Housing Officer - Temporary Accommodation

Role Purpose

You will work in conjunction with the Homeless Service to minimise time spent living in temporary accommodation and support tenancy readiness for prompt move-on into permanent accommodation. We believe that people should spend the shortest time possible in temporary accommodation to minimise the disruption and stress it can cause. Prolonged stays can negatively impact mental health, wellbeing and family stability especially for children who may face interruption to their education and routines. Temporary accommodation can also limit opportunities for employment due to uncertainty about location of where they will become settled. High rent levels in temporary accommodation can also make it difficult to move from benefits into work.

You will deliver a comprehensive temporary accommodation service, acting as a key point of contact for tenants throughout the tenancy lifecycle. You and your team will manage a portfolio of temporary homes, provide timely and accurate advice, identify support needs and work with customers and partner agencies to help sustain successful tenancies. You will provide advanced housing management support.

You will help maintain safe, well-managed properties by monitoring tenancy compliance, completing inspections, responding to low-level nuisance and anti-social behaviour, and ensuring concerns are recorded and progressed in line with relevant procedures, housing legislation and health and safety requirements

You will:

• You and the team will manage a portfolio of approximately 56 properties, providing a responsive and customer-focused housing management service.
• To ensure the Housing Officers - Temporary Accommodation are effectively prioritising and managing case work and responding to housing related enquiries and actions.
• To ensure that all contact with our customers is recorded on the Open Housing System and appropriate advice and support provided to Housing Officers in addressing tenant issues, giving advice and personally taking on and managing more complex case work and complaints.
• Work closely with the Case Manager Lead to ensure that policies and procedures are written and kept up to date and fit for purpose.
• Prepare and organise monthly meetings for the temporary accommodation team ensuring that there is a balance of learning and opportunities whilst the team are together.
• Ensure team plans and schedules are in place for the delivery of the service area.
• Work closely with our Complaints and Performance Team to ensure Stage 1 complaints are prioritised and responded to in line with current procedures.Ensuring contact with the customer, and the response is actioned in the correct timeframe.Embed any learning opportunities into procedures and the team are aware.
• Collate and analyse monthly data provided by the team, updating records and providing the Case Manager Lead with a report on outputs and issues.
• Carry out regular 121's and checks to ensure quality controls are carried out to identify poor performance and training requirements.
• Ensure the team are safeguarding tenants and others when required.
• Deal with complex housing management cases and provide help and support to the team when required.
• Ensure that all new tenancies are monitored and paperwork is stored correctly.
• Knowledge and understanding of ASB issues and ensuring the team follow procedures and good practice when actioning cases.
• Monitor that the STAR survey data is captured at the start and end of the tenancy and is shared with the team and others to demonstrate the team are performing.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly statistical information regarding performance of service area.
• Provide high level advice and information in relation to temporary accommodation housing management, having a good oversight of housing law, current legislation and new initiatives that are coming through.
• Understanding of temporary accommodation policies and procedures, looking to improve, lean and update where necessary.Ensuring relationships are maintained with all our multi-agency partners.
• Assist the Case Manager Lead with the administrative aspects of managing the temporary accommodation cases.Provide comprehensive administrative support to the temporary accommodation team, ensuring enquiries are actioned in a timely manner.
• Ensuring the temporary accommodation team maintain comprehensive housing records and ensure the team are following procedures around their recording keeping.
• To provide the Case Manager Lead with monthly key performance information in a timely manner.Provide statistical reports on behalf of the Temporary accommodation team.
• Liaise with Homelessness Service in preparation for move-on, tenant readiness and ending their tenancy with us. Attend weekly meetings with the Homeless Service.
• Monthly and quarterly performance reporting and returns as required as part of the SLA.
• The efficient management of all void properties.
• Monitor compliance with tenancy obligations and address breaches or concerns at an early stage, recognising when formal or legal action may be required.
• Identifying and reporting health and safety, fire safety, environmental and maintenance concerns and ensuring appropriate action is taken.
• Monitor and act promptly on health and safety risks raised through the Assure app and work with relevant teams to support completion of required compliance checks.
  
  What you will bring:
• A customer-focused and supportive approach, with the confidence to work with people in a wide range of circumstances, including vulnerable customers.
• Sound judgement and the ability to assess risk, resolve issues early and recognise when concerns require escalation, specialist support or formal action.
• Clear and confident communication skills, with the ability to provide consistent messages face to face, by telephone and in writing.
• Strong organisation, attention to detail and the ability to balance competing demands, prioritise work and meet deadlines.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build constructive relationships with tenants, colleagues, community representatives and partner agencies.
• Discretion and professionalism when handling confidential and sensitive information.
• A flexible, proactive approach, with the ability to use initiative, work independently and contribute effectively as part of a team.
• A commitment to accurate record keeping, continuous professional development, service improvement and delivering value for money.
  
  Knowledge, Skills and Experience
  
  Essential
• Good understanding of social housing, with a strong emphasis on housing management, tenancies and estates.
• An awareness of the Data Protection Act.
• An awareness of Health and Safety in social housing setting.
• An awareness of welfare benefits and welfare reform
• An awareness of the of role of the Registered Provides and Supporting Housing.
• Knowledge of working within Housing Management, Temporary Accommodation, Tenancy and Estates, with two years housing management experience in a similar setting with a registered provider.
• Ability to deal with confidential and sensitive matters with a wide range and spectrum of people in varying circumstances.
• Experience of dealing with complaints and rolling out learning outcomes.
• Experience of recording and maintaining accurate statistical information.
• Experience of dealing with the public, and in particular vulnerable customers.
• Experience of effectively triaging enquiries and signposting clients where appropriate.
• Experience of budget management.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters professionally with a wide range of people.
• Excellent customer care, interpersonal and communication skills, including face-to-face, telephone and written communication.
• Accuracy, attention to detail, and strong organisational and administrative skills.
• Good keyboard and word-processing skills, with competence in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook and experience of case management systems.
• Minimum of five GCSEs at grades A to C, including English and Maths, or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development through training, qualifications or relevant experience.
  Desirable
• Awareness of data protection requirements.
• Awareness of health and safety requirements in a social housing setting.
• Awareness of welfare benefits and welfare reform.
• Numeracy skills and the ability to interpret and record relevant information accurately.
• Ability to prioritise and manage your own workload, meet deadlines, use initiative and work with limited supervision.
• CIH Level 3 or 4, or evidence that you are working towards this qualification.
• NVQ Level 4 or equivalent, or significant relevant experience within housing, a local authority or a registered provider.
  
  Anything else required for the role
• The role involves working across estates and local communities, with a mix of office-based, remote and home working in line with service requirements.
• You will be expected to travel within your designated area to visit tenants, inspect homes, communal areas and estates, and attend relevant meetings.
• You must follow safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, information governance and organisational policies and procedures at all times.