Temporary Accommodation Placement Officer L3Z1

Temporary Accommodation (TA) Placements Officer Job Profile

Job title: Temporary Accommodation Placements Officer Grade: Level 3 Zone 1 About Camden Camden is building somewhere everyone can thrive, by making our borough the best place to live, work, study, and visit. Because we�re not just home to UK�s fastgrowing economy. We�re home to the most important conversations happening today. And we�re making radical social change a reality, so that nobody gets left behind. Here�s where you can help decide a better future for us all. The ambition set out in We Make Camden is that everyone in Camden should have a place they call home, with no one sleeping on the streets. The vision for Housing Services is to work deep within our neighbourhoods and communities to improve our services with people who use and rely on them, to deliver those services in an informed and responsive manner, and to ensure that preventing homelessness and providing safe, secure and sustainable housing are key pillars of Camden�s work to increase social equality and achieve the best outcomes for Camden residents. About the role: This is an important role within the TA placements team, responsible for supporting residents into temporary accommodation and ensuring Camden allocates suitable emergency and temporary accommodation in accordance with housing legislation and guidance. You will provide comprehensive housing advice, guidance and support to residents, and lead on sourcing appropriate temporary housing options. Example outcomes or objectives that this role will deliver: To facilitate the temporary allocation process and all related functions including assessing and placing homeless households in all forms of suitable and affordable temporary accommodation in discharge of the council�s duty, setting up and ending tenancies as appropriate To source and book temporary accommodation placements on a daily basis To assess applicants essential housing needs and ensure these are considered and met in providing temporary and interim accommodation, conducting difficult conversations such as refusal interviews and where necessary undertaking the discharge of the Council�s relevant statutory duty. To sign up households into temporary accommodation and ensure all relevant paperwork is completed, including housing benefit claims Working collaboratively with colleagues across housing services to achieve better housing solutions and outcomes for households in emergency accommodation To assist with required arrangements and transport, removals, storage for households moving into/out of temporary accommodation, interpreting services and related functions. Responsibility for updating the authority�s IT Housing Systems, ensuring details are correct to ensure timely and accurate records and the legal obligations for both landlord and tenant can be met. To assist colleagues meet the Council�s obligations with emergency decants and transfers. To offer advice, guidance, and support to residents, with regards to all potential housing options, temporary accommodation, and social housing. To comply with all relevant policies, procedures and working practices, including equal opportunities, domestic abuse, racial and sexual harassment, transfers between dwellings and responding to emergencies. To attend such training courses as required to fulfil the duties of the post and to enhance performance appropriate to the needs of the service. To participate in the induction of new staff both from this service and other departments. To carry out other duties consistent with the job purpose as may arise from time to time.

About you We�re looking for someone who is enthusiastic about our ambition to make Camden the best place to live and work. Above all, you will be passionate about ensuring that services are delivered in a relational and compassionate way,  with the best outcomes for residents at its heart. In addition: You are passionate about housing equality: You believe everyone has the right to a home that is decent, safe and warm, and to feel part of Camden�s community. You are proactive:  You take action to address problems and support people, as early as possible. You keep services accessible:  You believe in working to make services approachable, transparent and easy � going the extra mile to meet the diverse needs of residents. You take a caring approach:  You listen, understand and have others� concerns in mind. You are happiest when residents are. You believe in doing things together:  Collaborating and connecting are at the heart of what you do, ensuring no one gets left behind. Here at Camden, we are committed to ensuring everyone has a place they can call home, the services you and your team deliver to our residents will recognise that as a landlord we are more than just bricks and mortar. Skills Framework: Proactive:  Helping to prevent issues arising for residents, intervening early to offer support and let residents know about any other services they may benefit from, and how to access them. Sharing and acting on feedback from residents, to keep improving our services. Keeping accurate and clear records, so colleagues can access all the information needed. Collaboration and communication:  Working in a joined-up way with other teams, to act as one Council. If you can�t help, you know someone who can.   Speaking with colleagues and residents in a kind and helpful way, conveying information clearly, listening actively and resolving conflicts, being responsive and flexible.   Building positive relationships with the local community, understanding diverse support and access needs. Data, digital and systems:  Using in relevant software and information systems including databases, property management software, and communication tools, is essential for efficient operations. Working with systems needed for the role, and an ability to record performance data in a clear and consistent way. Equality, diversity and inclusion:  Committed to, and will champion the council's ambition to make Camden a more equal, diverse and inclusive borough. An understanding of and respecting diverse cultural backgrounds, norms, and practices.  An understanding of how to effectively engage with residents and stakeholders from various communities and promote inclusivity among team members and residents. Safety and wellbeing:  Understanding that safeguarding and health and safety are everyone�s responsibility. Taking an active role in protecting residents� health, wellbeing, and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. Working effectively with survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse. Being traumainformed and supporting psychological safety. Additionally you will have: An understanding and knowledge of housing and other relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks within housing, especially in the context of the statutory provision of temporary accommodation An understanding of the problems faced by homeless households in temporary accommodation, and a passion to deliver a quality service to disadvantaged groups, within the context of limited resources Experience of working in a busy customer facing service and dealing sensitively and effectively with customer issues, particularly in relation to vulnerable people. You should have experience of being able to hold difficult conversations with people. Able to demonstrate self-motivated, to work and deliver within this context. Able to demonstrate strong communication skills, both in writing and verbally, understanding how messages need to be adapted to reflect the audience or recipient. Good numerate and basic accounting skills, with the ability to provide explanation in a clear and concise manner Able to demonstrate good administrative and organisational skills, especially in the context record keeping and case management. Able to work effectively as a member of a team and with other services and partners Ability to use information and communications technology to maintain up to date information and retrieve information quickly and accurately to help customers Key relationships The postholder will work closely with colleagues across Allocations, Homelessness Prevention and other Housing services aswell as services in other parts of the Council such as Children�s and Adult Social Care. Work environment The Post holder will work from home and from council offices as required and with agreement with your line manager and local service policies. The post-holder will work in an �agile� way in line with the Council�s move to a flexible and paperless work environment, prioritising their own work within the empowered and enabled team culture recognising and utilising the expertise of others where appropriate. Post holders are expected to work on their own where it is safe to do so and have regard to the Council�s lone working policies working with colleagues and partner agencies where appropriate. People management responsibilities The post holder will report to the TA Placements Manager This role has no direct line management responsibilities Over to you We�re ready to welcome your ideas, your views, and your rebellious spirit. Help us redefine our corporate services, and we�ll redefine what a career can be. If that sounds good to you, we�d love to talk. Is this role politically restricted? Some posts at Camden are politically restricted, which means individuals holding these posts cannot have active political role. For a list of all politically restricted roles at Camden click here. Diversity and inclusion We want Camden Council to be a great place to work and to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do. Click Diversity and Inclusion for more information on our commitment. Agile working At Camden we view work as an activity, not a place. We focus on performance, not presenteeism. We create trusting relationships, we embrace innovation rather than bureaucracy and we value people. Collaboration is the Camden way, silo working isn�t. And in line with our relational approach, face-to-face conversations with residents often result in a better customer experience, so staff who work directly with citizens are likely to be in more than they're not. At Camden we are proud to be one of Hire Me My Way�s inaugural campaign supporters. Hire Me My Way is a national campaign led by Timewise, designed to increase the volume of good quality jobs that can be worked flexibly in the UK (www.HireMeMyWay.org.uk). Hire Me My Way aims to treble the number of available good quality flexible jobs to 1 million by 2020. Asking for adjustments Camden is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us on 020 7974 6655, at resourcing@camden.gov.uk or post to 5 Pancras Square, London, N1C