Description
Housing Resolutions Officer Wembley | £21.41 per hour PAYE / £28.19 per hour Umbrella | 5-month temporary contract, with possible extension
We are looking for an experienced Housing Resolutions Officer to join a busy local authority housing service in Wembley.
This is a varied, customer-focused position supporting homeless households living in temporary accommodation. You will provide practical housing advice, help residents explore suitable move-on options and ensure that accommodation decisions comply with relevant legislation.
The position is office and patch based and involves extensive travel to properties both inside and outside the borough.
The role
You will work directly with households in temporary accommodation, providing clear advice about the housing options available to them. This will include social housing, private rented accommodation and intermediate housing options.
You will manage expectations sensitively and realistically, taking account of each household’s needs, housing register priority and ability to sustain alternative accommodation.
Working alongside assessment and lettings colleagues, you will monitor bidding activity and assist households who need additional support to make informed housing choices. You will also refer residents to relevant services, including employment and training providers, supported housing, children’s services and adult social care.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Advising homeless households about housing options and supporting timely move-on from temporary accommodation
- Completing accommodation suitability assessments and issuing appropriate offer and suitability letters
- Considering refusals, reviews, appeals and legal representations in accordance with statutory requirements
- Investigating reports of domestic abuse or fear of violence and taking appropriate action to manage risks
- Conducting tenancy checks and investigating suspected abandonment, subletting, misuse, fraud or misrepresentation
- Addressing serious breaches of tenancy or licence conditions, including antisocial behaviour, harassment and hate crime
- Responding to enquiries and complaints from residents, advocates, councillors, MPs and the Ombudsman
- Working with landlords, agents and housing providers to resolve disrepair, infestation and tenancy support concerns
- Checking property compliance, including relevant gas and electrical certification
- Carrying out home visits, arranging repairs and supporting prompt property sign-ups
- Maintaining accurate case records and producing written reports
- Supporting residents affected by welfare reform through advice on benefits and employment opportunities
About you
You will need good knowledge of homelessness and housing law, including Parts 6 and 7 of the Housing Act 1996, the Homelessness Act 2002, the Localism Act 2011, the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and associated legislation and case law.
You should also have:
- Experience advising customers and working with vulnerable households
- Knowledge of temporary accommodation provision and use
- Experience completing suitability assessments and recommending housing pathways
- Knowledge of landlord and tenant law, possession grounds and means-tested benefits
- Strong customer service, negotiation, advocacy and mediation skills
- The ability to manage difficult conversations professionally
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Good IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, databases and electronic communications
- The ability to prioritise competing work and meet demanding deadlines
- The ability to travel extensively to properties inside and outside the borough
A Basic DBS check is required.
If you have strong temporary accommodation experience, sound knowledge of homelessness legislation and the confidence to manage complex housing cases, we would be pleased to hear from you. Please apply with your latest CV.