OR109923 – Housing Solutions Officer – Housing

Main Purpose of the Role

The Housing Solutions Officer is responsible for delivering a person-centred homelessness prevention and housing advice service in line with the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. The role focuses on preventing homelessness through early intervention, assessing housing needs, providing tailored advice, developing Personal Housing Plans, and supporting individuals and families to secure and sustain suitable accommodation. The postholder works collaboratively with internal teams, landlords, and partner agencies to achieve positive, sustainable housing outcomes while ensuring compliance with statutory duties.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver housing advice and homelessness prevention services through telephone, online, face-to-face appointments, and home visits.
• Assess homelessness applications and ensure compliance with duties under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, including Prevention, Relief, and Final Duties.
• Develop and manage Personal Housing Plans to prevent or relieve homelessness.
• Provide advice on housing options, tenancy rights, eligibility for assistance, and rehousing opportunities.
• Negotiate with landlords, family members, and other parties to prevent the loss of accommodation.
• Manage a caseload efficiently, ensuring timely decisions, accurate records, and compliance with legal requirements.
• Prepare and issue statutory decision letters, explaining outcomes and review rights clearly.
• Arrange temporary or emergency accommodation where required and coordinate with relevant teams.
• Identify safeguarding concerns, high-risk situations, and cases involving fraud or misrepresentation, making referrals where appropriate.
• Build effective partnerships with landlords, support agencies, social services, health services, probation, and voluntary organisations.
• Promote access to private rented accommodation and use homelessness prevention funding appropriately.
• Support applicants with housing register applications and provide realistic rehousing advice.
• Maintain accurate case records using the Council’s housing management systems (including Abritas).
• Participate in duty rotas, outreach work, and the Out-of-Hours emergency homelessness service.
• Contribute to service performance targets, including reducing homelessness and minimizing the use of temporary accommodation.
• Ensure all work is carried out in accordance with Council policies, safeguarding procedures, equality and diversity principles, health and safety requirements, and climate change commitments.

Key Skills and Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and homelessness legislation.
• Experience managing complex housing or homelessness cases.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work empathetically with vulnerable individuals and those with complex needs.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to make sound decisions, maintain accurate records, and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.