We have an exciting opportunity for a motivated and committed Housing Advice Officer to join our Housing Advice Team.
This is a varied and rewarding role supporting people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. You will provide professional housing advice, undertake homelessness assessments and work proactively with individuals and families to prevent homelessness and help them secure suitable, settled and affordable accommodation.
Managing your own caseload, you will investigate applications made under the homelessness legislation, develop and review personalised housing plans and provide advice and assistance tailored to each person’s circumstances. You will identify the issues that are placing someone’s home at risk and explore practical solutions, including negotiating with family members, landlords, letting agents and lenders, providing advice around financial difficulties and working closely with other services.
You will ensure that casework, assessments, enquiries, notifications and decision letters are completed accurately and within the relevant statutory timescales. Where temporary accommodation is required, you will help ensure placements are appropriate, individual needs are considered and clear plans are in place to support timely move-on.
Partnership working is central to this role. You will liaise with colleagues across the council and with organisations including Adult and Children’s Services, health professionals, the Police, Probation, the Department for Work and Pensions, housing providers and support agencies. You may also represent the Housing Advice Team at multi-agency meetings, including Child in Need, Child Protection, MARAC, MAPPA, anti-social behaviour and community safety meetings.
The post is offered as a career-grade opportunity at Grades 5,6 and 7, however we are currently looking to appoint at Grade 5. A career graded post provides scope for progression as the postholder develops the required knowledge, skills and competencies.
The role involves agile working, visits to homes and community locations and travelling across North Lincolnshire. There may also be a requirement to participate in the council’s out-of-hours homelessness emergency service.
This is an excellent opportunity to join a supportive and experienced team and make a meaningful difference to people at a time when they may be facing significant uncertainty.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact James Jellinek on [email protected]
Please see attached job description and employee specification which you should refer to when completing your application to demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.
As an employer, we promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect the same commitment from existing and prospective employees or volunteers. Recruitment to this post will follow our safer recruitment procedure which includes us requesting references prior to interview and a DBS check.
Candidates must be able to evidence their right to work in the UK. Please note the council does not hold a sponsor licence to sponsor people to work in the UK.
We are collectively organised around the people and place of North Lincolnshire. Together we ensure that our communities are safe, well, prosperous and connected. We are ambitious for North Lincolnshire, we want our area to be the #BestPlace for our residents by being the #BestCouncil we can be. We achieve this through living our values – equality of opportunity, excellence, integrity and self-responsibility – in all that we do.
