Homelessness and Housing Advice Officer

Housing Advice & Homeless Prevention Officer (Contract, 4+ Months)

Location: Hillingdon (Various Hotels)
Contract: 4+ Month Contract (with potential to extend)
Hourly Rate: £25 per hour (Paid Umbrella)
Working Days: Minimum of 2 days per week (flexible scheduling)

Role Purpose
We are seeking a Housing Advice & Homeless Prevention Officer to join our team on a contract basis. The post-holder will be responsible for providing expert housing advice, supporting homelessness prevention efforts, and guiding individuals through various housing options. This will involve proactively engaging with clients to determine the best housing solutions and prevent homelessness. The role includes delivering advice on security of tenure, low-cost homeownership, and investigating household circumstances to make informed decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Casework Management: Manage a case load across housing options, move-on, and homelessness prevention, ensuring clients have access to relevant resources and services.

• Homelessness Prevention: Provide advice to potentially homeless clients, assisting them in claiming housing and welfare benefits to delay or prevent homelessness.

• Assessments & Investigations: Conduct statutory assessments and investigate housing needs in line with Part VII of the Housing Act 1996.

• Holistic Housing Advice: Offer expert advice on a range of housing options, including low-cost homeownership, and assist clients in managing their housing situation independently.

• Safeguarding & Risk Management: Identify and manage safeguarding concerns, particularly for vulnerable individuals, including families, children, and young people.

• Collaboration: Work closely with the Housing Register, Allocations Team, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, and external partners to ensure effective service delivery.

• Housing Solutions: Provide sustainable housing solutions by reducing reliance on temporary accommodation and securing private rented properties.

• Compliance: Stay up-to-date with housing legislation, policies, and procedures to ensure statutory obligations are met and best practices are followed.

Key Requirements

• Previous experience in housing advice, homeless prevention, or a related field.

• Knowledge of housing legislation, policy, and statutory duties, particularly the Housing Act 1996.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to work with diverse individuals and agencies.

• Ability to work independently, manage a caseload, and meet deadlines.

• Understanding of safeguarding and risk management, with experience working with vulnerable clients.

• A flexible and proactive approach to managing outreach work in hotel settings (at least two days per week).

If you are passionate about making a positive impact in homelessness prevention and housing advice, we want to hear from you.