Job Description
Lead Professional Officer
Tower Hamlets
Contract
£23.16 per hour PAYE or £30.23 per hour limited paid via umbrella company inside IR35
Our client is looking for an experienced is looking for a Lead Professional Officer
The role is an office based role that requires the successful candidate to attend office Monday to Friday.
This is one of many roles we are recruiting for please visit our website colbernlimited co uk
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To work to the No Wrong Door (NWD) programme to assess customer needs ensuring a holistic problem solving approach to customer needs
To be the lead officer in guiding and assisting customers through their favoured options in exploring a planned and co-ordinated approach to identified key support needs, including housing, employment and child care.
Liaise and work with all relevant organisations and partners to prevent
To negotiate and conciliate with landlords, parents and other accommodation providers to prevent homelessness and provide practical assistance to help customers remain in or gain alternative accommodation wherever possible
Ensure that all enquiries and cases are progressed speedily and efficiently and that all set targets are achieved whilst maintaining excellent customer service standards for all relevant client groups and contribute to year on year improvement of those standards.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
To conduct housing options interviews with customers focussing on assessing housing needs, preventing homelessness and giving good quality advice on the housing choices available so that customers can make informed decisions
To negotiate and mediate with landlords, parents and other accommodation providers to prevent homelessness and provide practical assistance to help customers remain in their accommodation, including home visits
To provide good quality advice, information and assistance through face to face interviews, home visits, co-location, by telephone and by correspondence within a customer care framework, ensuring all deadlines are met and that customers can make informed decisions about their housing options
To provide the above through a detailed knowledge of housing legislation and case law in relation to homelessness, children, immigration law, social housing sector landlord and tenant law, and family law including domestic abuse and welfare benefits and rights
To confirm eligibility and that there is a reason to believe that an applicant is homeless and in priority need when determining whether accommodation is to be provided, making recommendations as to what would constitute suitable accommodation
For those clients who wish to pursue an application under homeless legislation, make sufficient enquiries to determine whether a duty is owed and to write good quality and comprehensive s184 decision letters
To have a good knowledge and understanding of the responsibilities of social landlords, Children s Services, YOT, Police, Probation, Social and Health Services and of local voluntary sector provision in relation to housing need, homelessness and homelessness prevention work
To be the lead professional for customers by using an assessment tool to assist in exploring other support needs in relation to employment, child care, immigration and legal advice and making supported referrals to internal and external partners using agreed protocols under the NWD programme.
To assist and encourage customers to use on-line tools available to access options advice and source partner agency assistance
Following assessment, to make timely referrals to the Legal and Housing Options Singles Team (HOST) teams of cases which requires in depth enquiries, analysis, support, in depth legal assistance and complex s184 decisions, providing a comprehensive referral report of customer NWD outcomes and targets to date
To give basic money advice, budgeting advice and debt advice to customers using an assessment tool and liaising negotiating with partner agencies, including Housing Benefit
To participate in outreach work off-site in partners offices to give advice and assistance on housing options and homeless prevention
To contribute in the development and delivery of relevant council plans and strategies so that targets and performance requirements are met
To effectively communicate the Council s duties and policies to customers and partner organisations directly, in writing and through customer information
To actively assist customers in seeking and securing accommodation in the private sector where this is identified as an affordable, suitable and viable option following assessment of customer needs
Where single customers homelessness cannot be prevented, to assess their needs to determine whether there is a supported housing need and provide interim accommodation where a reason to believe has been confirmed, if required, pending referral to the HOST complex team.
To inform customers about Choice Based Lettings and potential waiting times to help customers make appropriate bids through the choice based letting scheme
To develop and share a comprehensive network of contacts across the public, private and voluntary sectors to improve partnership working.
To ensure that all contact with customers and other organisations is fully recorded and where possible confirm advice given in writing
To ensure all housing options case work is clearly, appropriately and accurately documented, including data and statistical information
To respond to queries from customers or their approved advocates and other stakeholders whether in person, by telephone, email or in writing in line with the council s standards.
To make recommendations to the Team Manager for use of the
To undertake all duties with due regard to Health & Safety legislation, ensuring all risk assessments are undertaken, maintained and reviewed.
PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES colbernlimited co uk
The first part of our recruitment process is to send your CV. Should you be short listed Colbern Limited will contact you within 5 days or we may contact you about other job opportunities. Colbern Limited along with our clients are an equal opportunities employer