Senior Technical Officer (Domestic Abuse) Ref: 07-25

Job Description

Job summary

Grade:	7
Responsible To:	Housing Team Leader (Homelessness Prevention or Homelessness Relief and Main Duty)
Responsible For:	N/A
Job Purpose:	To ensure effective and efficient operational responses are made to the statutory functions of the Housing Solutions Service through effective training, case management oversight, advice and guidance.
Location of Job:	Elizabeth House, Dereham and Breckland House, Thetford, with travel within Breckland and to meetings across Norfolk.
Directorate/ Service Area:	Housing & Communities

Description of duties

To support the Housing Solutions Team Manager and the Team Leaders in providing an effective Housing Solutions Service, ensuring fulfilment of legal duties, primarily focused on cases where domestic abuse is a key element.
Provide support to Housing Solutions Officers with complex domestic abuse related cases to ensure adherence to legislation and the Code of Practice and to facilitate officer self-learning.
To be the first point of contact for Housing Solutions Officers for domestic abuse related case and legislation related queries
Provide technical housing and benefit advice, expertise and training to internal and external staff, stakeholders and members.
Assist in the interpretation and implementation of new Housing and Domestic Abuse legislation and regulations, providing associated guidance and training.
To hold a small caseload of cases when needed, in order to support the team.
Carry out quality assurance monitoring of officer work ensuring officer decisions for domestic abuse related cases throughout the team are correct and IT systems are accurately recording data in line with best practice. To then utilise this information update individual and Service training plans.
To work collaboratively with the Housing Solutions Officers in relation to clients being referred to ensure that duties owed by the Council to clients are discharged in a timely and appropriate manner.
To develop and maintain open, honest and constructive relationships and be supportive to colleagues.
To play an active role in driving forward improvements in customer service delivery including assisting in providing information in relations to complaints, MP enquiries, FOI and SAR requests.
To review and sign off officers' decisions under the Homelessness Reduction Act and Housing Act 1996.
To assist the Housing Solutions Team Manager and other Team Leaders in managing the use of temporary accommodation, with the aim of keeping occupation and expenditure to a minimum.
To contribute to and assist in the delivery of the Housing Strategy and to assist in the development and implementation of the Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy.
Assist in the preparation of reports, carrying out of investigations or making of recommendations in conjunction with the Team Manager and service management team for Cabinet, Scrutiny, senior managers or external agencies ensuring appropriate liaison and consultation with interested parties.
To undertake any other duties as requested by the Housing Manager, Housing Solutions Team Manager and the Housing Solutions Team Leaders, appropriate to the level and competence of the post.
Ensure that a high level of customer service is maintained at all times.
Ensure compliance to all policies, procedures, standard operating practices, with recommendations for action and continuous improvement.

Primary Line/Performance Management Objectives of the Role

To ensure the team's officers carry out investigations and make decisions in a timely and accurate way.
Ensure the proper assessment and issuing of decisions for applications for assistance with homelessness in accordance with relevant legislation, the Homelessness Code of Guidance and relevant case law.

Primary Leadership Objectives of the Role

To support the Housing Solutions Officers to deliver relevant statutory obligations.

Responsibilities for:

People - The post holder is responsible for developing a culture within the Housing Solutions Team and wider Housing Service which is linked to the behaviours and values of the Council. In addition, the post holder will be expected to look at improved ways and processes to benefit customers of the service and the wider organisation.

Finance - No direct budgetary responsibility but responsibility for ensuring that temporary accommodation costs are minimised.

Decision Making - Ensuring that the assessment and processing of all homelessness applications are done in line with legislation and the Code of Guidance.

Communications - Liaising with internal staff members of staff and portfolio holders. Direct communication and contact with external partners including but not exclusive to Breckland residents, tenants and landlords, organisations/representatives, Government and non-governmental organisations. Take a personal responsibility to build and maintain relationships with key partners, including private landlords, housing associations, statutory bodies, and third and voluntary sector organisations and the general public.

This job description is not exhaustive.

The job description outlines the current position and will be subject to review in the light of development within the service, in consultation with the post holder as detailed in your Contract of Employment.