Solutions Officer

The Royal Borough of Kingston is committed to delivering high-quality, resident-focused housing services that support community cohesion, prevent homelessness and ensure fair access to accommodation. This temporary role provides essential cover for a vacant post within the Housing Solutions Service.

As a Housing Solutions Officer, you will deliver a comprehensive homelessness prevention and assessment service in line with legislation, statutory guidance and council policy. You will manage a varied caseload under the Homelessness Reduction Act, undertake detailed investigations, and work proactively to prevent homelessness wherever possible. You will work closely with internal teams, external partners, landlords and support agencies to secure positive outcomes for residents, reduce time spent in temporary accommodation and ensure statutory duties are met within required timescales.

• Deliver all aspects of the Housing Solutions Service in line with legislation, guidance and council procedures
• Provide high-quality housing advice to prevent homelessness wherever possible
• Conduct homelessness investigations in accordance with statute, case law and the Code of Guidance
• Manage a caseload of applicants under the Homelessness Reduction Act, ensuring timely progression and compliance with statutory deadlines
• Participate in the duty rota for ‘homeless on the day’ cases and arrange emergency accommodation where required
• Make decisions on homelessness applications and refer eligible cases for longer-term temporary accommodation
• Ensure accommodation is provided appropriately at point of homelessness, working with the Housing Supply team
• Complete licence agreements, ensuring compliance checks, rent account setup and resident information are in place
• Undertake discharge of duty where applicable and liaise with relevant teams to progress evictions
• Identify safeguarding concerns, raise alerts and attend multi-agency meetings
• Respond to enquiries from applicants, advocates and elected representatives
• Conduct home visits to verify residency and circumstances
• Meet and exceed performance targets, providing data and trend analysis to the Team Manager
• Support best practice, innovation and continuous improvement within the service
• Work with legal teams on prosecution cases and contribute to local representation services
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of case law, statute and policy, providing specialist advice to colleagues
• Work with private landlords and agents to secure private sector placements
• Support the Housing Access Team with temporary accommodation reviews
• Contribute to the annual Team Plan and development of performance targets

• Experience in homelessness prevention, housing advice or statutory homelessness casework
• Strong understanding of the Homelessness Reduction Act, Housing Act 1996 Part VII and related legislation
• Ability to manage complex caseloads and make evidence-based decisions
• Confident in conducting investigations, interviews and home visits
• Strong partnership-working skills with internal teams, landlords and external agencies
• Excellent communication skills and a customer-focused approach
• Ability to meet performance targets and work effectively under pressure