Housing Options Adviser

Housing Options Adviser

Location: Ansell Way, CV34 4UL
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 3+ Months
Working Hours: Mon Fri, 09 00, 37 Hours per week
Pay Rate: £ 14.37 per day
Job Ref: (phone number removed)

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive housing advice to customers at the first point of contact to maximize their housing opportunities and prevent homelessness.
• Offer advice on homelessness, rehousing options, and allocations including Home Choice via telephone, written, and electronic communication. (30%)
• Establish cases on the database, effectively filter cases for appointments with Housing Options Officers ensuring all relevant documents are available in advance of the appointments. (20%)
• Conduct eligibility and homelessness checks, ensuring that documents provided are valid, that evidence of current income sources are obtained, and reasons for homelessness are evidenced.
• Perform administrative functions related to the Council s Choice Based Lettings Scheme (Home Choice), including registering and banding of new applications, reviewing and amending applications, placing bids on behalf of customers, inputting data, and keeping accurate case notes. (15%)
• Administer the allocations of the Council s garages ensuring that empty garages are relet in accordance with agreed processes including dealing with applications, offers, and sign up of garages. Respond to customer enquiries relating to garages. (10%)
• Liaise with internal colleagues, statutory agencies, and voluntary organizations to ensure appropriate referrals and signposting to other services are undertaken. (10%)
• Update and maintain customer casework records on the system in a timely and accurate manner. (10%)
• Participate in the team weekly rota. (5%)

Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience

• Essential: At least 2 years experience of delivering customer-focused quality services, face to face and in writing.
• Essential: Experience of maintaining electronic-based information systems.
• Essential: A minimum qualification of 3 GCSEs grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) to include English and Maths.
• Essential: Experience of drafting written correspondence to customers as well as liaising with them on a face-to-face basis and on the telephone.
• Essential: Experience of using Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Desirable: Experience of working by homelessness legislation such as part 6/7 of the Housing Act 1996 and the Homeless Reduction Act 2017.
• Desirable: Experience of assessing the validity of Section 21 and Section 8 notices.
• Desirable: Knowledge of housing and homelessness.
• Desirable: Experience of managing a client case load.
• Desirable: Customer service training.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Essential: Excellent customer service skills combined with the ability to give customers confidence in service provision.
• Essential: Ability to make and communicate difficult decisions.
• Essential: Patient, understanding, and able to empathize with customers who are experiencing difficult situations.
• Essential: A can do attitude with a focus on problem-solving.
• Essential: Excellent interpersonal and listening skills.
• Essential: Knowledge of general administrative techniques.
• Essential: Excellent interpersonal skills with a friendly, non-judgmental, approachable, sensitive, and customer-oriented approach.
• Essential: Good time management and organizational skills.
• Essential: Ability to take ownership of own performance and focus on achieving targets.
• Essential: Excellent attention to detail.
• Essential: Excellent team working skills.
• Essential: Ability to negotiate.
• Essential: Good written and verbal skills including the ability to draft basic correspondence, and converse confidently with customers.
• Essential: Excellent IT skills.
• Essential: A high level of self-motivation.
• Desirable: Knowledge and understanding of the broad Housing Agenda and its impact on society.
• Desirable: A knowledge of local authority functions and services.

Other Requirements

• Essential: Must be aware of and/or have the ability to develop an awareness of Equal Opportunities issues and to comply with Warwick District Council s Equal Opportunities Policy Statement.
• Essential: A willingness to undertake training appropriate to the job.
• Essential: A flexible approach to meet the ongoing needs of the Service Area and Council as a whole.
• Essential: Awareness and understanding of the importance of equality and the ability to translate this into daily working practices and approach.
• Essential: Willingness to work out of hours when necessary.
• Essential: Positive and enthusiastic with the ability to embrace change.
• Essential: Promote and maintain a culture which places customers first and aims to deliver a high standard of service.
• Essential: A commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices.
• Desirable: Full valid driving licence and access to a car.

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