Job Description

Rough Sleeper Navigator

Lewisham

Job Role

To provide a comprehensive high quality homeless prevention, support and advice service to all rough sleepers in Lewisham.

To provide an assessment service to rough sleepers presenting to the Council to ascertain what duties are owed to them by the authority and what alternative housing options are available to them.

To act as a key worker to allocated rough sleepers, working alongside Housing Solution Officers to ensure Personal Housing Plans are in place and up-to-date, taking them through the actions of their personal housing plans and ensuring each step towards permanent housing is completed.

To develop specialist knowledge and skills in relation to rough sleepers as required to enable the delivery of a flexible and responsive housing needs service that can effectively meet changing demands and customer pressures.

To focus on engaging rough sleepers into services using an outreach approach, and working in close partnership with London Street Rescue, NSNO Hub's and other funded and voluntary rough sleeping Initiative services in the borough.

Responsibilities

To resolve rough sleeping within the borough through the provision of confidential and impartial advice and information to identified rough sleepers that have either been identified by Outreach services or are in placement in any rough sleeper assistance scheme.

To actively and positively promote and deliver the Council's housing solutions agenda identifying appropriate housing options for rough sleepers and utilising the tools available for rough sleepers that will resolve their accommodation problems and reduce the need for the provision of temporary accommodation within agreed timeframes.

To provide advice to customers in respect of the Council's obligations under PtVI and PtVII of the Housing Act 1996, the Homelessness Act 2002 and the Localism Act 2011.

To fully investigate the circumstances of rough sleepers in Lewisham and to determine in accordance with current legislation, case law and the Code of Guidance 2006 what duty the authority owes to them and to issue legally robust S184 decision letters accordingly