Swyddi ar lein
Housing Options Officer
£22,571 - £24,920 a year | Permanent
- Reference:
- 22-22842
- Job title:
- Housing Options Officer
- Directorate:
- Housing and Property
- Service:
- Housing and Well-being
- Closing date:
- 07/07/2022 10:00
- Job type/Hours:
- Permanent | 37 Hour
- Salary:
- £22,571 - £24,920 a year
- Pay Scale:
- S1
- Location(s):
- Caernarfon
Details
Job Advertisement
Housing Options Officer – Housing and Wellbeing SERVICE
SALARY: £22,571.00 - £24,920.00
LOCATION: Caernarfon
Gwynedd Council offers an attractive employment package, for more information please click on this Information Pack
Gwynedd Council operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted as one of the essential skills in the Person Specification.
We encourage everyone who applies for a job with Gwynedd Council to submit job applications in Welsh or bilingually.
(Applications submitted in English only or Welsh only will always be treated equally, but we ask applicants to consider carefully what the linguistic requirements of the job in question is and if it would be more appropriate to submit an application in Welsh.)
For further information about this post please contact Gareth Parri on (01286) 682884 OR Marian Jones or (01286) 682656
Interviews will be held – To be confirmed.
Application forms and further details available from, Support Service, Gwynedd Council, Council Offices, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH
Tel: 01286 679076
E-Mail: swyddi@gwynedd.llyw.cymru
CLOSING DATE: 10.00 AM, THURSDAY, 07/07/2022.
If you are successful to be short listed for an interview you will be contacted by E-MAIL using the address provided on your application form. You need to ensure that you check your email regularly.
Person Specification
Personal attributes
Essential
Able to deal with a wide range of people and problems
Relates well to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities
Awareness of Equal Opportunities in relation to housing issues
Assertive in dealing with people and their personal circumstances
Committed to Customer Care
Helpful / Fair / Non judgemental
Driving licence and have or able to provide a car for business relating to the post
Desirable
-
Qualifications and relevant training
Essential
4GCSEs or equivalent including Welsh, English and Maths
2 A levels or equivalent
Good standard of education
Desirable
HNC Housing Studies or other relevant Chartered Institute of Housing qualification
Degree or equivalent qualification
Relevant experience
Essential
Housing experience either in a Local Authority, Housing Association or other housing advice service
Experience of working with vulnerable people either in a support or advice role
Experience of working on own initiative, planning and monitoring progress of own workload and meeting deadlines
Experience of being able to initiate and build working relationships with people in other departments and other agencies
Desirable
One year’s experience of working with people who need housing advice
Experience of dealing with housing applications and carrying out assessments of housing need
Ability to work largely unsupervised
Skills and specialist knowledge
Essential
Working knowledge in the following areas:
oHomelessness legislation
oPart 6 of the Housing Act 1996
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Able to deal with challenging clients in a firm but fair manner
Able to plan and review workload, meeting deadlines and performance standards
Competent in the use of IT systems, including maintaining databases, inputting and updating information
Desirable
Working knowledge in the following areas:
oLandlord and Tenant Law
oWelfare Benefits
oHousing Benefit
oCommon Housing Register
oHousing Health and Safety Rating System
Expert knowledge in housing advice or homelessness work
Specific Housing Register system management experience
Language requirements
Essential
Listening and Speaking - Higher Level
Able to follow a conversation or discussion through the medium of Welsh and English on a professional level and discuss general day to day topics in the field in order to present information and express opinions.Able to give a pre-prepared presentation and respond to any comments and questions on it in Welsh or English.
Reading and Understanding - Higher Level
Able to understand standard written Welsh and English; both formal and informal.Able to gather information from various sources such as letters, reports, articles through the medium of Welsh and English in order to fulfil the post.
Writing - Intermediate Level
Able to write letters for a specific purpose, e-mails and short reports in Welsh and English, using vocabulary and simple phrases that are familiar to the field of work. (They will need to be checked before being sent out).
Job Description
Purpose of the post
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
•Provide comprehensive housing options advice on housing matters and homelessness prevention to members of the public and in doing so, enable the Gwynedd Common Housing Register Partnership to achieve its vision, aims and objectives.
Responsibility for functions
•Overseeing any equipment machine or goods related to the above duties
Main duties
•Carry out full advice and assistance on all aspects of housing to members of the public on the telephone, by e-mail or by interview, at the Council’s offices or in exceptional circumstances, clients’ homes. Give advice and assistance on how to retain, obtain and maintain accommodation in order to prevent homelessness in all forms of tenure, and to assess eligibility for housing in line with the relevant legislation.
•Interview and assess any person/household indicating that they are in housing need, assessing their circumstances to identify appropriate options and actions.
•Ensure adequate advice and information is available from other agencies, to signpost these services to the client when appropriate and to refer the client to agencies and to work with these agencies to ensure the best support is provide to each client.
•Assess and input housing application forms. In exceptional circumstances, home visits will be required.
•Ensure that housing applications are entered onto the Housing Register, verified in line with the relevant policy, and that applicants are issued with written confirmation of their application status.
•Take part in actively managing the Housing Register, updating applications and carrying out regular reviews. Once property is let, ensure that information is updated on register.
•Produce Shortlists for the Partner Housing Associations.
•Ensure register is up to date at all times.
•Make appropriate referrals to the Council’s Homelessness Service where all other housing options and homelessness prevention initiatives have been explored.
•Refer claims of illegal eviction and harassment to the Private Sector Housing Team.
•Assist in maintaining the Housing Options website.
•Ensure the Partnership’s service standards for the Housing Options Team and Common Housing Register are adhered to.
•Ensure the client’s confidentiality and operate the Information Sharing Protocol for the Housing Options Service.
•Request a visit from the Council’s Environmental Health Officer (E.H.O.) or another recognised agency, where it would appear that the property an applicant is occupying contains significant levels of overcrowding and/or significant hazards exist within the property.
•Provide advice and support to applicants who wish to be registered for Affordable Housing Register and / or other forms of housing such as private sector renting, extra care housing etc.
•Keep up to date on all housing, matrimonial, family, equal opportunities and other relevant legislation, case law and Council / Registered Social Landlords’ policy as well as housing and welfare benefits issues.
•Ensure that all applicants can access the service by ensuring that information is available in other relevant languages and formats.
•Maintain accurate records and written reports in respect of all cases investigated and provide appropriate statistics maintaining client confidentiality at all times.
•Be proactive in developing partnership working with other agencies to reduce the incidence of homelessness and to widen support networks for homeless people.
•Contribute to the strategies, policies and projects developed by the Housing Partnership.
•Stimulate innovative approaches to dealing with issues.
•Ensure the safety of all staff, service users and other in accordance with the relevant health and safety procedures and provisions.
•Responsibility for self-development.
•Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
•Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
•Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
•Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
•Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job
•Responsibility to report any worry or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused
CONTACTS:-
•Housing Associations
•Strategic Housing Team
•Homelessness Service
•Housing Benefits
•Environmental Health
•Legal Services
•Social Services
•Other Local Authorities
•Health Board and Agencies
•Voluntary Agencies
•Private sector landlords
•Lettings agencies
Special circumstances
Driving Licence essential.
