Housing Options Officer- Wakefield

• To work as part of a duty team and carry out holistic housing need assessments for homeless, potentially homeless households or people in housing need identifying barriers and support needs gathering relevant information and obtaining permission to enable third party enquiries to be made .
• To make relevant third party enquiries and obtain information to help establish details of the case. This could involve a variety of enquiries to private individuals, landlords, lenders and statutory and voluntary organisations.
• To complete assessment forms accurately and legibly and update case notes to a very good standard.
• To provide service users with a full appraisal of their situation providing realistic and assertive but sensitive advice taking into account individual needs and situations and to encourage them to consider all options available to them to obtain new accommodation or prevent losing their existing accommodation.
• To prevent or delay homelessness by negotiating with current and potential housing providers to allow the applicant to retain their existing accommodation or move to alternate accommodation.
• To undertake financial assessments to inform and assist in the prevention of homelessness
• To develop statutory housing plans ensuring they are reviewed and statutory duties are referred for discharge in accordance with legislation, guidance and good practice.
• To research local housing options working with a wide range of providers in all sections of the market to identify housing solutions for individuals
• To explain to service users the process of making a homeless application, the reasons why detailed enquiries will be undertaken and possible outcomes of such an assessment.
• To manage a housing options case load, ensuring that appropriate work is undertaken, recorded and passed to a manager for a case review
• To complete applications to charities and council funds for financial assistance to assist service users to retain or obtain accommodation including undertaking a financial assessment of their circumstances and make recommendations to management for consideration e.g. bond guarantees, local welfare provision, discretionary housing benefit
• To process payments/raise invoices in accordance with financial regulations and procedures.
• To support service users to access welfare benefits providing advice on potential entitlement and the processes involved where income maximisation will positively impact upon their ability to retain or gain rehousing
• To assist in the recovery of moneys owe to the council in respect of financial interventions provided to avoid homelessness in line with policies and procedures
• To undertake dynamic risk assessments and risk management plans and work within procedures to manage risk safely.

Please email Bronte at Remedy -