Job Description

Housing Solutions Officer

Kingston

We are seeking a motivated Housing Solutions Officer to provide advice and support to individuals and families facing housing difficulties. You will assess housing needs, offer housing options, and work with external agencies to ensure clients receive necessary support. Using your knowledge and skills, you will help prevent homelessness by negotiating, advising, and securing suitable accommodation.

Key Responsibilities

To ensure that all aspects of the Housing Solutions Service are delivered effectively in line with legislation and statutory guidance, policies, procedures and protocols.

To provide high quality advice and assistance and ensure homelessness is prevented wherever possible by providing effective advice.

To ensure that all homelessness investigations are undertaken in accordance with statute, the Code of Guidance, case law, local authority agreements and Council policy.

To manage a caseload of applicants who have approached the Council for assistance under the Homelessness Reduction Act, keeping your caseload under review and taking timely action to minimise the time in temporary accommodation and ensuring the Council's duties are met within statutory timescales

To participate in the operation of a duty rota system for 'homeless on the day' interviews and to arrange placement of people into interim emergency accommodation where required.

To make decisions with respect to homelessness applications and to ensure the efficient referral of cases for longer term temporary accommodation to the Housing Access service where the Council has accepted a duty.

To ensure accommodation is provided to qualifying homeless applicants at point of homelessness accessing accommodation suppliers provided through the Housing Supply team