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Responsibilities:
- To carry out statutory reviews under the Housing Act 1996, Part VI, and VII of the Housing Act as amended.
- To provide reports and statistics about the reviews function and support any service improvement initiatives.
- To manage an extensive caseload of reviews and appeals and ensure the investigation and response to these is high quality and within legal deadlines.
- To liaise with medical team, customers, solicitors, housing providers, advocates and agencies to ensure cases are thoroughly investigated.
- To make complex robust decisions and recommendations on casework undertaken in the Housing Options Service, including to overturn and uphold decisions and service practice.
- To respond to a high level of complex complaints. Investigating the issues and responding on the full range of issues raised.
- Ensure enquiries into complaints are comprehensive and apply relevant legislation, caselaw and policy but also show sensitivity to households needs.
- To research and draft thorough responses to the Local Government Ombudsman as requested and to ensure all information requested by the Ombudsman is made available.
- To provide an excellent customer care service which promotes a positive image by phone or any other method of communications.
- To raise customer care concerns about the service which emerge as a result of reviews in the Housing Options management team.
- To promote a housing options approach to service delivery, maximising homelessness prevention and the take up of a range of effective solutions to meet housing need.
- To thoroughly investigate complaints from members and senior managers and where necessary to carry out interviews and home visits to gather information.
- To liaise closely with the Legal Department to provide instructions, agree decisions, discuss matters of law and interpretation, request counsels' advice, draft statements and affidavits and attend court wherever necessary.
- From time to time to deal with requests for information under the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act and to be aware of the requirements of the legislation and Lewisham practice.
- Input all data, make detailed case notes and update progress on reviews on all IT systems
- To record and monitor all complaints, enquiries, reviews and appeals being dealt with.
- To produce reports on areas of bad practice, training needs, lack of process or procedures arising out of the review or complaint cases and recommend service improvements, changes to procedures and working practices.
- To assist in the identification and addressing of training needs in the service.
- To undertake training as required, e.g. on new legislation or new technology. To be the lead officer within housing needs to share new developments and best practice.
- Carry out own administration function and provide all information and data as requested by managers dealing with correspondence, maintain records and produce reports as necessary.
- To participate in project groups as required and provide information and feedback in the development of annual service and work-plans within the Homelessness Service.
- To ensure the achievement of all performance targets relating to reviews and appeals and allocated enquiries and complaints.
Required:
- Experience writing S202 Reviews
- Extensive knowledge of the Housing Act 1996 as amended and related legislation and caselaw.
- Knowledge of related social welfare, human rights and immigration legislation.
- Knowledge of review procedures.
- Experience of managing a caseload.
- Experience of undertaking dealing with statutory homelessness and reviews of decisions under the Housing Act 1996.
- Experience of dealing with members of the public in sometimes stressful situations where their expectations cannot always be met.
- Experience of achieving performance targets and departmental objectives.
- Experience of training, support and mentoring staff.
- Experience of excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to explain complex legislation so it is easily understood by diverse range of customers.
- Experiencing of prioritising competing demands in a pressurised environment, recognize service priorities.
If interested, please submit CV and call Varsha on (phone number removed) between 9am to 4pm (Mon to Fri)
