Housing Needs Customer Access Officer

Reading Borough Council; Reading; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Flexible working opportunities

Modern Civic Offices in Reading

Life Assurance - 3x salary

On-site day nursery Kennet Day nursery

Season Ticket Loan

Lease car salary sacrifice

Job summary

Reading Borough Council is seeking a customer-focused individual to join the Housing Needs Service on a 1-year fixed-term maternity cover. The role, based at Reading Civic Centre, involves frontline housing advice and admin support for the Homelessness Prevention Team.

Part-time hours (Wed 1-5pm, Thu/Fri 9am-5pm) with occasional homeworking opportunities, in a busy council environment. You will deliver excellent service, manage appointments, update housing plans, log cases, and liaise with

Qualifications

• Experience in a customer-facing role within a busy office environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, prioritising tasks effectively.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for customers needing housing advice.
• Provide admin support to the Homelessness Prevention Team.
• Manage diary bookings, home visit scheduling and emergency accommodation placements.
• Log cases, scan documents and take meeting minutes accurately.
• Respond to emails and phone enquiries with clear case notes.
• Use IT systems to maintain accurate records and data.

Skills

Communication skills

Customer service

IT literacy

Teamwork

Organisational skills

Tools

IT systems

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

1-year fixed term contract Maternity Cover

Working hours Wednesday 1-5pm plus Thursday and Friday 9am- 5pm

Do you have a passion for good customer service? The Housing Needs Service is looking for a professional and enthusiastic person to join our innovative Housing Needs Service. We are looking for an ambitious and motivated person to join a busy team who deliver basic front line housing advice to customers and provide office support to the Homelessness Prevention Team.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the 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.

Occasional home working may be permitted however this front line role is based at the civic centre in central Reading due to the needs of the Service

About the role

You’ll be the first point of contact for customers experiencing housing difficulties, offering advice and signposting to appropriate services. You’ll also provide essential support to the Homelessness Prevention team.

Key responsibilities include:

• Delivering excellent customer service in a busy, pressurised environment.
• Assisting with diary management, home visit bookings, and emergency accommodation placements.
• Updating and monitoring personalised housing plans.
• Providing administrative support, including case logging, scanning documents, and taking meeting minutes.
• Responding to email and telephone enquiries, ensuring accurate case notes and updates.
• Using IT systems to maintain accurate records and data.

About you

You’ll be someone who thrives in a customer-facing role and can remain calm under pressure. You’ll have strong organisational skills and a commitment to preventing homelessness.

• Experience working in a customer-driven service and busy office environment.
• Excellent communication skills – face-to-face, written, and over the phone.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, prioritising tasks effectively.
• Strong IT skills and attention to detail when updating records.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and building relationships with internal and external partners.

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. 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. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

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
• 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

Closing Date: Sunday 18th October 2026 Interview Date: w/c 26 th October 2026 & Individual interviews w/c 9 th November 2026 Interview Process: Depending on number of applicants there may be an initial assessment (group task & individual written exercise) before individual interviews