Housing Triage Officer

Housing Triage Officer
Rugby
Job Role
To be the first point of contact in a customer focused front line Housing Solutions Service providing timely and sometimes immediate housing advice to customers on a range of housing options, providing information, guidance and signposting on available benefits and services.
To provide excellent homelessness prevention advice and assistance to customers on a range of housing solutions, including social housing, shared ownership, low-cost home ownership, disabled adaptations, mediation, supported housing and the private rented sector.
Key Responsibilities:
To be the first point of contact for all housing need enquiries that cannot be dealt with by Customer Services Team and are referred into the service for an initial assessment of the housing need of the approaching household.
Provide homelessness prevention advice to customers on housing options including social housing, shared ownership, other forms of low-cost home ownership, disabled adaptations, family mediation, supported housing and how to access private rented housing e.g. rent deposit schemes, discretionary housing payments, homeless prevention fund and charitable support.
To co-ordinate and provide responses to all housing need & housing options queries including emails, housing register correspondence, phone calls, temporary accommodation queries and resettlement queries.
To ascertain whether a household should apply to join the Council's Housing Register or if there is a risk of homelessness and make referrals to the Housing Solutions Team if the household is at risk of homelessness within 56 days.
To make timely and accurate records of all action in relation to client casework and to ensure client files on the IT system are clear, up to date and comprehensive. To follow case management procedures and processes ensuring the correct standards are followed.
To assess and respond to all referrals received under the 'Duty to Refer' arrangements, ensuring that appropriate advice and support is provided, or the referral is escalated to Housing Solutions Team.