Job Description
10 months contract with a Local Authority
Job Summary:
• The Housing Solutions Reviews Officer (PO3) plays a critical role within Lambeth Council’s Housing Needs Division, providing an independent, legally robust review and appeals service for housing and homelessness decisions.
• The postholder is responsible for conducting statutory reviews under housing legislation, ensuring decisions are lawful, fair, and defensible, while protecting the Council’s reputation and managing risk, legal exposure, and temporary accommodation costs.
• The role requires specialist legislative knowledge, sound judgement, and the ability to manage complex cases involving vulnerable households.
Key Duties/Accountabilities (Sample):
• Conduct independent statutory reviews of housing and homelessness decisions in accordance with the Housing Act and Homelessness Reduction Act.
• Provide senior oversight and legal scrutiny of decisions made by Housing Officers.
• Draft, issue, and defend legally compliant statutory review decision letters.
• Liaise with legal services and represent the Council in court during appeals when required.
• Manage complex review cases involving vulnerable customers with multiple needs.
• Ensure review decisions withstand legal, political, media, and public scrutiny.
• Work collaboratively with Homelessness Services to meet statutory timeframes.
• Control and manage the use of temporary accommodation during review and appeal processes.
• Engage professionally with service users, solicitors, advocates, MPs, councillors, and the Ombudsman.
• Conduct enquiries with external agencies to support statutory review decisions.
• Identify and mitigate risks of Judicial Review through early legal engagement.
• Provide feedback to managers to improve decision-making quality and reduce appeal volumes.
• Maintain accurate and confidential records in line with information governance requirements.
• Contribute to service improvement, policy development, and quality assurance.
• Deputise for the Reviews Manager when required.
Skills/Experience:
• Extensive experience of housing reviews, homelessness legislation, and statutory decision-making.
• Strong working knowledge of the Housing Act, Homelessness Reduction Act, and Allocations Policy.
• Experience drafting legally defensible decisions and handling appeals and court proceedings.
• Ability to manage complex, high-risk cases involving vulnerable households.
• Proven experience working with legal services, external partners, and advocacy organisations.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written communication skills, particularly in producing statutory decision letters.
• Ability to work independently while meeting strict statutory deadlines.
• Experience managing temporary accommodation risks and associated costs.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including dealing with complaints and high-profile correspondence.
• Sound understanding of Equality Act duties and public law principles.
• Ability to work within a politically sensitive environment.
Additional Information:
• The closing date: TODAY, APPLY ASAP.
• 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
• Based at Lambeth Civic Centre.
Requirements
• Extensive experience of housing reviews, homelessness legislation, and statutory decision-making. • Strong working knowledge of the Housing Act, Homelessness Reduction Act, and Allocations Policy. • Experience drafting legally defensible decisions and handling appeals and court proceedings. • Ability to manage complex, high-risk cases involving vulnerable households. • Proven experience working with legal services, external partners, and advocacy organisations. • Strong analytical, investigative, and decision-making skills. • Excellent written communication skills, particularly in producing statutory decision letters. • Ability to work independently while meeting strict statutory deadlines. • Experience managing temporary accommodation risks and associated costs. • Strong stakeholder management skills, including dealing with complaints and high-profile correspondence. • Sound understanding of Equality Act duties and public law principles. • Ability to work within a politically sensitive environment.
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