Housing and Welfare Officer

Job purpose:

• To provide a highly specialised Housing and Welfare service on all matters relating to Housing, Housing rights in accordance with the homelessness legislation, income maximisation, promotion of welfare benefits, protection of welfare rights and  the delivery of increased prosperity and wellbeing to customers across the borough in accordance with Council policy, procedure and objectives.
• To support the delivery of joint working and externally funded projects and initiatives within the service and with other partner agencies/stakeholders.
• To represent customers in Tribunals and/or Court Hearings in relation to Housing and Welfare matters.
• To deliver a progressive and responsive service to customers, partners and stakeholders.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• To work with members of the public who are applying for housing or welfare benefits assistance from the Council, offering high standards of customer care at all times.
• To work effectively and efficiently to assess risk and escalate issues of concern, minimise customer-waiting times, reduce the number of missed and unanswered telephone calls and to maximise the resolution of all customer enquiries at the first point of contact.
• To assess the suitability of households for participation in the Council’s private rented sector access scheme (direct lettings) based on their present housing situation, income, support needs and other circumstances.
• To make decisions on the outcome of individual homelessness applications in cases under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 as amended, accepting or refusing duties as appropriate in accordance with statute, case law and the Homelessness Code of Guidance.
• Applying discretion in individual cases in the context of the legal framework and the need to safeguard the Council’s resources.
• To manage the assisted choice process for applicants who are assessed as having a priority for housing under the Council’s scheme of allocation and nominations.

Requirements:

• NVQ level 2 or equivalent in customer services.
• Proven experience of working in line with Housing Legislation, Welfare Benefits, Housing and Council Tax benefit, money management, regulations and working practises.
• Strong commitment to service delivery and customer excellence.
• Ability to successfully work with teams to develop a group drive to achieve outstanding performance.
• Proven experience of developing and maintaining good working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Analytical skills and the ability to communicate a range of issues to a variety of audiences.
• Proven knowledge and ability to interpret legislation and law and how it impacts customer service deliver.
• Enhanced DBS dated within the last 12 months - on the update service? You could be fast tracked through our recruitment process today

Working with Archer Resourcing Ltd:

We have been helping all health care professionals find exciting new roles for a number of years, so we know exactly where to look when it comes to sourcing the best opportunities. We operate across the UK, and, with amazing relationships with the biggest employers in UK social care, we give you the best chance of landing your next role.

We have a reputation for recruiting efficiently, however, we can only respond to candidates who meet the exact requirements of the position. If you have any queries about a role or application, then please call Archer direct on the provided contact details.

We also offer a £250 referral bonus should you know of anyone who may be interested.

Due the high demand of CV's received we are unable to respond to all applications. However, we may hold your CV on file and contact you for future suitable roles.

Must be eligible to work in the U.K