Housing Practitioner

Are you passionate about making a difference in people's lives? Do you have the skills and determination to support some of the most vulnerable individuals in our community? If so, we invite you to join our dynamic team as a Senior Housing Practitioner and be at the heart of tackling homelessness in Islington. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Housing Practitioner to join the Homelessness Assessment team for a fixed term of 12 months. As a Senior Housing Practitioner, you will play a vital role in delivering our council's commitment to tackling homelessness and supporting those in housing crisis. Working in a fast-paced and diverse environment, you'll engage directly with individuals and families to provide solutions and advice. This is an opportunity to make a tangible impact on people's lives while developing your career in housing and public service.,

• Conduct Housing Needs Assessments: Meet with clients applying as homeless to understand their housing situation, evaluate their eligibility under the Housing Act 1996, and determine their priority need.
• Case Management: Maintain a caseload of clients, ensuring accurate records and timely decisions in compliance with statutory legislation (Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2018), caselaw and guidance.
• Advice and Advocacy: Signpost to other services to ensure clients have access to expert advice on housing options, benefits, and legal rights, empowering clients to make informed choices.
• Partnership Working: work alongside other teams in the Housing Needs service to ensure clients continue to receive appropriate advice and assistance following a decision being made on their homelessness application.
• Crisis Intervention: Respond swiftly to emergencies, providing immediate support and temporary accommodation to those in urgent need.
Why Join Us? Impactful Work: Every day, you'll be helping individuals and families find stability and rebuild their lives. Diverse Community: Work with clients from all walks of life, gaining unique insights and experiences. Supportive Team: Join a dedicated and collaborative team committed to tackling homelessness in London. Flexible Working: We offer hybrid working options to support your work-life balance.

We're looking for someone who:
• Is empathetic, resilient, and committed to delivering excellent service.
• Has experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team setting.
• Possesses the ability to make appropriate and robust decisions based on information provided by clients, advocates or other professionals.
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills required to draft decisions that may be subject to judicial scrutiny.
• Is confident issuing robust and timely decisions pursuant to Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended) and managing a caseload of clients, providing clients with regular updates on the progress of their homelessness application
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and can manage competing priorities effectively.
• Possess an awareness of the wider challenges face by Local Authorities in delivering a service towards homeless applicants.
  
  Islington is a place rich with diversity and culture. As a council our sense of purpose couldn't be clearer: we serve. It's in the logo. We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Together we can change the future.
We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive. To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out 'CARE', which is what we think public service is all about., Islington Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria and we are committed to providing support to applicants who request reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process and throughout their career with us.

We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Our staff benefits include:
• Up to 31 days leave per year, increasing to 36 days after five years of local government service
• A range of flexible working arrangements to maintain a healthy work-life balance, as well as a 35-hour working week
• Learning and development opportunities to maximise your potential
• Competitive pay and a commitment to paying all staff the London Living Wage at minimum
• Excellent local government pension scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme and discounted gym memberships
• Local discounts from restaurants, shops, health and beauty therapists, and more!