Allocations & Lettings Officer

J o b   D e s c r i p t i o n

Job Title: Allocations & Lettings Officer Department: Housing Function: Housing Needs Team: Housing Supply Team Post number: S000359 Grade: LBR 9

Hours/weeks: E.g. 36 hours/52.14 weeks 36 hours/52.14 weeks

Base location:

Lynton House - Ilford

Reports to: Job title Housing Supply Team Leader

Responsible for: Job titles of direct reports No direct line management but may be responsible for the supervision of trainee and work placement employees on occasion

Role purpose and role dimensions: Overview of the job Allocating accommodation in line with part VI of the Housing Act 1996, essentially to council and  registered provider homes

Allocating permanent homes in line with the Housing Allocations Scheme through the choice based lettings system

Complete direct matching processes for those with medical needs (including delayed discharge of care cases), under occupiers, management transfers, sheltered applicants.

Verify the applications of final shortlisted applicants for permanent properties

Provide comprehensive housing advice on housing options for applicants to the housing register awaiting rehousing and to those allocated homes.

Allocate temporary accommodation, prevention and PRSO’s in line with the Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy and suitability assessment

Let temporary accommodation and prevention and PRSO’s properties, completing sign ups and providing appropriate advice to customers.

To deal with the decision making aspect of refusals of suitable interim temporary accommodation under Section 188 of the housing Act. Discharging the homeless duty where appropriate and issuing a decision letter.

Affordability assessment of household who will be made offers under Part 6 of the Housing Act.

Role Context This position is fundamental to the provision of allocations processes across the range of areas affecting vulnerable customers on the housing register, in temporary accommodation and who are being assisted into the private rented sector to prevent homelessness or discharge the housing duty.

This is a specialist role that requires good knowledge of the law relating to housing allocations around part VI of the Housing Act 1996

Key Accountabilities and Result Areas

Strategy and Planning

The post holder will be required to have good knowledge of the law affecting housing allocations and be familiar with other housing advice and homelessness legislation, other general housing legislation, welfare benefit expertise and knowledge of the adult & children social care environment and impact and to use this knowledge to support customers and achieve positive outcomes

The post holder will be required to have knowledge of the Housing Act 1996, the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Children Act, and the Care Act. Combined with specialist knowledge of the Welfare Reform Act.

The post holder needs to use this knowledge to  work collaboratively with customers to identify the most appropriate and effective solutions to their housing problems and to do so proactively at the most appropriate time – ensuring the maximum opportunities for early intervention

The post holder will be required to be innovative, dynamic and solutions focussed and consider and pursue all available housing options to prevent the customers from becoming homeless.

The post holder will be required to use their experience to contribute to the ongoing development and design of the service and solutions for customers.

Operations and Support

Co-ordinate the advertising of void properties in council or Registered provider (RP) stock with Choice Homes UK (CHUK)

Allocate permanent homes through a combination of preparing and analysing shortlists from choice based lettings bidders and direct matching in line with designated groups identified by the Housing Allocations Scheme

Check assessments remain up to date and verify circumstances robustly when households are selected for properties, including making checks regarding applicant’s finances, eligibility, local connection and suitability to be a tenant.

Interview applicants and complete home visits as part of the verification process, as well as doing desktop checks

Select appropriate applicants and nominate them for available homes

Complete direct matching processes for a range of vulnerable applicants on the housing register with specific requirements:

Medical needs – match medical requirements from the medical assessment to available supply in order to match

Adaptable homes – identify suitable medical applicants for pre-allocation in conjunction with Occupational Therapy team, having regard to their assessments

Match applicants who are hospital discharges liaising with hospitals and other agencies

Match under occupiers to free up sought after larger homes

Match management transfers to ensure they move swiftly in accordance with priority and management of risk.

Sheltered Accommodation.

To arrange viewings for matched cases

To provide an effective, customer-focussed and efficient service to customers presenting with housing problems; to support them in achieving positive housing outcomes.

Provide comprehensive advice to applicants on other housing options, including mobility schemes – mutual exchange, Homefinder, Pan London Housing Moves, Seaside and Country Homes, Homes out of London etc. and refer households to the Mobility Officer to take advantage of schemes.

Allocate temporary accommodation and private rented accommodation to prevent homelessness and discharge the homeless duty (PRSO’s) an do so according to the Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy and in line with the suitability assessment

Make placements into temporary accommodation and prevention and PRSO’s.

Complete the letting process for temporary, prevention and PRSO properties, including arranging for the customer to be interviewed, conducting the interview, providing advice, completing process with customers and placing relevant updates on systems.

Activate refusal processes where customers decline offers of temporary accommodation or prevention or PRSO’s and liaise with the team leader and Suitability Officer in relation to potential discharges of duty.

To issues formal decisions to e a household has refused suitable interim accommodation under section 188 homeless of the housing act 1996. duty is discharged under section 188,

Consider applicants support needs and make appropriate referrals for tenancy sustainment, floating support and prevention assistance.

To refer customers for specialist information as necessary – on landlord and tenant issues, mobility options, resettlement and rough sleeping

Provide clear and understandable advice to applicants on key related policies such as the Housing Allocations Scheme, Decant Policy, Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy, Tenancy Strategy and Homelessness Strategy.  Ensure customers understand the implications of refusing offers of accommodation

Update Personalised Housing Plans to ensure actions on individual Plans are kept up to date.

To comply with all relevant statutory requirements, Government Guidance and Codes, Redbridge policies and procedures, professional and performance standards and best housing allocations and homelessness prevention practice.

To ensure the accurate recording of all customers and all advice and support provided and to ensure this is actively updated as situations change. To maintain accurate written and computer records, reports, & other monitoring information as required in connection with the various duties undertaken, and keep other records necessary to provide an adequate management information data base and electronic file, specifically on allocations, offers, refusals, and lettings

To deliver all day-to-day activities placing homeless households into temporary and other forms of accommodation, ensuring that all customers are correctly placed into suitable and available accommodation.

This will involve: -Manage the placement and sign-up process of temporary accommodation for our customers.

-Ensure accurate placement records are created, kept and maintained, utilising all forms of IT as appropriate.

-To provide an effective face-to-face service for customers requiring temporary and other forms of accommodation.

-Ensure that customers are seen swiftly and appropriately when providing a face-to-face service.

To deal with the decision making aspect of refusals of suitable interim temporary accommodation under Section 188 of the housing Act. Discharging the homeless duty where appropriate and issuing a decision letter.

Affordability assessment of household who will be made offers under Part 6 of the Housing Act.

Participate in telephone advice rota’s in Housing Needs as directed

Any other duties appropriate to the post and grade.

Systems and Process Development and Improvement

To utilise the housing register allocations system to create records and provide key monitoring information and to support the process of allocating and letting homes

To update the homelessness system to feed into personal housing plan for each customer

To maintain customers electronic files on info@work providing a thorough audit trail of activity and key documents in line with agreed process

Communication  Partnership

To develop effective working relationships with colleagues within Redbridge, other council and statutory services, RP’s, external bodies, service users, voluntary and other housing organisations and ensure effective referrals.

To assist in developing full range of information and publicity for all clients as well as supporting the development of internal procedures.

To understand the value of information to the council and to contribute to good information governance by keeping information safe, accurate and up to date and available to those who need it. Officers are required to abide by the council’s information governance policies.

To provide advice services to clients through personal or telephone interviews, correspondence, advocacy, reception, home visiting, outreach work and surgeries, workshops and talks to customer groups.

To deal with enquiries, complaints and correspondence from clients and their advocates, including solicitors, councillors, MPs, the ombudsman and other housing providers, in line with the Council’s complaints and enquiries procedure.

The officer is required to take reasonable care for the safety and health of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts; and to work with management to comply with Service/Unit procedures and protocols and with Redbridge Council’s Health and Safety Policy and all guidance, instructions and risk assessments. In particular the officer is required to attend training relevant to their post in order to ensure their health and safety responsibilities are met.

Officers are required to liaise with customers, statutory organisation, advocates and third sector providers to arrive at a sustainable housing solution for customers with complex and multiple needs for example mental health combined with drug and or alcohol addiction.

To contribute to the production of publicity and advice material for use by Council, Members, public and range of external and external agencies.

To represent the team at meetings with a broad range of external organisations.

Key external contacts Councils’ choice based lettings providers Choice Homes UK and Abritas, RP’s, Private sector landlords, East London Housing Partnership, Other Local Authority Housing allocations teams. Members, MPs, Solicitors, Advocates, Advice Agencies, People Directorate, Health, Redbridge Enforcement, Youth Offending Team, Police, Probation Service, third sector providers, service users, their friends, relatives and advisors

Performance and Standards

Recognising the critical impact of poor housing and homelessness on customers, and delivering early, accurate and high quality advice

Responsibility for accurate record keeping and use of systems to ensure comprehensive ability to report on customers individual service provision and overall rehousing trends

To ensure that processes are proactively managed and key deadlines, especially around void turnaround, are adhered to

To answer members enquiries and draft responses to complaints / enquiries on individual cases as required.

To provide statistical information on performance as requested.

To meet performance targets and ensure that high quality standards and maintained.

Key Performance Outcomes Local authority void turnaround Numbers of prevention properties and PRSO’s let Numbers in B&B over 6 weeks Void turnaround and void percentage for TA

Resource Management

The postholder has no specific budget management responsibilities. However decisions can have significant financial impacts and cause both the commitment of resources and of long term housing provision commitments.

To assist in the training and induction of new staff.

Corporate Accountabilities

All employees of the Council should undertake and conduct their work with due regard to the corporate accountabilities (available on the Redbridge Council website). These include responsibilities for outcomes regarding Equality, Conduct & Behaviour, Health & Safety, Data Protection, Safeguarding and Customer Care

Flexibility The key responsibilities and duties of the role are neither exclusive nor exhaustive.  All workers are expected to operate flexibly to support delivery of services and from time to time will be required to undertake responsibilities outside the normal remit of role description as required by the line manager, which a re broadly commensurate with the job level and scope of competence.

Person Specification -  Allocations & Lettings Officer A - I - T Weighting Knowledge & Experience Method of candidate assessment: A = Application form  I = Interview  T = Test Weighting: 3=Essential, 2=Desirable Statutory or Mandatory qualifications:

No Mandatory Qualification Required   A

2 Education Level 4: Specialist learning with ability to undertake detailed analysis of a high level of information and knowledge in an area of work or study.

May be evidenced by: Certificates of higher education; NVQ level 4; HND; BTEC Professional; and equivalent qualifications, or evidence of demonstrable application in the course of experience. A

2 Key Subject or Content Areas (inc: Desirable Qualifications)

Knowledge of the law relating to homelessness as covered by the 1996 Housing Act and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

Knowledge of the Children’s Act, and the Care Act as this social care legislation interacts with housing and homelessness issues

A good knowledge of the Welfare Reform Act

A good knowledge of the housing allocations as covered by the Housing Act 1996 Part VI

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3 Knowledge A good level of knowledge of housing allocation as covered part VI the 1996 Housing Act, case law and codes of guidance, and the Council’s Housing Allocations policy

Knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Children’s Act, the Care Act and the  Welfare Reform Act.

Understanding of access to social housing locally

Awareness of issues facing local authority housing and the and initiatives to respond to them

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3 Experience Experience of implementing an equality and diversity approach to service delivery

Experience of working in a team

Experience of working in a demanding front line customer service environment

Experience of dealing effectively with confrontational and challenging situations

Experience of working with vulnerable customers and providing appropriate support

Experience of carrying out interviews, investigations, negotiations

Experience of effective record keeping including electronically

Experience of successfully working to performance targets and deadlines. I

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Skills / Abilities

Able to keep accurate records and keep information systems up-to-date.

Good team worker with flexible, problem solving approach and able to work in a demanding environment and to deadlines.

Good organisational skills and able to manage workload effectively.

Ability to use IT – Microsoft word, excel and housing packages.

Good numeracy and literacy skills. Knows the main equality and diversity issues affecting housing allocations and is able to use this knowledge to meet the needs of the range of service customers.

Excellent interpersonal skills including face to face, telephone advice and letter writing.   Able to convey complex advice and concepts simply and understandably to customers

Ability to work unsupervised, prioritise workloads and achieve targets and deadlines

Ability to gather information, interpret issues, think creatively about problems and identify solutions

Ability to work effectively and even-handedly with people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances

IT literate and able to use computer software effectively

Demonstrate a positive attitude towards customer service

Be self-motivated and be able to work under pressure

Demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to problem solving

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Special Conditions of Service To work outside normal working hours to respond to emergencies or attend meetings

Must demonstrate an understanding of the issues relating to equal opportunities in service delivery and provision and to actively promote ways of eradicating racism, sexism and other forms of negative discrimination through the Council’s policies and procedures.

To comply with the Council's Health & Safety Policy.

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Corporate Behaviours The Council has a set of behaviours that all employees are expected to deliver in the performance of their role. The behaviour framework can be found on the Councils internet page, and these should be reflected in your application and the way you work.  As part of an individual’s personal development Redbridge expects employees of all levels to be continuously developing these core behaviours. AI

3 Effective and Collaborative Team Working To take responsibility for personal development and actively participate in all learning and development.

To participate in the ongoing development, implementation and monitoring of service plans.

To support and contribute to value for money, service efficiency and improvement. I

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Safeguarding and Disclosure DBS Disclosure Required?       Basic

Version: 0.02

Last Reviewed: 25/06/24