Homelessness Prevention & Solutions Officer

Role: Homelessness Prevention & Solutions Officer
Location: Harrow Civic Hub, Forward Drive, HA3 8NT
Employer: Pertemps Recruitment Partnership (On behalf of the London Borough of Harrow)
Contract: Temporary - Initially 3 months, with potential for extension
Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Work Style: Hybrid working
Rate: £29.51 per hour (Umbrella PAYE)

Pertemps Recruitment Partnership is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Homelessness Prevention & Solutions Officer to join the Housing Team at Harrow Council. This is a vital front-line role focused on preventing homelessness, resolving housing crises, and arranging both temporary and long-term accommodation for households in need.

Please note that the successful candidate must have a valid UK driving licence, access to a car, and business insurance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Proactively assess homelessness cases to identify prevention opportunities
• Work directly with individuals and families facing housing crises
• Provide tailored advice in accordance with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
• Develop and implement Personalised Housing Plans (PHPs)
• Liaise with landlords, support services, and internal departments to secure suitable housing solutions
• Arrange temporary and settled accommodation as required
• Maintain accurate case records and ensure compliance with statutory duties

Requirements:

• Experience in a similar housing or homelessness role within a local authority.
• Strong knowledge of housing legislation, including the Housing Acts (1985, 1996), Homelessness Act 2002, and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
• Good understanding of housing benefit rules, welfare systems, and the private rented sector.
• Familiarity with illegal eviction processes, court possession proceedings, and homelessness prevention tools.
• Excellent communication, case management, and customer service skills.
• Ability to manage a varied caseload independently.

About us:
For almost 60 years, Pertemps Recruitment Partnership have been the market leader in providing permanent and temporary staffing solutions and we are one of the most established players within the recruitment industry. The Sunday Times has listed us as one of the Best 100 Companies to work for 14 years running. We are not a big scary faceless company, quite the opposite: we strongly believe in the personal touch with everything we do. We are proud to be accredited 'investor in people' which is reflected across our business in length of service and career progression of our employees.

London Borough of Harrow is the 12th largest London borough and one of the most culturally diverse local authorities in the UK, making it a great place to live, work and visit. Located 10 miles from the city centre and just 13 minutes to Euston from Harrow & Wealdstone station there are great transport links via the Metropolitan Line, Watford DC Line and national rail service. It is easily accessible to the M1, M25 and A406.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, any your data protection rights, can be found by visiting www.cifas.org.uk/fpn