Homeless Officer

• Pay rate: £15.43 per hour (PAYE)/ £19.03 via Umbrella
• Location: Wakefield, WF1
• Job Type: Full-time, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri

We are seeking a dedicated Homeless Officer to work within the Service Wide Duty Team of the Housing Needs Service. The role involves dealing with new inquiries and approaches for homeless assistance, conducting homeless assessments, and providing prevention and housing options advice.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Conduct thorough assessments of homeless and potentially homeless individuals as part of a duty team.
• Clearly explain the homeless application process, including the reasons for detailed inquiries and the potential outcomes.
• Interview applicants, gather relevant information, and obtain consent for third-party inquiries.
• Make third-party inquiries to establish eligibility, homelessness, priority need, intentionality, and local connection.
• Accurately complete assessment forms and update case notes for decision-making and potential court challenges.
• Negotiate with housing providers to prevent or delay homelessness.
• Manage a caseload of homeless applications, ensuring timely and accurate work is recorded and reviewed.
• Update the in-house case management system accurately and promptly.
• Respond to applicants’ queries and keep them informed about the progress of their applications.
• Advise applicants on the outcomes of decisions and manage challenging situations professionally.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessments and manage risks in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Promote housing options, educating service users about all options to empower informed decisions.
• Participate in an ‘out-of-hours’ rota for emergency situations outside normal office hours.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Good knowledge of homeless legislation, guidance, and prevention techniques.
• Understanding of accommodation options and services for homeless and vulnerable people within the district.
• Thorough understanding of the housing and support needs of homeless and vulnerable people.
• Knowledge of Safeguarding adults and children.
• Experience in homelessness, social housing, or housing-related support environments.
• Proficient in interviewing and liaising with the public and other organisations.
• Capable of managing a caseload and maintaining accurate case notes and systems.
• Experience in managing challenging behaviour and assessing support needs and risks.
• Ability to work within policies and procedures and contribute to the development of new procedures.
• Must be able to travel flexibly throughout the district and participate in the out-of-hours rota.

Benefits:

• Competitive hourly rate.
• Opportunity to make a significant impact in the community.
• Supportive team environment.
• Professional development opportunities.

What Reed can offer you as a temporary employee:

• A dedicated consultant who will act as your key point of contact during and between any bookings
• Secure & online time sheet system which is quick and easy to use
• A self-service portal to access holiday requests/ Payslips/ P45 at your own leisure
• A dedicated payroll team
• Access to free training
• Access to discount club/ healthcare/ reed rewards
• Pension /paid holiday scheme/ maternity benefits
• Contacts for other Reed consultants and divisions
• Opportunities to work with some of the UKs leading employers including local authorities, NHS and local SME's