Housing Advice and Prevention Manager

Crawley Borough Council; Crawley; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Crawley Borough Council is seeking an experienced Housing Advice and Prevention Manager to lead the Housing Advice and Prevention service, ensuring timely, customer‑centred support to prevent homelessness and improve housing outcomes.

You will manage a team of housing professionals, deliver statutory duties under the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and collaborate with partners to drive performance and continuous improvement across the service.

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing housing advice or homelessness prevention services.
• Knowledge of homelessness legislation, including the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
• Experience leading high-performing teams.
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills.
• Ability to develop policies, procedures and service standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead Housing Advice and Prevention team to deliver services.
• Ensure statutory homelessness duties are met.
• Drive performance, budgets and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with partners and other council departments.
• Prepare reports for senior management and elected members.
• Develop policies, procedures and service standards.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Stakeholder engagement

Customer-focused

Data analysis

Education

Chartered Institute of Housing qualification or equivalent

Job description

Are you passionate about preventing homelessness and delivering excellent customer-focused housing services? Do you have the leadership skills to drive performance, inspire teams, and develop innovative solutions that help residents maintain secure and sustainable housing?

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Housing Advice and Prevention Manager to lead our Housing Advice and Prevention service, ensuring residents receive timely, effective support to prevent homelessness and improve housing outcomes.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering our homelessness prevention strategy, working collaboratively with internal departments, external partners and community organisations to achieve positive outcomes for residents.

As Housing Advice and Prevention Manager, you will lead a team of housing professionals responsible for delivering high-quality housing advice, homelessness prevention, and statutory homelessness services.

You will ensure services are delivered in accordance with the Housing Act 1996, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and all relevant legislation, guidance and best practice. You will drive service performance, support continuous improvement, and ensure residents receive a customer-centred service that focuses on prevention and early intervention.

Key responsibilities include:

• managing and developing the Housing Advice and Prevention team
• ensuring statutory homelessness duties are delivered effectively and lawfully
• leading homelessness prevention initiatives and partnership working
• monitoring service performance and driving continuous improvement
• managing budgets and resources effectively
• overseeing complex housing cases and providing expert guidance
• developing policies, procedures and service standards
• working collaboratively with housing providers, support agencies, health services and voluntary sector partners
• preparing reports and presenting information to senior management and elected members
• supporting our strategic objectives for homelessness prevention and housing stability

We are looking for an ambitious and customer-focused leader who can demonstrate:

• significant experience managing housing advice, homelessness prevention or housing options services
• excellent knowledge of homelessness legislation and housing law, including the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
• experience leading, motivating and developing high-performing teams
• strong case management and decision-making skills
• experience managing performance, quality standards and service improvement initiatives
• excellent communication and partnership-building skills
• experience working with vulnerable households and delivering customer-focused services
• ability to analyse data, identify trends and implement effective solutions

It is also desirable for you to have:

• Chartered Institute of Housing qualification or equivalent professional qualification
• experience within a local authority housing service
• experience of commissioning or managing housing-related support services
• knowledge of safeguarding, domestic abuse and wider welfare support frameworks

Local Government Reorganisation is planned across Sussex, with new unitary authorities expected by 2028. While this represents a significant change for councils, most roles will continue to focus on delivering vital services to our residents and business communities. As the future structure evolves, our name may change, but what won’t is our commitment to providing excellent services and supporting our employees. Joining us now means being part of a dedicated team during an important and evolving time for local government.

Crawley is a great place to work, with a thriving business district and excellent transport connections including nearby Gatwick Airport. We are based in our modern Town Hall which opened in 2023 and is located a short walk from the town centre and railway station.

Additional information

A Baseline Personnel Security Standard check is required as part of this role, and that will also entail the successful applicant undertaking a Basic DBS Check.

The postholder will be on the out of hours rota with associated renumeration.

Employee benefits

We offer a generous employee benefits package , with a range of discounts, benefits and wellbeing incentives to suit everyone.

At Crawley Borough Council, you will have access to a structured programme of learning from day one, designed to help you succeed in your role and grow your career.

Local government reorganisation

Local government reorganisation (LGR) is planned across Sussex, with new unitary authorities expected by 2028. While this represents a significant change for councils, most roles will continue to focus on delivering vital services to our residents and business communities. As the future structure evolves, our name may change, but our commitment to providing excellent services and supporting our employees will not. Joining us now means being part of a dedicated team during an important and evolving time for local government.

Our way of working

Our shared values and behaviours reflect the special nature of our council. We encourage all colleagues to put them into practice, whatever job they do. Take a look to see if we are the perfect match.

Safer recruitment

Crawley Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under represented groups.