Housing Options Officer

Maidenhead Town Hall | Hybrid working

Immediate Start | Ongoing Temporary Assignment

£36.00 Umbrella per hour

Are you an experienced Housing Options Officer with a strong background in homelessness prevention, relief and statutory decision-making? We are recruiting on behalf of a well-regarded local authority in Maidenhead for 2 experienced Housing Options Officers to join their busy Housing Options Team on an ongoing temporary basis.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a service that is actively addressing increasing homelessness demand and requires officers who can immediately manage a full caseload with minimal supervision.

The Role

You will manage homelessness applications from initial assessment through to final decision, providing expert advice and delivering statutory homelessness duties in accordance with the Housing Reduction Act and relevant legislation.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing a personal caseload of homelessness applications.
• Conducting homelessness assessments and fact-finding interviews.
• Progressing cases through prevention, relief and main housing duty stages.
• Making legally sound homelessness decisions and drafting decision letters.
• Undertaking investigations and gathering evidence.
• Assessing eligibility and making recommendations for temporary accommodation.
• Liaising with external agencies including GPs, mental health teams, probation services and support providers.
• Participating in telephone duty rotas and responding to homelessness enquiries.
• Conducting appointments via telephone, Microsoft Teams and face-to-face where required.

About You

The successful candidate will be a fully competent Housing Options Officer who can hit the ground running.

Essential Experience

• Extensive experience within a Housing Options or Homelessness Prevention service.
• Strong working knowledge of the Housing Reduction Act (HRA).
• Detailed understanding of homelessness legislation and relevant case law.
• Experience managing cases from triage through to final homelessness decisions.
• Ability to independently complete investigations, assessments and decision letters.
• Experience handling complex caseloads with minimal supervision.
• Strong communication and case management skills.