JOB DESCRIPTION / ROLE PROFILE

Job Title:Accommodation Officer

Grade: G8

Directorate:Community, Health and Wellbeing

Division / Section: Housing Services/Housing Needs

Reports to:Team Manager

Date:30 May 2014

1. ROLE PURPOSE

To work with landlords and providers to procure all types of accommodation for homeless households. To contract manage the accommodation and inspect accommodation once occupied, including emergency accommodation, to ensure the accommodation continues to meet the appropriate standard. To liaise with and support landlords to ensure tenancies are available and sustained. To provide a full housing management service to all accommodation leased to the council including rent collection. To deliver training to applicants with a housing need to ensure they can sustain tenancies. To ensure that those households to whom the Council has accepted a housing duty are aware of, and are actively seeking alternate housing options.

2. DIMENSIONS

  • 450 private sector housing solutions required annually.
  • Housing management service provided to over 250 dwellings.
  • 450 Households in accommodation to whom the Council owes a housing duty.
  • 150 households in emergency accommodation.

3. CONTEXT

The post is generic, and straddles two teams withinthe Housing Needs Section. The teams are responsible for the supply and allocation of all sources of accommodation to homeless households, the assessment of applications to the Council’s housing register, and the allocation of Council owned homes and nominations to Registered Providers.

4 MAIN DUTIES / ACCOUNTABILITIES

A

/ Generic Duties/Accountabilities - for all posts G11 and Below
To ensure compliance with your responsibilities as laid out in the council’s equal opportunity policy and take an active role in promoting and enabling equality of opportunity, promoting the diverse needs and aspirations of Harrow’s community, ensuring equality and diversity is mainstreamed in all service/directorate activities
To ensure compliance with your responsibilities as laid out in the council’s health and safety policy and take an active role in promoting a positive health and safety culture.
To promote and participate in the council’s investors in people (IIP) and individual performance appraisal and development (IPAD) initiatives and information management best practice.
To ensure compliance with the council’s information security policies and maintain confidentiality.
Service Specific Duties/ Accountabilities
To operate and maintain databases and other records to ensure that information on systems and client records is comprehensive and up to date.
To maintain a caseload of households living in emergency, temporary and leased accommodation so that general and complex queries are dealt with in a professional manner and in accordance with Contracts and corporate timescales.
To provide a full management service to tenancies in leased accommodation, including rent collection.
To participate in the allocation process of all types of accommodation so that void payments and rent loss are kept to a minimum.
To deliver the highest standard of customer care at all times.
To verify Housing Benefit documents to ensure they comply with statutory requirements to enable rents payment to be made.
To negotiate and communicate with property owners, agents and other providers so that suitable accommodation is secured to meet targets.
To inspect hotels, hostels and other accommodation to assess the quality and suitability under current legislation and local standards.
To have a working knowledge of the requirements of all contracts so that value for money and best use of resources can be maintained.
To ensure fulfilment of the Council’s statutory responsibility under the Housing Act 1996 Part 7 as amended, as it relates to the provision of accommodation.
Wherever possible promote the services of Help2Let, the Council’s Lettings Agency.
To be proactive in the process to ensure Leases are sealed for our PSL initiative.
To assist residents in temporary accommodation to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment when necessary.
To deliver training to housing applicants to help them sustain tenancies.
To support Help2Let landlords encountering difficulties with tenancy management.

5. SELECTION CRITERIA

Note for applicants – The selection criteria specifies the knowledge, experience, skills, abilities, qualifications and training required to perform the duties of the post for which you are applying.

In your application you will need to explain how your knowledge, experience, skills, abilities gained in paid or unpaid work, study or training, meets each of the selection criteria marked ‘A’ below, including your awareness, understanding and commitment to equality and diversity in employment and service delivery. If you fail to do so, you will not be shortlisted.

Shortlisting will be on the basis of assessing the selection criteria marked ‘A’

Note for managers - List the selection criteria that are essential for individuals to possess in order to the do the job. Equality & diversity criteria must be built into the selection criteria to assess understanding, awareness and commitment to equality and diversity in employment and service delivery and how individuals will apply it when carrying out their duties.

Clearly indicate in the end column which method of assessment or combination of methods will be used to assess each criteria i.e. Application (A), Interview (I), Test (T)

Ranking Order – All criteria must be numerically ranked (in the ranking order column) in order of importance with the most important criteria ranked highest relative to other criteria ie. the most important criteria be given the ranking order of 1, the next most important 2 and so on. Where 2 or more criteria are equally important, they should be ranked the same ie. both given the same ranking order of 1 for example.

Ranking Order / Knowledge Indicator
(Define the knowledge that is essential to the job e.g. particular legislation related to the job) / Method of Assessment
A Ability to implement anti-discriminatory practices and procedures. / A & I
B To ensure that the Council’s principles of equal opportunity and diversity are integrated into all aspects of service delivery and employment practice. / A & I
C Awareness of barriers likely to affect homeless clients / A & I
Experience
(Specify the range, type and depth of experience required rather than being general or just specifying the number of years and consider relevant unpaid work) / Method of Assessment
G Experience of dealing with people in stressful situations / A & I
H One year’s eExperience of inputting and retrieving data from a computer system / A & I
Education, Qualifications and Training
(Specify only essential qualifications that can be justified and equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, consider work related qualifications e.g. NVQ’s. Remember relevant experience can be in addition to or instead of qualifications. If no qualifications are required, this section can be left blank) / Method of Assessment
M Good standard of literacy and numeracy either at GCSE or equivalent level / A & T
N Minimum of GCSE qualification / A
O
Skills and Abilities
(Specify type and level of skills and abilities relevant to the job that can be measured, e.g. accurate recording) / Method of Assessment
R Understanding the needs of homeless persons / A & I
S A good understanding of the key issues facing local authorities, particularly in Housing Services. / A & I
T Current knowledge of welfare benefits / A & I
U Good planning and organisational skills to cope with diverse tasks with the ability to prioritise work and respond flexibility to changing demands and to deadlines. / A & I
A Ability to work within a team setting using own initiative with commitment, flexibility and positive approach to achieving results and overcoming obstacles. / A & I
A Good literacy skills including the ability to write good business letters and reports. / A & T
A Ability to maintain accurate and concise records with attention to detail. / A & I
A Good Negotiations skills in order to reach agreements with property owners, agents and other providers / A & I
A Ability to explain complex and contentious housing and welfare issues to clients and their representatives. / A & I
A Effective numeracy skills to include the ability to assess rent affordability. / A & T
A Ability to source affordable accommodation in the private rented sector / A & I
A Ability to property manage properties including rent collection. / A & I
A Ability to deliver the highest standard of customer care to all clients / A & I
A Awareness of the Council’s statutory responsibility as it relates to the provision of accommodation. / A & I
Other Essential Factors
(Specify criteria directly related to the job e.g. ability to work unsocial hours, physical requirements, distinguish between ‘need’ and ‘convenience’ so it is justifiable and not discriminatory e.g. to women or disabled applicants. Include Genuine Occupational Qualifications or Requirements (GOQ’s or GOR’s) here if an essential requirement / Method of
Assessment
W To hold a valid full driving license and have the use of a car. / A & I
X Be prepared to work outside normal office hours, on occasions / A & I
Y Ability to inspect hotels, hostels and residential properties to assess their quality and suitability for use by families having regard to current legislation and local standards. These inspections to include those above first floor that don’t have lift access and properties outside the London area. / A & I

Form Completed by:

Name:Jacky Souter Housing Provision Manager 22 August 2014


Form Evaluated by:

Name:

Designation:

Signature:Date:

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Role Profile Template with Descriptions G11 & Below April 14