Accommodation Assessment & Lettings Officer

Responsibilities:

• To arrange emergency, temporary accommodation placements and make appropriate referrals into supported accommodation, ensuring all placements and referrals are carried out in a timely manner, making the best use of all available housing stock at all times.
• To make offers of properties in line with Housing legislation and make robust decisions to discharge duty where necessary that will withstand legal scrutiny.
• Arrange emergency accommodation on behalf of other services, including Children''s Social Services and Adult Social Care as and when required
• Co-ordinate available properties in the private rented sector and in conjunction with Housing Caseworkers, identify highest priority households to be put forward for Direct Lets to prevent and relieve homelessness.
• To ensure high quality offers, suitability and discharge of duty decisions are made in a timely manner relating to offers of properties (temporary accommodation & private rented properties)
• To work proactively to find an appropriate housing solution to bring the ''relief''/ full housing duty to an end
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and guidelines so that accommodation is allocated based on need and all offers of accommodation are suitable
• Proactively contribute to the action plan to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation by monitoring and maximising move on opportunities from temporary accommodation and supported housing.
• Ensure accurate records are maintained of those in all types of emergency, temporary and supported housing, maintaining statistical information for local and central government statistical returns

Required

• Must have current Basic DBS.
• Must have working knowledge of Part 7, S193, S188 and Discharge of Duty.
• Willingness to undertake home visits which are effective and take into account health and safety requirements.
• Flexible and proactive, with a commercially-minded approach to developing services and sustaining relationships with landlords.

If interested, please submit CV and call Varsha on (phone number removed) between 9am to 5pm (Mon to Fri)