Senior Housing Needs Officer

Place and Economic Growth
Communities Directorate
Senior Housing Needs Officer

**Ref**: 000934
**Contract**: Permanent
**Salary**: £42,839 - £47,181 per annum (Grade 8)
**Hours**:36.66 per week
**Based**:The Office is based at Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1UT
**Closing Date**: Monday 1st September 2025
**Shortlisting & Interview Dates**:TBC.

**Role Overview**:

- To provide expert legal, case management advice and guidance to front line staff working within homelessness and council officers, ensuring that robust operational procedures are in place and consistently reviewed.
- To monitor and challenge the delivery of the front line homelessness and housing advice service to ensure a consistent, high quality service is provided meeting the statutory obligations of the Council and the contractual obligations of the provider.
- To undertake performance management of contracts funded using homelessness budgets.
- To act as the strategic housing lead in respect of health and homelessness.
To ensure continuous development and improvement of the front line staff working within homelessness to encapsulate best practice, legal changes, governmental agendas and guidance.

**Key Requirements**:

- To maintain up to date, expert level knowledge of homelessness legislation, the Code of Guidance and associated legislation and case law in order to:

- Respond verbally and in writing to first reviews relating to S184 decisions and offers made under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 including those from solicitors, MPs councillors and other advocates.
- Respond to requests for S213/198 referrals.
- To support the Council’s service provider in the development and direction of the front line staff working within homelessness, ensuring a high quality of casework, compliant with procedures and statutory legislation. To develop performance targets, in conjunction with the provider’s contract manager, on an individual and team basis to ensure that service and corporate objectives are achieved to deliver performance which compares with the top performing services nationally in terms of homelessness.
- To take responsibility for the ongoing development of operational procedures in relation to homelessness for front line staff that are up to date and in line with legislation, the code of guidance and which support best practice. To ensure that working practices are consistently applied in order to meet the Council’s statutory duties and that and information systems are in place to deliver accurate and auditable information to the council, central government and internal/external agencies.
- To work with the service provider to ensure that households accessing temporary, and supported, accommodation are moved on in a timely manner to minimise the cost to the council and make best use of limited resources.
- To assist and provide support, where required, to the front line staff working within homelessness in interviewing customers who present with complex and/or challenging behaviour or who have special needs.
- To be responsible for the Homelessness Prevention budget, including authorising payments and maximising any income in respect of this area. To authorise and maintain appropriate records in respect of the Homelessness Prevention Fund which is delegated to the homelessness service provider.
- To act as the strategic housing lead in respect of health and homelessness; representing housing at joint meetings and working with statutory partners to achieve the objectives set out in these meetings and those within the GM Health and Social Care Partnership work on homelessness.
- To develop and provide training to staff from external agencies on a range of issues with the aim of preventing homelessness.
- To be responsible for performance management of a number of contracts funded using homelessness budgets. Including developing and agreeing a performance management framework in respect of both contracts and leading on any future procurement.
- To be responsible for working with colleagues and partners to develop current and future strategies for the borough e.g. Homelessness Strategy, including the provision of key information and analysis.
- To lead on specific areas and projects identified through the Council's Housing and Homelessness Strategy.
To represent the authority at local and regional level to develop integrated approaches to combating homelessness and to support as appropriate sub regional partnerships to develop effective policies and strategies to develop appropriate responses to homelessness on sub regional basis.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

**About Us**:
We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the ch