Homelessness Prevention Officer

Reading Borough Council; England; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in England is seeking a Homelessness Prevention Officer to join their Housing Needs Team. The successful candidate will work directly with residents at risk of homelessness, focusing on identifying root causes and providing tailored housing solutions. Responsibilities include case management, negotiation with landlords, and collaboration with various agencies. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication and problem-solving skills, with a passion for making a difference in the community, and a supportive environment is offered for career growth.

Benefits

Generous holiday entitlement

Flexible working opportunities

Local Government Pension Scheme

On-site day nursery

Lease car salary sacrifice scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in engaging with local residents.
• Ability to manage workloads and complete case records.
• Knowledge of housing law and welfare benefits.

Responsibilities

• Identify root causes of housing issues for residents at risk.
• Create and manage personalized housing plans.
• Negotiate with landlords and mediate family breakdowns.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Problem solving

Partnership working

Organizational skills

IT skills

Job description

Overview

12 months fixed term maternity cover. Are you passionate about preventing homelessness and supporting people in finding sustainable housing solutions? Reading Borough Council is looking for a motivated, empathetic, and proactive individual to join our Housing Needs Team as a Homelessness Prevention Officer.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as a diverse and inclusive team will be key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

Leading on your own caseload and working collaboratively with other partner agencies. You will work with members of the public to prevent them from losing their current home or to support them to secure a new one. The focus of the role is to prevent households from being homeless whilst working within the legal framework. The successful candidate will have the ability to negotiate through a variety of environments and will require you to have difficult conversations and deliver on realistic expectations.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

In this vital role, you’ll be working directly with residents at risk of homelessness to identify the root causes of their housing issues and support them to find lasting solutions. You’ll create and manage personalised housing plans, tailoring your approach to meet the unique needs of each customer. Whether it's negotiating with landlords, mediating family breakdowns, or identifying benefit entitlements, you’ll be there every step of the way to support people in maintaining or securing accommodation.

You’ll carry out interviews, home visits, and outreach work in a range of settings including homes, prisons, hostels, and hospitals. Using your knowledge of housing law, welfare benefits, and tenancy rights, you’ll provide timely, accurate advice and support to help people navigate complex and often urgent situations. Where homelessness cannot be prevented, you’ll be responsible for making statutory decisions in line with Part VII of the Housing Act 1996, managing casework to ensure compliance with legislation and best practice.

Collaboration is key in this role. You’ll work closely with internal departments, health services, social care, and local charities to safeguard vulnerable individuals and secure positive outcomes. You’ll also contribute to service development, support new team members, and play a key role in driving continuous improvement within our homelessness prevention service.

About you

We are looking for an enthusiastic and self‑motivated person with excellent communication skills and experience in problem solving and partnership working, with the ability to work with local residents to ensure their community feels safe. You will need to be able to complete case records, collate evidence and write witness statements, all underpinned with excellent organisational & IT skills and the ability to manage your own workload.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Values

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success.

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On‑site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

Contact

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact [e-mail]

Additional details

Closing Date: Sunday 4th January 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed