Housing Options Officer (Complex Needs)

Darlington Borough Council; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

32 days Annual Leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexi-time scheme

Flexible working

Great wellbeing offer

Job summary

Darlington Borough Council is seeking a Housing Options Officer (Complex Needs) to manage a caseload of homeless households and rough sleepers, investigate applications, and arrange temporary accommodation when required. You will work closely with outreach services, landlords, and partner agencies to support individuals toward suitable long-term housing.

The client group includes vulnerable people with mental ill health, substance misuse, or trauma; a compassionate and person-centred approach is

Qualifications

• Experience in homelessness services or housing options is preferred.
• Ability to work with vulnerable clients.
• Compassionate and person-centred approach.

Responsibilities

• Manage caseload of homeless households and rough sleepers.
• Investigate homelessness applications and assess needs.
• Arrange temporary accommodation and support long-term housing outcomes.

Job description

Housing Options Officer (Complex Needs) (Ref: POS017767)

Salary £33,119 - £35,570 (per annum) Salary Band £30,001 to £40,000 Post Type Permanent Hours Per Week Full time

Job and Application details

Categories Housing
Directorate N/A Published Date 09/09/2026 Closing Date 27/09/2026

The role involves managing a caseload of homeless households and rough sleepers, investigating homelessness applications, arranging temporary accommodation where required, and supporting individuals to access and sustain suitable long-term housing.

You will work closely with outreach services, landlords, partner agencies and support providers. You will also help deliver homelessness prevention initiatives, undertake street outreach activity, and ensure compliance with homelessness legislation and national rough sleeping objectives.

The client group includes some of the most vulnerable members of the community, including people who are sleeping rough, at imminent risk of homelessness, or experiencing multiple and complex needs. Many individuals present with a combination of mental ill health, substance misuse, physical health conditions, trauma, domestic abuse, offending histories, or long‑term exclusion from services, making them particularly vulnerable to harm, exploitation and repeat homelessness. The role requires a compassionate, persistent and person‑centred approach to help people overcome barriers, access support services, and achieve sustainable housing outcomes.

For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Role Profile and Person Specification.

The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:

• 32 days Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
• Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
• Staff equality forums
• Green Car Leasing Scheme
• Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
• Physiotherapy service
• Confidential counselling service
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
• Local and National retailer discounts
• Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
• Arriva Employee Travel Club

The role involves managing a caseload of homeless households and rough sleepers, investigating homelessness applications, arranging temporary accommodation where required, and supporting individuals to access and sustain suitable long-term housing.

You will work closely with outreach services, landlords, partner agencies and support providers. You will also help deliver homelessness prevention initiatives, undertake street outreach activity, and ensure compliance with homelessness legislation and national rough sleeping objectives.

The client group includes some of the most vulnerable members of the community, including people who are sleeping rough, at imminent risk of homelessness, or experiencing multiple and complex needs. Many individuals present with a combination of mental ill health, substance misuse, physical health conditions, trauma, domestic abuse, offending histories, or long‑term exclusion from services, making them particularly vulnerable to harm, exploitation and repeat homelessness. The role requires a compassionate, persistent and person‑centred approach to help people overcome barriers, access support services, and achieve sustainable housing outcomes.

For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Role Profile and Person Specification.

The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:

• 32 days Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
• Flexi-time scheme
• Flexible working
• Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
• Staff equality forums
• Green Car Leasing Scheme
• Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
• Physiotherapy service
• Confidential counselling service
• Great wellbeing offer
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
• Local and National retailer discounts
• Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
• Arriva Employee Travel Club

For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our Why work for us internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.

https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/why-work-for-us/

Find out further information about us and what it’s like to work for our great team by visiting the Jobs and Careers home page.

https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/

General Information for Applicants:

For a further informal discussion and any queries around the role profile and jobs itself please contact Housing Options Team Leaders, Suzanne Jenkinson, Mark Jeffery or Anna Ginsberg on 01325 405723.

If you have any further questions regarding applying for this role or the questions and required fields within the application form, please contact the HR Support team on 01325 403217 or [e-mail] .

If you are experiencing problems with the NE Jobs website, such as logging in, saving pages, on account queries please fill out the form within the link below.

https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/contactus

All applicant email correspondence will come from [e-mail] and may be directed to your Junk folder depending on the settings of your email account. Please check both your email and Junk folder as all applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted.

You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.

We are an equal opportunities' employer. We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We aim to interview any applicant who declares a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job.