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RESPONSIBLE FOR:
A Team Leader responsible for the day to day management of three services, ensuring that they are responsive to customer and community demands while contributing to the council's key strategic aims and priorities and minimising expenditure on temporary and emergency accommodation

* Housing Advice
* Homelessness Prevention
* Relief
* Homeless - Pt 7
* Housing Needs Assessment

Number of reports:

Direct reports: 5/6
Indirect reports: 0

Total Managed: 5/6

Financial Responsibilities:

No direct budget responsibilities but to ensure that use of council budgets is spent in line with current policies and procedures, ensuring that there is minimum spend re. legal costs, in line with role.

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:
To lead, manage and develop a team of Housing Needs Officers, responsible for providing a high quality and customer focussed housing needs service, including housing advice and homelessness services.
To prevent and address homelessness and housing needs through the resolution of complex casework and to contribute to the council's housing strategy and implementation plan and targets.
To represent the service contributing to the development of the wider housing service and its integration with other allied services both inside and outside the council.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES:
1. Responsibility for the management of staff and the resolution of homelessness and housing advice cases in accordance with current legislation and case law to mitigate any risks to the council, ensuring that the council's resources, including financial resources, are appropriately used according to the needs of the home seeker, enabling them to achieve sustainable and affordable solutions to their housing need while also being mindful of the most cost effective options which limit the council's obligations and minimise revenue expenditure.

2. To be responsible for the council's homeless prevention fund, providing management guidance to front line staff to ensure these funds are used appropriately according to the needs of the homeseeker

3. Leading by example direct a team to deliver prevention and enforcement action in line with homelessness and housing advice legislation and policies, including (but not exclusively) preparing and serving legal notifications under the relevant Housing Acts and where appropriate undertaking self-representation in court on behalf of the council.

4. Maintain knowledge of current legislation, emerging national issues and political drivers and new initiatives particularly regarding prevention of homelessness and homelessness/housing advice case law and applying this understanding through staff management, 1-2-1's appraisals and team meetings.

5. Build effective working relationships and liaison with officers and managers in the wider corporate structure to ensure services are integrated including but not limited to Neighbourhood Services, social services, community mental health team and clinical commissioning group. Champion the service across the council and also through instruction and training of other sections of the council.

6. Represent the service and council to develop and maintain effective working relationships with relevant external agencies and partners to negotiate and deliver an integrated approach to homelessness prevention and resolution as well as housing advice and the housing register.

7. To have day to day management responsibility of the team in terms of performance and delivery of wider homelessness and housing advice issues by participating in multi-agency project teams and acting as the Council's expert on housing needs and homelessness prevention.

8. Act as a reference point to provide sound, detailed advice and guidance to team members regarding homelessness, housing advice and housing register legislation especially on complex cases, to the wider housing management team and instruct other officers in the department regarding effective solution for resolving housing need issues.

9. To act as duty manager being responsible for the service in the absence of the Housing Demand Manager. This will include (but not exclusively) dealing with face to face complaints, taking responsibility for decision to take further action of illegal evictions and the placement of homeless households. It will also include some staff supervision in the absence of the place shaping manager

10. To take a lead on a particular topic, project, and/or liaison with a partner department or agency as directed by the Housing Demand Manager. Ensure that colleagues are briefed on relevant issues relating to the topic/liaison.

11. Monitor trends and identify housing needs issuing a wide range of information gathered from internal and external partners. Work with the wider housing management team, the council's corporate teams, and external partners to collectively develop a proactive, preventative, multi-agency approach and provide input and be mindful of the council's lettings policy, ensuring that the housing services key priorities and objectives are met within the wider corporate strategies.

12. Identify and provide positive, effective and often complex legal and housing advice and information to home seekers about their rights and options, in compliance of the Landlords & Tenants, Homelessness and other related legislation. This will include immigration and benefits legislation

13. Any other reasonable duties commensurate with the post.

Eden Brown Synergy is an equal opportunities employer.

Eden Brown Limited is a limited company registered in England and Wales with registered number 3643845. Our registered address is 5th floor 4 Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5AR, part of nGAGE Specialist Recruitment Limited T/A nGAGE Talent. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. This message is intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please send it back to us, and immediately and permanently delete it. Do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this message or in any attachment. We take reasonable precautions to ensure no viruses are present in this email but cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage sustained as a result of computer viruses and the recipient must ensure that the email (and attachments) are virus free.