex information. Effective management of resources to ensure sustainable and affordable housing solutions is essential. Responsibilities include conducting home visits for verifying homelessness applications, maintaining meticulous records, and ensuring proper utilization of council resources. Furthermore, you'll provide legal advice on housing, immigration, and benefits legislation, working proactively towards statutory and performance targets. Upholding the council's values in equality and diversity, you're expected to comply with health and safety, data management, and other relevant protocols. Your work schedule consists of two days on-site at Slough offices, with occasional third-day requirements, along with engaging in regular evaluations and meetings to enhance personal development and service quality.
Housing Needs Officer employer: Slough Council
Contact Detail:
Slough Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Housing Needs Officer
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarize yourself with the latest updates on the Homelessness Act and Housing Reduction Act regulations. This knowledge will not only help you in interviews but also demonstrate your commitment to staying informed about the legal framework that governs your role.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the housing sector, especially those who work in similar roles or organizations. Attend local housing forums or workshops to build connections and gain insights into best practices and challenges faced in the field.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss real-life scenarios where you've successfully managed complex cases or provided effective solutions to housing issues. Highlight your analytical skills and ability to mediate between different parties while maintaining empathy and professionalism.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your IT proficiency by being ready to discuss how you've utilized software like Word, Excel, and databases in your previous roles. Being able to manage and analyze data effectively is crucial for the Housing Needs Officer position.
We think you need these skills to ace Housing Needs Officer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience in decision making, customer interviewing, and assessments related to homelessness. Emphasize your knowledge of the Homelessness Act and Housing Reduction Act regulations.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: In your cover letter, showcase your analytical skills and ability to mediate effective solutions. Mention specific examples of how you've delivered customer-focused services in fast-paced environments.
Highlight Relevant Skills: Clearly outline your communication skills, both written and verbal, and your understanding of equality and diversity issues. Don't forget to mention your IT competencies, especially with systems like Word and Excel.
Demonstrate Initiative: Provide examples in your application that demonstrate your ability to address changing service needs using your initiative. This could include situations where you successfully managed complex tasks or collaborated with internal and external agencies.
How to prepare for a job interview at Slough Council
✨Showcase Your Experience with Legislation
Be prepared to discuss your extensive experience with the Homelessness Act and Housing Reduction Act. Highlight specific cases where you successfully navigated these regulations to deliver customer-focused services.
✨Demonstrate Empathy and Professionalism
During the interview, emphasize your ability to maintain professional boundaries while showing empathy. Share examples of how you've effectively mediated solutions for clients facing homelessness.
✨Highlight Your Analytical Skills
Discuss your strong analytical skills by providing examples of complex situations you've managed. Explain how you utilized data and resources to prevent homelessness and ensure sustainable housing solutions.
✨Prepare for Team Coordination Scenarios
Since the role involves coordination with various internal and external teams, be ready to discuss your experience working collaboratively. Prepare examples that showcase your ability to communicate effectively and manage relationships with different agencies.
