Housing Caseworker (Options/Homelessness)

Positive Employment is currently recruiting for a Housing Caseworker for our client a local government organisation in Exeter.

The successful candidate will specifically focus on assisting people (customers) threatened with homelessness to resolve their housing difficulties and retain their existing homes (where safe to do so) through the provision of high quality advocacy, advice and activities in order to prevent and relieve homelessness wherever possible.

This role is a 4 month initial contract with the possibility to extend. This role can be conducted remotely, however ideally the candidate will spend some time at the office at the start of the placement to familiarize themselves with the team and processes.

Duties and Responsibilities but not limited to:

• Make pro-active interventions with both presenting and prospective customers in order to provide comprehensive person-centred advice and advocacy on housing rights, income maximisation, financial management, relevant support services and to inform, support and signpost customers to specialist advice agencies where applicable and to follow up on referrals and outcomes accordingly.
• Ensure that good quality housing advice is given to customers to prevent homelessness and to both encourage and enable applicants to sustainably resolve their own housing difficulties through a jointly agreed regularly reviewed housing action plan.
• Pro-actively take actions to prevent the loss of accommodation either as a short or long term solution using all means available. This also includes immediate interventions to prevent crisis homelessness including where possible and reasonable to help customers retain or re-access their current accommodation (without the need to refer under a statutory homelessness duty).
• Provide comprehensive advice about housing options within the private rented and social housing sectors including affordability testing, housing-related support opportunities, and tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities including (not exclusively) landlord and tenant law, harassment, eviction proceedings, rights to repairs, additional security measures and discretionary finance options etc.
• Ensure that s.184 notifications are issued within the specified timescale.
• Maintain complete, timely and accurate electronic records of all actions and correspondence in relation to casework and to ensure customer records are clear and comprehensive and that outcomes are clearly identified and recorded for monitoring and reporting purposes.
• Maintain a good awareness and active and creative application of relevant housing and homelessness legislation including case law and to carry out the council’s duties under the current legislation relating to homelessness (at this time primarily the Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002.

Personal Requirements:

• Requires a qualification to HNC level in a relevant discipline or substantial proven relevant experience.
• A current working knowledge of the welfare benefits system.
• A minimum of one year’s experience in a similar public facing role working with homelessness and vulnerable clients or a similar challenging client group.
• Detailed understanding safeguarding protocols as well as knowledge of equality and diversity considerations needed in the delivery of a public service.

Working Hours: 36hrs / 9:00am - 17:00pm / Monday to Friday

Pay: £21.97 per hr

Please note this role is within the scope of IR35.