Job title: Housing Needs & Homelessness Manager Job Category: Housing Location: County Hall, High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1UD, Isle of Wight Council Hours Per Week :37.00 Pay : £19.40 per hour Minimum 3 days on site, 2 days remote max Job Purpose 1-2 sentences To lead and manage the delivery of the Council�s Housing Needs and Homelessness service, ensuring the authority meets its statutory duties under homelessness and housing legislation, prevents homelessness wherever possible, and provides timely, lawful, and customer-focused services. The postholder will ensure services are compliant, outcomes-focused, financially sustainable, and aligned with the Council�s wider housing and corporate priorities. Ensure services are accessible, fair, and responsive to the needs of vulnerable households, by promotion of safeguarding, equality, and trauma-informed practice across the service. Job Context (key outputs of team / role to provide some specific examples of role profile accountabilities) Lead, develop and manage the team, ensuring high performance, quality decision-making, and continuous improvement. Ensure the quality, legality, and timeliness of homelessness assessments, decisions, and placements. Deliver homelessness prevention initiatives, ensuring early intervention and effective partnership working. Oversee the quality, and health and safety of temporary accommodation, ensuring suitability and safeguarding considerations. Support provision of responses to legal challenges, complaints, and Ombudsman enquiries relating to the service. Work collaboratively with internal services, registered providers, voluntary and community organisations, health partners, and neighbouring authorities. Represent the Council at multi-agency forums and strategic partnerships relating to housing and homelessness. Support emergency planning as required and ensure that the out of hours emergency homelessness service is provided and to be included in the out of hours managers standby rota. Knowledge, Skills and Experience Role Profile requirements. Job specific examples. Proven ability to influence based on facts and evidence, a range of audiences with differing competence and abilities. Ability to communicate one to one and with specific client groups. Substantial practical experience demonstrating development through a series of progressively more demanding and relevant work roles. Relevant experience within the service area, working as part of team to meet service standards, targets and deadlines. The ability to lead and manage a public facing team of staff developing and maintaining accommodation projects for homeless households, in a �political� environment and a broad understanding of the public policy issues affecting local government, social housing and social landlords Good communication, interpersonal and presentation skills, able to explain technical / legal issues clearly. Proven ability to negotiate with, persuade and influence others. The ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with customers, legal representatives, advocates, senior managers and members of the Council and other stakeholders on a wide range of complex and sensitive issues Commitment to delivering high standards of customer care Good ICT skills including use of Microsoft applications and specialist systems. Experience of using housing CRM systems Authoritative knowledge of the specialist work area and relevant legislation, regulations, processes, systems, procedures and standards. Good knowledge of other areas of the authority relevant to the service and of wider sector / external influences. Extensive knowledge of housing legislation, case law, code of guidance and best practice in order to provide the most comprehensive and effective homelessness prevention and homelessness service. A working knowledge of housing law relating to security of tenure, homelessness, and landlord and tenant and the ability to monitor contractual liabilities in relation to the management of accommodation. Good planning and organisational skills, with proven ability to prioritise and co-ordinate workload, monitor and evaluate work, to ensure deadlines are achieved. The ability to organise work to deadlines and targets and to work effectively under pressure and to work with initiative. Research, investigation and analysis skills. Knowledge of relevant financial processes and experience or training sufficient to ensure financial processing and / or budget monitoring is completed accurately. Qualifications Role Profile requirements. Job specific examples. May require relevant certifications including evidence of fluency in English language. Educated to A level standard or equivalent or equivalent experience. Hold a professional qualification in Housing. Full or part qualified member of Chartered Institute of Housing Relevant vocational / professional qualification. You will be required to take part in the Out of Hours Stand-by Duty Rota as and when requested by management. Standby and call out duties are paid in accordance with the IWC Terms and Conditions. Have use of a car and have full current driving licence and ability to travel to external appointments or training May be required to undertake additional duties as commensurate with grade and role