Job Title: Housing Options Officer x 3 Permanent Officers
Housing Options Officer x 3 Fixed Term Officer or secondment (1 year)
Hours: Full Time (36 hours)
Contract Type: Permanent x 3/Fixed Term x 1
Salary: £34,975 up to £ 38,931 per annum dependent on experience
Location: Bromley Civic Centre/Remote Working/ London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley Housing Options & Support Service are looking for Housing Options Officers with the drive and commitment to deliver high quality frontline housing services to our residents.
There has never been a more exciting time to join the Housing, Planning and Regeneration Division in the London Borough of Bromley. We are currently 2 years into our Service Transformation programme; placing our residents as central to everything we do. As outlined in our new Corporate Strategy 'Making Bromley Even Better', we are committed to supporting people to make their homes in Bromley and for business, enterprise and the third sector to prosper.
You can view our 'Making Bromley Even Better' Corporate Strategy video here: https://youtu.be/so9wkMR3nwk
Our values and behaviours have a key part to play in how staff carry out the work of the Council and how we engage and build working relationships with key partner agencies. This framework outlines the desired behaviours that align with our established values, to help create a workforce that are able to deliver services that are seen as ‘excellent’ in the eyes of local people. To read more about our REAL Values and Behaviours, please click here: Bromley Values and Behaviours.pdf
About the Service
Our Housing Options & Support Service serves Bromley residents and those approaching the Council in need of advice, information, and support to resolve their housing challenges and queries.
The Service liaises with vulnerable people who may need support to effectively navigate their housing journey ensuring they are able to access the right support at the right time. The Team provides a strong multi-partnership approach to resolving problems and seeks to find solutions to achieve person-centred outcomes, which either prevent or relieve homelessness.
About the Role
Are you looking to explore a career in housing, irrespective of whether they have experience in housing and/or homelessness.
In Bromley we are committed to providing housing services which help people to find and maintain housing solutions which truly meet their needs
What matters to us is that you care about the service being provided and you want to achieve the best outcomes for those that you are assisting. This role is challenging but it offers the opportunity to do something that is truly worthwhile. Our Options Officers are at the forefront of the Housing service and their interventions and advice can stop someone from losing their home or help them find a new one, help them break away from domestic abuse or avoid them becoming homeless.
This role sits within the Housing Options Team. The successful candidates will be joining a dynamic, customer focussed team, therefore they will need to be a pro-active individual who is able to take an innovative approach to problem solving and meeting performance targets. The successful candidate will work closely with the other Housing Division Teams in Bromley to achieve the division’s aims and targets, preventing fraud and protecting resources.
The role will predominately include:
• Interviewing and assessing homeless people
• Preventing homelessness by promoting housing options and providing effective advice
• Determining whether applicants are owed a statutory duty under Part VII of 1996 Housing Act as amended
• Participating in a duty and out of hours rota system with other Housing Options Officers
• Effectively managing a caseload, within the constraints of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA)
• Utilising and updating the HOPE/Orchard housing management systems.
The successful candidate will need to be an effective negotiator and provide excellent customer service to all applicants with housing needs.
The ability to communicate and work effectively with customers, landlords, accommodation providers, and partner organisations to achieve successful outcomes for our homeless applicants is essential for this role.
This role will report to the Housing Options Team Manager and does not involve direct responsibility for employees.
As well as experience in offering housing advice and assistance to applicants, applicants will ideally have a good knowledge of statutory homelessness legislation and obligations, including the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
In return, the successful candidate will be joining a values-based organisation that is committed to the development of all members of staff. The successful candidate will receive regular structured supervision and be given appropriate training and support so they can confidently carry out their role and help drive forward Bromley’s Transformation Agenda.
The service operates a flexible approach to remote working; however, staff are required to work from the office with other Housing Options colleagues on an agreed rota.
Are you ready to join our team and be part of our exciting journey?
Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification: Job Description.docx
Please click here to view our Making Bromley Even Better strategy: Making Bromley Even Better.pdf
For an informal discussion about this role, please email Prasanna Perumal (Housing Options Team Manager) – prasanna.perumal@bromley.gov.uk
Bromley’s central offices (Bromley Civic Centre) are located in the heart of Bromley and the borough is home to one of the biggest shopping, food and entertainment centres in the Southeast. Excellent transport links mean you can be in either Central London or the gorgeous Kent countryside in just 15 minutes, depending which direction you take!
International travel is just as accessible. Fast and frequent trains will take you to Ashford and Dover, which both offer transport to the continent. What’s more, London’s two main airports, Gatwick and Heathrow, are both a short road trip away!
Some of the benefits working for the London Borough of Bromley:
- Membership of the excellent Local Government Pension Scheme
- Generous annual leave entitlement
- Excellent transport links
- Salary Sacrifice Schemes make huge savings on – Cycle2Work bike scheme.
- Employee Benefits Lifestyle Discounts –hundreds of discounts at local and national retailers, restaurants, holidays and much more
We are forces family friendly and are part of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme (Bronze Award). We welcome applications from ex-Armed Forces personnel, reservists, veterans, cadet instructors and military spouses/partners. We are committed to achieving equal opportunities in employment and service delivery and as a disability confident committed employer we encourage applications from people with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we will consider reasonable adjustment to support disability employment.