Title: Housing Options Officer

Rate: £16.92 PAYE - £22umbrella

Company: Oxford City Council

Type: Temporary 3 months

Opus People Solutions are working with Oxford City Council to recruit for a temporary Housing Options Officer to deliver a first-class customer orientated service to prevent homelessness which provides the customer with a suitable solution regarding their homelessness and housing issues.

Acting as a first point of contact for asylum seekers, refugees or migrants who living or recently moved from asylum dispersal accommodation, you will be aware of the barriers and challenges and have a positive attitude to problem solve and overcome them to support customers.

Main Responsibilities:

• To pro-actively provide to customers in housing need, a range of advice and assistance on housing and related areas, working with or signposting them to other service areas or agencies where appropriate, demonstrating strong empathy and listening skills in a calm manner to help to resolve their housing issues.
• Understanding of the specific challenges affecting asylum seekers, refugees and migrants and how to overcome to these to deliver a holistic service focused on homeless prevention including utilising a trauma informed approach.
• Awareness that you will be working with customers is different legal situations and therefore the advice will need to be tailored to their specific situation.
• Lead and manage a personal caseload which would include several homelessness and prevention applications and maintain an accurate and detailed casework records in line with Council policies, procedures, code of guidance and homelessness legislation.
• Assess all applications and determine the extent of the council statutory duties to homeless household and decide on the appropriate action to take in line with Housing Act 1996 part 7 (as amended), Homelessness Act 2002, Localism Act 2011, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 (and any other relevant legislations) , Council Policies and Procedures.
• Take the lead and overall responsibility for; case management, investigative interviewing, enquiries with internal and external agencies and third-party agencies to ensure correct legal decision is issued and achievement of individual and team performance objectives, targets and service standards.
• Ensure that written notification of the council's decision is given to all homeless applicants in accordance with statutory requirements. All notifications must inform applicants of their right to request a review of the housing authority's decision and the time within which such a request must be made.

For more information, please call 01473 558914