Housing services

Tender description

The Housing Options Service delivers the Council’s statutory housing advice, assessment and allocations services in the Borough. Through this re-procurement process the Council is reshaping services to place greater emphasis on: — High quality frontline housing advice that actively deals with the broader range of issues that contribute to homelessness; — Early intervention and homeless prevention; — Greater mobile working, connectivity with other core frontline services and improved digital advice and delivery solutions; — Distinction between the ‘people’ services and the ‘property’ services’; — Shaping a service that is better tailored to deal with single homeless people and homeless families; — Strengthening our procurement of property capabilities to increase supply of affordable accommodation; and — Active and high quality management of our existing homeless accommodation portfolio to ensure the continued quality, utilisation and income collection for our temporary accommodation. To provide an accessible, responsive, efficient and effective housing advice service that helps people to help themselves, supports those most vulnerable and prevents homelessness: Effective and efficient engagement with client group including agile, mobile and outreach advice services; Frontline housing advisory and triage services (well trained & experienced frontline advisers); Homelessness prevention activities including early intervention and mediation; Collation of background and supporting information for eligibility assessments; Joint working with other support and statutory services; Provision of a call centre and telephone housing advice service. To provide effective intervention and support to non-priority single people to prevent homelessness and assist in getting their lives ‘back on track’: Effective engagement, assessment and reconnection services; Early interventions and mediation services to prevent homelessness; Support and advocacy services; Referral and casework support; Accessing and securing single person hostel and specialist accommodation; Joint, cross-borough and pan-London working. To discharge the Council's Homelessness Duty efficiently and effectively with a focus on prevention, long-term sustainable housing solutions and appropriate utilisation of temporary accommodation: Homelessness investigations, eligibility assessments and defending decisions; Housing assessment, allocations and nominations; Homelessness prevention and discharge of duty; Efficient and effective processing of housing applications and management of the housing register; Effective joint working with other support and statutory services. To procure and manage effectively a portfolio of suitable homeless accommodation that meets the borough's homelessness needs and delivers long-term, sustainable housing solutions for homeless individuals and families: Management of the Council's temporary accommodation; Sourcing and procurement of additional accommodation at affordable levels; Property management services including rent collection, property inspections, lettings and compliance.