Positive Employment is currently recruiting for a Social Housing and Lettings Officer for our client a large local government based in Brent.
The successful candidate will investigate and assess all households who apply for housing under the Housing Act 1985 and Housing Act 1996 (Part VI). This includes registering new and general housing applicants; undertaking verifications, including home visits and organising medical assessments; notifying applicants of their housing assessment priority and management and administration for existing applications.
The post holder will also support the management and administration of the choice-based lettings service, including prioritisation of applicants for viewings/offers, dealing with customer enquiries and organising the advertisement of properties.
This is a 3 month starting contract with the possibility for extensions.
Duties and Responsibilities but not limited to:
- Prioritise all applicants in the appropriate category and banding in line with the organisation’s allocation policy and other guidelines. To write and serve decision letters on all applications, explaining the reasons for their decision and advising them of their right to review.
- Work closely with the Housing Management Team to ensure that mutual exchanges, successions, tenancy assignments, management transfers and tenancy terminations are dealt with efficiently and in accordance with legislation, policy and procedures.
- Investigate cases of racial or sexual harassment or other forms of unacceptable behaviour in accommodation and take appropriate action.
- Contribute to the maintenance of the choice based letting system which enables applicants to bid for properties, including the advertising and marketing of available properties.
- Make appropriate nominations and allocations to all social housing accommodation that the organisation owns or has nomination rights to. To do so within agreed timescales to minimise voids periods and potential financial loss to the organisation.
- Provide accurate advice to households regarding their offer and consequences of refusals.
- Make all necessary referrals to relevant services or departments, including the organisation’s Medical Officer, social care services and housing options services, and investigate high need or exceptional cases.
- Amend and update cases, properties and schemes on the LOCATA system and advise applicants on the use of the service. This will include monitoring and identifying any anomalies in bidding patterns and taking action to address issues, such as non-bidding or inappropriate bidding.
- Deal with enquiries and complaints and correspondence from clients and their professional advocates, including solicitors, councillors, MPs, the ombudsman and other housing providers, in line with the Council’s complaints and enquiries procedure. This may include preparing information to support court cases for which the postholder is responsible.
- Identify cases of fraud and misrepresentation and take appropriate action in conjunction with senior officers in the accommodation services team.
- Undertake project work around new initiatives and priorities that the organisation or Government may develop, including targeted housing support, special viewings or lettings schemes and research on housing needs.
- Provide a comprehensive casework service to customers to assist them in responding their housing and related issues. This will include organising and prioritising a caseload to meet
deadlines, updating a variety of IT systems, including LOCATA, Vision, Northgate, and providing performance and other information on casework to managers as requested.
Personal Requirements:
- Knowledge of core legislation such as the Housing Act 1985, the Housing Act 1996 (Part VI), Homelessness Act 2002, Localism Act 2011, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, related rehousing issues and case law.
- Knowledge of supply and demand issues related to social housing in an inner London Local Authority.
- Knowledge of legislation and best practice relating to the letting of social housing and the use of choice based lettings systems.
- Understanding of housing need and homelessness issues in the Borough.
- Experience of giving advice to customers and working with vulnerable groups.
Working Hours: 09:00am – 17:00pm, Monday – Friday
Pay: £23.93 p/h
Please note this role is within the scope of IR35.
Key Words: Homelessness, Housing Act, Local Government, Lettings, Tenancy
