What's involved with this role: Housing Options Advisor Reference number: Merton 5268385 Hybrid working - must be able to attend the office 3 days per week An Enhanced DBS is required for this role This role involves interviewing and assessing homeless individuals, promoting housing options to prevent homelessness, and determining whether applicants are owed a statutory duty under the 1996 Housing Act, Part 7 as amended. You will advise those who are threatened with homelessness in order to prevent homelessness, assess entitlements for non-priority homeless individuals, and provide statutory advice and assistance. The role also includes participating in and helping develop outreach work, such as advice surgeries, and offering advice to private sector tenants. Main duties include: To explain housing options clearly and lawfully to qualifying customers and to promote the idea, to interest as many customers as possible To negotiate with applicants and explain the benefits of taking up housing options in a positive way To complete interview notes and forms correctly and administer a case load of options cases and ensure they are progressed efficiently To make detailed enquiries to outside agencies and authorities in order to verify and obtain further information and to investigate the applicant’s statement and to prevent fraud and protect resources To carry out on a rota basis, unaccompanied visits to applicant’s homes and other private addresses, in order to confirm homelessness, negotiate with licensors and evaluate the domestic situation To draft statutory decision letters on applications for amendment by a senior officer which explain decisions to applicants quotes legislation and case law, appropriate to that decision and explain the reasons for that decision To identify cases of fraud and misrepresentation under supervision and ensure appropriate legal action can be taken To understand when the council is obliged in law to offer interim/emergency accommodation and under supervision to minimise booking into temporary accommodation. To recommend booking in cases where a statutory duty is apparent To gather information to help decide whether the council has a statutory duty to protect an applicant’s personal property To assess prima facie non-priority cases under the Housing Act 1996 Part 7 as amended, to issue statutory decision letters in these cases and to offer advice and assistance to enable this group to seek their own housing To receive complaints of threatened or actual harassment, illegal eviction etc To conduct interviews and obtain the facts for referral to the senior options adviser for detailed casework which may result in the local authority bringing a prosecution Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for. Key requirements: Knowledge of relevant current legislation and case law, including the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, the Housing Acts of 1985, 1988, 1996 and 2004 Good understanding of the Housing Act Part 7, as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002 and the ability to assess applications under this act Excellent communication skills, including under the Housing Act 1996, Part 7 to write and speak to landlords and to explain matters to customers Ability to negotiate with householders Experience of interviewing the public in a housing advice, homelessness or related field Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for. Qualification details and any other experience/skills relevant to the role to help support your application should be clearly shown in your CV. Due to the number of CVs being sent to us unfortunately we cannot respond to all applications. If you have not heard from us within 3 working days, please assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion. "XI Please note that clients invariably ask us to strip out contact details from CVs before we submit them for consideration. This is always quicker and easier to do if you send your CV to us in Word format, rather than as a PDF please.