Homelessness Review Officer (Hybrid)
Rate: £27 per hour PAYE / £35 per hour Umbrella Circa
Pattern: 4 days per week on site, 1 day remote
Hammersmith & Fulham Council urgently requires an experienced Homelessness Review Officer to join its Housing service on a temporary basis, handling a high-volume caseload of statutory homelessness and housing reviews under Parts VI & VII of the Housing Act 1996 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. This is a priority hire, and shortlisted candidates will be contacted and progressed without delay.
The Role You will lead on the conduct and administration of statutory reviews, including:
* s.202 homelessness reviews on the acceptance, discharge and cessation of duties, and the suitability of temporary and permanent accommodation.
* s.166A Housing Register reviews and challenges to the lawfulness of the Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme.
* Certifying what duty is owed and how it is to be discharged, ensuring decisions are lawful, robust and clearly reasoned.
* Drafting high‑quality statutory decision letters and detailed reports, responding to complex legal challenges and enquiries from solicitors, MPs, advocates and senior officers.
* Instructing Legal Services for judicial reviews and s.204 County Court appeals, and attending court where required.
You will work closely with Housing Advice, Allocations, Temporary Accommodation and other internal teams, maintaining accurate case records and contributing to service improvement through feedback, reporting and training input.
About You To be considered at short notice, you must be able to demonstrate:
* Detailed knowledge of the Housing Act 1996 (Parts VI & VII), Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, Homelessness (Review Procedure etc.) Regulations 2018, and the Homelessness Code of Guidance.
* Strong experience conducting homelessness reviews (s.202) and/or housing allocation reviews (s.166A) within a local authority or similar setting in the last few years.
* Excellent written skills with the ability to produce clear, defensible statutory decisions and briefing reports on complex legal and factual issues.
* Ability to manage a demanding caseload to statutory timescales, working under pressure with minimal supervision while maintaining high standards of customer care.
* Confident communication skills when dealing with customers, legal representatives, senior managers, councillors and partner agencies on sensitive and contentious cases.
Why Apply Now?
* Immediate start opportunity with a high-profile London borough.
* Competitive hourly rate with hybrid working (4 days per week, minimum on-site presence).
* Chance to have a direct impact on fair, lawful homelessness decisions for vulnerable residents while shaping good practice across the service.
This role is time‑sensitive and will be shortlisted on a rolling basis.
If you have the required homelessness review experience and can start at short notice, please submit your CV today – suitable candidates will be contacted immediately for interview.