Housing Options Officer

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be supporting Rochford District Council to recruit a Housing Solutions Officer on a 3-month temporary basis. The Opportunity We are looking for someone to join our busy, passionate Housing Options Team working hard with the key focus in actively seeking to prevent homelessness in the district. You will support the important work of colleagues and others in identifying and providing housing solutions to those in need in line with all relevant homelessness legislation and housing law. This opportunity requires 2 days per week based in the office and the remainder working from home. Accountabilities

• Deliver a customer orientated service to prevent homelessness which provides a suitable solution regarding homelessness and all housing issues
• Assess the Council's duties to those who are at risk of homelessness and ensure that these are discharged
• Carry out the Council's statutory duties under homelessness legislation, housing law, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, Housing Act Part V1 & V11, Localism Act 2011, Code of Guidance, case law and the Council's policies and procedures
• Liaise with families, private landlords, social care, letting agencies, mortgage lenders and others where necessary, making referrals to both internal and external services
• Take ownership of caseloads in ensuring that all housing options are explored in all cases to establish and maximise opportunities for the prevention of homelessness
• Investigate applications for housing in line with current legislation, policies and procedures, undertaking home visits, surgeries and case conferences as necessary
• Provide advice to those seeking accommodation on private sector housing options, including information on tenancy issues and welfare benefits
• Prepare and present prevention outcomes to applicants, in writing and verbally, and be accountable to applicants and others when required to explain decisions
• Carry out routine, both planned and unplanned, checks on all temporary accommodation; including homes visits for the purposes of checking occupancy and use is in accordance with any licence or assured tenancy agreement
  
  Excellent knowledge of current housing and homelessness legislation, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 case law and guidance
• Good knowledge of housing allocation and registration processes
• Good knowledge of landlord and tenant law
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to a wide range of audiences
• Full Driving Licence and daily use of a car or the ability to travel throughout the District and beyond, At Rochford District Council we like our workforce to be proactive and innovative. Being customer focused and willing to maximise your potential at work are expected. We all work together to achieve the very best for our residents which sometimes means getting involved in projects and trying new tasks outside of your day-to-day job role. We love our team to suggest new ideas and to have enthusiasm to try out new experiences.