Housing Triage Officer
Venesky-Brown’s client, a public sector organisation in Northampton, is currently looking to recruit a Housing Triage Officer for an initial 3 month contract with potential to extend on a rate of £20 to £22/hour (Umbrella). The working hours are 37 hours per week and this role will be based onsite.
Responsibilities:
– To be the first point of contact for all housing need enquiries that cannot be dealt with by Customer Services Team and are referred into the service for an initial assessment of the housing need of the approaching household.
– Provide homelessness prevention advice to customers on housing options including social housing, shared ownership, other forms of low-cost home ownership, disabled adaptations, family mediation, supported housing and how to access private rented housing e.g. rent deposit schemes, discretionary housing payments, homeless prevention fund and charitable support.
– To co-ordinate and provide responses to all housing need & housing options queries including emails, housing register correspondence, phone calls, temporary accommodation queries and resettlement queries.
– To ascertain whether a household should apply to join the Organisation’s Housing Register or if there is a risk of homelessness and make referrals to the Housing Solutions Team if the household is at risk of homelessness within 56 days.
– To make timely and accurate records of all action in relation to client casework and to ensure client files on the IT system are clear, up to date and comprehensive. To follow case management procedures and processes ensuring the correct standards are followed.
– To assess and respond to all referrals received under the ‘Duty to Refer’ arrangements, ensuring that appropriate advice and support is provided, or the referral is escalated to Housing Solutions Team.
– Maintain an extensive, up-to-date, in-depth knowledge of housing allocations and homelessness legislation, codes of guidance, case law and share learning with colleagues to ensure that the Organisation meets its relevant statutory obligations towards households approaching the service in terms of opportunity to join the Organisation’s Housing register and/or any homelessness duties owed to them.
– Work with other Organisation services and external voluntary and statutory bodies to identify housing need and ensure that the Organisation’s Housing Allocations Policy and/or homelessness legislation is applied correctly to meet need. Key stakeholders include Children’s Trust, Adult Social Care, Probation and Police.
– To maximise personal productivity, minimise duplication and errors; and manage our information efficiently and securely to reduce risk, though effective use of Office 365 and our internal IT systems and applications.
– Actively challenge and seek to eliminate any directly or indirectly discriminatory practice or behaviours.
– Demonstrate awareness and understanding of other people’s behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs and ensure that reasonable care is taken at all times for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and other persons
Essential Skills:
– Strong communication and organisational skills.
– Knowledge of housing law and data protection.
– Experience in housing, customer service, or advocacy.
– Experience with housing allocations and case management systems.
– Excellent communication skills – ability to convey information accurately, tact, diplomacy, and the ability to deal with a range of customers with differing needs.
– Ability to accurately record and maintain sensitive information relating to an individual’s personal housing circumstances.
– Demonstrate ICT skills sufficient to maximise the use of software applications, particularly the use of Excel, Case Management and Housing Allocations and Homelessness Software packages
– Excellent organisation skills with the ability to manage and prioritise workloads
– Flexibility to occasionally work outside of normal working hours and able and willing to travel to and work from other locations
– Fully understands their role in the context of safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, in a housing environment
– Demonstrate effective use of Office 365 (incl. Teams, OneDrive, etc.) or willingness to undertake training during the probation period.
– A working knowledge and understanding of current housing law, such as the Housing Act 1996, Parts VI and VII, Homelessness Act 2002, Localism Act 2012, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and immigration law as it applies to housing eligibility, relevant code of guidance and case law.
– Excellent understanding of The Data Protection Act 2018.
– Experience of working in a housing, customer service and advocacy and advice setting.
– Experience of using housing allocations and homelessness case management systems.
– Extensive experience of managing and handling sensitive data and information in line with Data Protection processes and regulations.
– Good general education with minimum GCSE C or equivalent in English and Maths, or equivalent.
Desirable Skills:
– Chartered Institute of Housing qualification Level 2
If you would like to hear more about this opportunity, please get in touch.
Responsibilities:
– To be the first point of contact for all housing need enquiries that cannot be dealt with by Customer Services Team and are referred into the service for an initial assessment of the housing need of the approaching household.
– Provide homelessness prevention advice to customers on housing options including social housing, shared ownership, other forms of low-cost home ownership, disabled adaptations, family mediation, supported housing and how to access private rented housing e.g. rent deposit schemes, discretionary housing payments, homeless prevention fund and charitable support.
– To co-ordinate and provide responses to all housing need & housing options queries including emails, housing register correspondence, phone calls, temporary accommodation queries and resettlement queries.
– To ascertain whether a household should apply to join the Organisation’s Housing Register or if there is a risk of homelessness and make referrals to the Housing Solutions Team if the household is at risk of homelessness within 56 days.
– To make timely and accurate records of all action in relation to client casework and to ensure client files on the IT system are clear, up to date and comprehensive. To follow case management procedures and processes ensuring the correct standards are followed.
– To assess and respond to all referrals received under the ‘Duty to Refer’ arrangements, ensuring that appropriate advice and support is provided, or the referral is escalated to Housing Solutions Team.
– Maintain an extensive, up-to-date, in-depth knowledge of housing allocations and homelessness legislation, codes of guidance, case law and share learning with colleagues to ensure that the Organisation meets its relevant statutory obligations towards households approaching the service in terms of opportunity to join the Organisation’s Housing register and/or any homelessness duties owed to them.
– Work with other Organisation services and external voluntary and statutory bodies to identify housing need and ensure that the Organisation’s Housing Allocations Policy and/or homelessness legislation is applied correctly to meet need. Key stakeholders include Children’s Trust, Adult Social Care, Probation and Police.
– To maximise personal productivity, minimise duplication and errors; and manage our information efficiently and securely to reduce risk, though effective use of Office 365 and our internal IT systems and applications.
– Actively challenge and seek to eliminate any directly or indirectly discriminatory practice or behaviours.
– Demonstrate awareness and understanding of other people’s behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs and ensure that reasonable care is taken at all times for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and other persons
Essential Skills:
– Strong communication and organisational skills.
– Knowledge of housing law and data protection.
– Experience in housing, customer service, or advocacy.
– Experience with housing allocations and case management systems.
– Excellent communication skills – ability to convey information accurately, tact, diplomacy, and the ability to deal with a range of customers with differing needs.
– Ability to accurately record and maintain sensitive information relating to an individual’s personal housing circumstances.
– Demonstrate ICT skills sufficient to maximise the use of software applications, particularly the use of Excel, Case Management and Housing Allocations and Homelessness Software packages
– Excellent organisation skills with the ability to manage and prioritise workloads
– Flexibility to occasionally work outside of normal working hours and able and willing to travel to and work from other locations
– Fully understands their role in the context of safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, in a housing environment
– Demonstrate effective use of Office 365 (incl. Teams, OneDrive, etc.) or willingness to undertake training during the probation period.
– A working knowledge and understanding of current housing law, such as the Housing Act 1996, Parts VI and VII, Homelessness Act 2002, Localism Act 2012, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and immigration law as it applies to housing eligibility, relevant code of guidance and case law.
– Excellent understanding of The Data Protection Act 2018.
– Experience of working in a housing, customer service and advocacy and advice setting.
– Experience of using housing allocations and homelessness case management systems.
– Extensive experience of managing and handling sensitive data and information in line with Data Protection processes and regulations.
– Good general education with minimum GCSE C or equivalent in English and Maths, or equivalent.
Desirable Skills:
– Chartered Institute of Housing qualification Level 2
If you would like to hear more about this opportunity, please get in touch.
