Homelessness Prevention Officer

Wokingham Borough Council; Wokingham; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Annual Leave 28 days

LGPS

GP Helpline

Employee Assistance Programme

Eye Tests

Onsite Gym

Car/Cycle to Work

Discounts

Move through Menopause Course

Sports & Social

Learning & Development

Employee Networks

And more!

Job summary

Wokingham Borough Council in Wokingham is seeking a housing advice officer to help prevent homelessness and support households at risk. You will assess cases, develop personalised housing plans, and coordinate with outreach teams to reduce rough sleeping. The role requires GCSEs and relevant housing experience.

Join a council with generous leave, LGPS, wellbeing support, and development opportunities. DBS checked, full-time permanent contract, based at Shute End, Wokingham.

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE grade C or above in Maths and English (or equivalent).
• Experience of providing housing advice and assistance.
• Good IT skills including officer software such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Good understanding of the range of housing options available to households in the borough and an awareness of how to access these options.

Responsibilities

• To provide comprehensive housing advice and assistance to household who present as homeless or threatened with homelessness.
• To assess all households who approach as homeless or threatened with homelessness and to actively take action to prevent homelessness and resolve threats of homelessness with all eligible households.
• To manage a caseload of homelessness applications, supporting households to achieve actions identified in their personalised housing plan.
• To work closely with the Rough Sleeping Outreach Team and to actively participate in reducing rough sleeping within the borough.

Skills

Housing advice

IT skills

Education

GCSE Maths & English

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

Employer: Wokingham Borough Council

Salary: £37,563 - £41,178 Per Annum, Plus Benefits

Location: Shute End, Wokingham

Contract: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full Time

DBS Check: Enhanced

Closing Date: 06/11/2026 at 23:59

Reference: 711215

The role involves providing housing advice, preventing homelessness and managing cases for households facing homelessness. Responsibilities include issuing decisions under housing legislation, creating personalised housing plans, conducting financial assessments, and collaborating with outreach teams to reduce rough sleeping. The position also involves assisting with social housing applications, securing accommodation, and ensuring statutory compliance.

Benefits

• Generous Annual Leave - 28 days per annum (rising by 5 days with 5 years continued local government serviced), plus Bank Holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• GP Helpline - Available 7 days a week
• Employee Assistance Programme - Including a 24/7 Your Care Helpline
• Free Eye Tests and Flu Vaccines
• Free Onsite Gym - Located at Shute End Offices, Wokingham
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes - Including Car and Cycle to Work schemes
• Local & Lifestyle Discounts - Save on shopping, entertainment, dining out & more
• Move through Menopause Course
• Sports & Social Group Activities - Including running, football, cricket & more
• Learning & Development Opportunities
• Employee Networks
• And more!

Key Responsibilities

• To provide comprehensive housing advice and assistance to household who present as homeless or threatened with homelessness.
• To assess all households who approach as homeless or threatened with homelessness and to actively take action to prevent homelessness and resolve threats of homelessness with all eligible households.
• To manage a caseload of homelessness applications, supporting households to achieve actions identified in their personalised housing plan.
• To work closely with the Rough Sleeping Outreach Team and to actively participate in reducing rough sleeping within the borough.

Candidate Requirements

• Educated to GCSE grade C or above in Maths and English (or equivalent).
• Experience of providing housing advice and assistance.
• Good IT skills including officer software such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Good understanding of the range of housing options available to households in the borough and an awareness of how to access these options.

Our Area

Wokingham Borough is set in the heart of Berkshire with excellent transport links to Reading and central London. Our area comprises of a vibrant and historical market town, attractive villages, and miles of beautiful countryside. We’re home to a range of high performing schools, a host of international businesses and an incredible community. The borough has a strong local economy with accelerated growth, a range of excellent public facilities and low levels of crime, offering an exceptional quality of life.

AI In Applications

We recognise that candidates may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their job applications. When used appropriately, AI can be a helpful aid in structuring responses, checking clarity, and improving presentation.

However, applications must reflect your own skills, experience and understanding. If an application appears to rely excessively on AI-generated content, it may not meet the required standard and could be rejected.

We encourage all applicants to ensure their submissions are authentic, tailored to the role, and clearly demonstrate their own knowledge, experience and suitability.

If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer.

Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified.

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every applicant individually.

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

We appreciate your interest in joining Wokingham Borough Council and thank you for taking the time to apply.

Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.