Training for housing officers and associated administrative staff

Module 1: Housing policy and legislation (1 day)

Policy: Housing for all
This section will examine the Governments policy on the subject of housing and give up dates on the management of the policy.
Other government strategies eg national housing strategy for disabled people.
Legislation: This section will examine the relevant legislation pertaining to housing including Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, Housing (Regulation of approved bodies) Act 2019, Residential Tenancies Act 2020, Affordable Housing Act 2021,

Who does what?
Understanding the responsibilities of different agencies and government bodies for housing.
Interaction with planning.
Understanding the relationship between housing and planning. An overview of the relevant sections of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
Examination of the responsibilities of local authorities with regard to housing supply as contained within the Act.

Key Learning Points

• Understanding policy in relation to housing
• Understanding who is responsible for housing
• Understanding the relationship between housing and planning
• Understanding the responsibility of the local authority in relation to housing
• Overview of legislation in relation to housing

Module 2: Local authority social housing: procedure (1 day)

• Applications
• Eligibility
• Other housing supports: RAS, HAP, LTL
• Other grant schemes available
• Responsibility on local authority to provide housing
• Challenges : appeals, judicial review

Key Learning Points

• Applications for housing
• Eligibility
• Challenges to housing applications: judicial review
• Dealing with other grant applications
• Dealing with complaints in relation to housing

Module 3: Other types of housing (1/2 day)

> The Residential Tenancies Board
> The Approved Housing Regulatory Authority
> Methods of enforcement by the RTB

Key Learning Points

• Understanding the role of the Residential Tenancies Board.
• An overview of the legislation governing private tenancies.
• Understanding the role of an approved housing body.
• Enforcement action by the RTB.

Module 4: Investigative interviewing (1 day)

• Know how to plan and prepare different types of interviews: witness and suspect.
• Understand the purpose of an interview and when to interview.
• Understand human rights and how to ensure an individual’s rights are protected in the investigative process.
• Learn how to phrase questions in order to exhibit fairness, whilst ensuring that information is obtained.
• Learn how to properly structure an interview, use different questioning techniques and deal effectively with evidence in an interview.
• Be able to structure an investigative interview that will stand up to scrutiny if challenged.
• Experience practical role play and put the skills learned into practice.
• Understand the PEACE method of investigative interviewing.

Module 5: Notes, Records and Report Writing (1 day)

• Understand the importance of an investigation log and how to use it.
• Understand the importance of contemporaneous notes and how to make them.
• Learn how to use an officer’s note book.
• Understand the importance of writing statements, how to structure and take an accurate statement from a witness.
• Understand layout and formalities.
• Learn how to write different types of reports.
• Be able to insulate written evidence against cross-examination,
• Develop a consistent and best practice approach to reports.
• Develop an objective and critical eye in relation to written evidence.
• Know how to analyse a case and ensure all aspects have been covered.
• Know how to examine evidence: weight, admissibility, etc.
• Be able to provide robust recommendations, fully supported by the evidence.
• Know what format the file should take.
• Understand what should be included and excluded.
• Understand how difficulties / weaknesses in the investigation are dealt with.

Module 6: Data protection and freedom of information (1 day)

• Understand the principles of GDPR.
• Understand the principles of the Law Enforcement Directive.
• Understand the importance of defining the purpose of processing.
• Examine the importance of security of data.
• Examine access requests and the limitation of access where the Law Enforcement Directive applies.
• Examine Data Protection Impact Assessments.
• Learn the importance of proper registration of processing.
• Understanding Freedom of Information legislation and its relationship with Data Protection.
• Dealing with a Freedom of Information request.
• A look at case studies.

Module 7: Enforcement under local authority tenancies: anti social behaviour and rent arrears (1 day – to be taken with courtroom skills)

• Understand the processes and procedural steps that must be followed in relation to a termination of tenancy under Part 2 of the 2014 Act.
• Learn how to investigate.
• Learn how to draft the necessary notices.
• Understand the importance of timelines.
• Understand evidence and the rules of evidence.
• Learn how to write a prosecution report and instruct the solicitor.
• Dealing with difficult cases.

Module 8: Courtroom Skills (1 day)

• The roles and procedures in the adversarial system.
• How to prepare for giving evidence.
• Techniques lawyers use in cross-examination and how to handle them.
• How to give clear, honest and objective evidence.
• How to make appropriate use of supporting evidence, documents and notes when giving evidence.
• How to give confident and clear testimony under cross-examination.
• Experiential role-play on a local authority related case study.