Accommodation Officer x2 Ref: 09-25

Job summary

Description of duties

• To manage the Council's temporary accommodation arrangements, including its own stock, making placements into housing association temporary stock, hostels and nightly paid accommodation, ensuring licence agreements are signed by all parties, HB benefit claims are submitted to ARP, customers understand what they need to pay and have a means of paying their charges. 
• To provide a range of support to clients in temporary accommodation, including welfare benefits advice, tenancy support and to work with other agencies to promote and safeguard the welfare of clients in temporary accommodation.
• To liaise with accommodation providers, particularly nightly paid establishments, to ensure that accommodation meets agreed standards and to visit temporary accommodation regularly to check the conditions of properties.
• To have oversight of arrangements with accommodation providers including checking that residents are occupying the accommodation and processing payments to accommodation providers.
• To support the Accommodation Team Leader to research and secure alternative sources of emergency accommodation provision.
• To establish and maintain contact with residents in temporary accommodation, liaising with the Housing Solutions Officers and other agencies to ensure all relevant paperwork is completed and any support needs identified.
• To signpost residents to appropriate support agencies to ensure effective tenancy sustainment and intervene where necessary to ensure that residents have appropriate support and advice to claim benefits.
• To liaise with accommodation providers in relation to any issues relating to residents' behaviour and provide support where necessary to ensure residents understand the consequences of any breach of accommodation conditions including in relation to the Council's ongoing duties towards them. 
• To assist the Income Recovery Officer to send out annual rent increase letters and quarterly rent statements to tenants of council owned properties when required.
• To liaise with the Business Support Officer to ensure invoices relating to temporary accommodation placements are paid within timescales.
• To be responsible for keeping accurate records of temporary accommodation arrangements and placements.
• To monitor team mailboxes and action by forwarding to relevant officer or responding to emails as appropriate. To provide tenancy management of the small number of council owned properties that are let to tenants, ensuring compliance within the requirements of being a Registered Provider.
• To produce detailed regular reports from IT systems, recording and monitoring performance, gathering and presenting figures as required in order to meet performance targets and inform strategic housing need.
• Ensure compliance to all policies, procedures, standard operating practices, with recommendations for action and continuous improvement.
• To provide information relating to MP enquiries, Complaints, Freedom of Information requests etc. as required.
• To attend training and development opportunities to ensure knowledge and skills are maintained and are current.
• Ensure compliance to all policies, procedures, standard operating practices, with recommendations for action and continuous improvement.
• To carry out any other duties as required in accordance with the level of the post.

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.