Housing Options Officer

Job description

Housing Options Officers Permanent Contract

Location: Multiple locations

Responsible to: Housing Needs Site Lead

Responsible for: N/A

Salary: grade D- £25,642-£28,310

Hours: 35 hours per week Monday to Friday

Work Location: London EC1Y 8SE

Annual leave: 33 days per annum (inclusive of public holidays)

Other Benefits: Pension scheme, interest free season ticket loan and a free

confidential telephone counselling service

Job Context:

• London City and North (YLCAN) is an independent charity that is affiliated to the movement. We work across some of London's most deprived boroughs in Islington, Harringay, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Barnet and Hackney as well as the City of London. Over 600,000 young people call our area of London home.
• Young people are at the centre of all we do. Our vision is for a society where they are equipped to create a future of their choosing. We collaborate with them so that they make informed choices through access to accommodation, youth services and community engagement.
• Over 150 years we have helped tens of thousands of young people. Today, at any one time we accommodate over 400 young people who are experiencing homelessness and we positively impact the lives of thousands.
• Our core values include mutual respect for individuals with different cultures, beliefs, and perspectives; encompassing diversity and inclusion; equality of opportunities and accessibility.
• Our services for young people and communities in London also include Youth Hubs, Community Outreach and Childcare. Our Crouch End and London Marathon Fitness Centres provide a strongly community orientated, inclusive gym environment, where people support each other to achieve their fitness goals. Our Harringay Club provides a gymnastics and dance facility for children and the Tarling Road Community Hub is an estate based resource for all members of the community.
• The housing project currently provides short term temporary accommodation for single homeless vulnerable young people aged 18 to 35 from a variety of backgrounds including: offending, mental health, domestic violence and alcohol & drug abuse. The accommodation project is open 24/7 - 365 days a year.

Job Purpose:

• The aim of this post is to provide a direct housing and support needs service to vulnerable young people aged 16-35. This post will assist young people to move on to independent living by providing quality information, advice and guidance service, providing benefit support to prevent rent arrears or build up arrears, budgeting and life skills support, thus embedding a psychological informed environment. This post requires close working with a range of agencies such as Floating Support, Housing Services, Housing Benefits and Children Services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Housing Needs

• To conduct needs and risk assessments of residents, develop outcome-focused support plans with residents and complete all relevant move-in tasks as assigned by
• Provide liaison and advocacy support for assigned key residents, ensure support plans and risk assessments are kept up to
• Co-operate with external agencies and stakeholders to ensure that the wider, holistic needs of residents are
• Ensure all incidents and complaints are reported and dealt with in line with organisations
• To be the main source of benefit information, advice and guidance to
• To conduct regular meetings using the Outcome Star with assigned caseload of young people to address: rent, license agreement, resident involvement, life skills and move-on
• To make referrals to relevant agencies to ensure young people's housing and support needs are addressed including access to Floating Support or
• To be accountable and ensure all complaints, incidents of anti-social behaviour and harassment are fully investigated and dealt with and take appropriate enforcement action to ensure effective resolution including legal remedies where
• When required, to carry out pre-void inspections, arrange re-letting works, obtain nominations, assess applications and complete new licence agreements
• Working closely and cooperatively with the maintenance team, ensure that repairs are reported in a timely manner
• To actively source and manage move-on opportunities for residents with housing providers and complete move-on referrals
• Take lead to correctly and promptly administer all relevant documentation for the effective and efficient functioning of the housing team.
• Support the team in implementing the 'For Youth' accreditation and embedding a psychological informed environment.
• Adopt a Truma Informed Approach
• Investigate Incidents thoroughly and report safeguarding concerns to safeguarding officer and Local Authority.

Support Needs

• Provide a welcoming environment, providing support in settling new residents into the accommodation, support in maintaining the licence, developing domestic/life skills, developing social skills/behaviour management, advice, advocacy and liaison.
• Support in managing finances, budgeting and benefit claims, emotional support and general counselling, support in gaining access to other services, support in establishing social contacts and participation in activities in conjunction with the Pathways Team.
• Update relevant notes and risk assessments, support plans and day-to-day actions with the prescribed database and keep all client information up to date. Set up and maintain relevant, key residents' files as directed as per policy and
• To work with the Rent team to manage, feedback and report on all aspects of housing management arrears and income for your allocated To engage with the Income team to deliver an effective service.
• To manage all aspects of anti-social behaviour for your allocated residents, this can include attending ASB panels and producing and delivering warning

Health and Safety: Safeguarding

• Provide support in establishing personal safety and monitoring of health and wellbeing for Provide support in maintaining the safety and security of the project, advice and support in relation to repairs and improvements to the project.
• Ensure that residents are aware of health and safety, security, policies and Deal with health, safety and security issues raised by staff members or residents, adhere to and support residents in understanding the procedures for reporting abuse or neglect. Report concerns of abuse and neglect issues to management.
• Ensure that residents are aware of the organisation's Complaints Procedures and deal with complaints from residents in line with company policies and
• Update relevant client key working notes, risk assessments, support plans with day-to-day actions in the prescribed database and to keep all client information up to date. To set up and maintain relevant key client files as directed by

Regards,

Ravi Soni

Fulfilment Consultant

T | 03333078580

E |

W | www.morganhunt.com

L | London

Morgan Hunt is a multi-award-winning recruitment business for interim, contract and temporary recruitment and acts as an Employment Agency in relation to permanent vacancies. Morgan Hunt is an equal opportunities employer. Job suitability is assessed on merit in accordance with the individual's skills, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required in a particular role.