Purpose of the job
To be responsible for overall development, co-ordination, delivery and performance of a highly effective homelessness prevention, assessment and advice service for people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, with the ultimate goal of reducing homelessness and minimising the use of temporary accommodation. To develop, support and promote and inclusive, multi agency problem-solving approach to tackling, preventing and reducing homelessness to increase efficiency, deliver better outcomes for people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and improve value for money. To provide people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness with advice on their housing options, taking into account their needs and aspirations, their eligibility for assistance under the homelessness legislation, their priority on the housing register and their ability to sustain a tenancy in the private sector. To contribute positively to the development of new working practices and initiatives, and the improvement of existing practices, that help to increase upstream prevention and prevent homelessness at the earliest stage, provide settled housing solutions and minimise the use and cost of temporary accommodation. To provide the Head of Housing Solutions, Assistant Director Strategic Housing, Development and Property Services, Corporate Leadership Team, and Councillors with advice on issues relating to housing advice and homelessness, to help set the strategic direction of the authority. The role will be based across the locality of North Northamptonshire.
Principal responsibilities
1. Responsible for the management, delivery and performance of a housing advice and options service, including casework and homelessness assessments, ensuring the Council meets its statutory duties in line with legislation, guidance, caselaw and the Council’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy. 2. Ensure appropriate and prompt assessment of homelessness cases via a highly effective triage service, with a focus on effective crisis management and robust upstream prevention activity. 3. Lead in the procurement, development, management and future improvements to the Council’s housing advice and homelessness case management software systems.
4. Responsible for the management and monitoring of the housing advice and options service, including performance against KPIs, collection of relevant data and production of reports. 5. Ensure there are adequate service level agreements, data sharing agreements, partnership agreements and protocols in place for all key partner agencies of the housing advice and options service. 6. Manage, motivate and lead a team of officers working across the housing advice and options service to achieve service delivery and positive results. 7. Manage housing advice and options payments and budgets including forecasting expenditure, taking corrective action where pressures occur. 8. Develop, coordinate, and deliver the Council’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and essential policies relating to the housing advice and options service, and assist and support the development of wider directorate / corporate transformations, strategies, plans, policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements reflecting good practice. 9. Actively promote / improve multi agency working / forums with internal and external partners / services to address housing needs and prevention and relief of homelessness. 10. Complete related grant funding bids and develop and implement any associated projects and initiatives with the aim of improving the housing advice and options service and outcomes. 11. Assist in the drafting of reports and undertake presentations to all decision making/governance groups in relation to the housing advice and options service