Private Rented Sector Discharge Officer

Connect2Luton are excited to recruit a Private Rented Sector Discharge Officer behalf of Luton Borough Council.

Main purpose of position:

The Private Rented Sector Discharge Officer will liaise with Landlords and Agents to secure properties and undertake assessments on clients to ensure a private rented tenancy is suitable for them. The officer is required to assess the suitability of the property and provide tenancy related advice and support working together with the household to help them maintain an existing tenancy or support the household to move on from temporary accommodation into their own permanent home.

The post holder will also be responsible for monitoring the choice-based lettings bidding of accepted homeless households to ensure compliance within the councils allocations policy and intervene as necessary.

You will be responsible to:

To visit/work with households in Temporary Accommodation (TA) to provide them with advice and guidance on the full range of housing options available to them and manage their expectations, taking into account their needs, their priority on the Housing Register and ability to sustain other options, including private rented accommodation.

Undertake detailed suitability assessments giving consideration for example to the physical condition of the accommodation, location, affordability, overcrowding, and risk of violence from any person to enable to discharge the council homeless duty.

You will liaise with Landlords and Agents to secure properties and undertake assessments on clients to ensure a private rented tenancy is suitable for them. You will be required to assess the suitability of the property and provide tenancy related advice and support working together with the household to help move on from TA, into their own permanent home.

You will monitor biding activity across households in TA and offer support to those households who require assistance, in order to help them make informed choices ensuring compliance within the council's allocations policy and intervene as necessary.

To undertake casework including completion of financial affordability assessments, assessing suitability of properties and issuing discharge of the duty decisions subject to the council's statutory duty for households to whom the council owes a full housing duty under the Housing Act 1996 Part VII as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act.

You will have knowledge and understanding of the Public Sector Equality Duty subject to the Equality Act 2010 and its effect on discharge of duty decisions.

To assist homeless households in TA deal with the effects of the welfare reforms by providing advice and assistance on benefit entitlement and referral for employment opportunities and support.

Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrable experience of working in a busy and pressurised environment as part of a team to achieve set targets and outcomes within a housing arena
• Demonstrable experience of working with vulnerable individuals and families with complex needs
• Strong communications skills both written and orally, influencing, negotiating in person and on behalf of individuals and providing advice to aide with. Empowering individuals to resolve their problems
• Good numerical skills to carry out affordability tests to recommend financial awards/grants/loans working on ledgers and assessing on finance issues whilst ensuring within affordability envelope to protect the council from incurring additional costs
• Able to work under pressure, manage competing work demands methodically to achieve targets and meet changing demands and priorities
• Able to deal with difficult customers and maintain positive working relationship at all levels
• Able to problem resolute, critically analyse financial and management information, think outside the box and sell the positives of a property or service in a reassuring and supportive manner
• Able to undertake casework including completion of financial affordability assessments, assessing suitability of properties and issuing discharge of the duty decisions subject to the council's statutory duty for households to whom the council owes a full housing duty under the Housing Act 1996 Part VII as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act
• Demonstrable knowledge of Housing and Homelessness legislation, Housing Act 1996, parts VI and VII, as amended, the Homelessness Act 2002, Localism Act 2011, Homelessness Suitability of Accommodation (England)
• Order 2012, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and related legislation and case law
• Good knowledge of landlord and tenant law, the possession grounds relating to rented properties and the eligibility criteria for means tested benefits
• NVQ level 3 in a relevant vocational relating to Housing or equivalent work experience or training
• GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English
• Ability to take a flexible work approach, able to for one Saturday per month with day off in lieu and work proactively
• Able to travel between sites, hold a clean driving licence and have access to a car is essential

About Us

Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council.

Our heritage and being local government owned which means we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the public sector, with many of our employees having previously worked for the Council or have supplied previously into the Council, for several years.

We are an equal opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.

Connect2Luton is a trading style of Luton & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Luton Borough Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Luton is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.