Location
London Borough of Hounslow

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
£52,194 per annum

About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join our Homelessness, Independence and Preventative Services, which adopts a preventative approach across housing, health and social care agendas. We are seeking a professional, energetic and enthusiastic individual to help improve and develop services supporting some of our most vulnerable residents. You will take a lead role in housing allocations to council properties and nominations to Registered Providers.

This role is central to the Council’s response to homelessness, focusing on reducing the use of temporary accommodation and achieving upstream prevention outcomes. You will directly manage a team of front-line staff covering statutory and non-statutory homelessness and prevention services.

You will be a visible leader, adept at managing high volumes of work involving vulnerable residents, demonstrating compassion, energy and enthusiasm. Working collaboratively with colleagues and partner agencies, you will develop and lead initiatives to ensure residents receive the best service and opportunities to live independently and safely.

You will mentor and support staff handling complex, contentious and sensitive matters related to homelessness, ensuring resources are targeted effectively and cross-cutting issues are addressed with borough-wide solutions. The role requires operating effectively in a highly changeable and demanding environment with multiple competing priorities, ensuring timely interventions, statutory compliance and appropriate responses to legal challenges.

Joining this service means making a real difference to the lives of people who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing.

About Us at Hounslow
We are an outstanding council serving one of London’s most diverse boroughs with visionary leadership, a dynamic Cabinet and a can-do culture. Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to residents and making lives better.

We embrace diversity and inclusion through our core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix and Be a Rock. We strive to eliminate inequality, inequity, injustice and bias, supporting a diverse workforce and community.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate candidates to ensure an inclusive recruitment process.

Our Benefits
Joining us provides access to a range of employee benefits designed to support your wellbeing and professional development.

Experience
- Extensive knowledge of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended) and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
- Experience working with vulnerable people and leading multi-disciplinary housing teams
- Expert knowledge of homelessness legislation and associated complex needs
- Proven ability to manage high volume, fast-paced frontline services effectively

About You
- Strong leadership skills to motivate, manage and develop staff in challenging environments
- Excellent communication skills to engage with applicants, colleagues and elected members, influencing and negotiating to achieve multi-disciplinary outcomes
- Integrity, personal responsibility and resilience under pressure
- Confident decision maker with a proactive and creative approach to achieving preventative outcomes
- Flexible and independent worker, able to adapt to changing needs and keep the team updated on legislation, policy and guidance
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a comprehensive understanding of issues faced by vulnerable people
- Collaborative team player focused on meeting diverse needs and achieving service objectives
- Ability to travel independently around the Borough to visit properties and meet professionals in community settings

Qualifications
- Degree or equivalent qualifications are desirable
- Basic DBS check is essential