Temporary Accommodation Officer

West Northamptonshire Council; Northampton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

West Northants Council is seeking a frontline housing solutions officer to work with the Homelessness & Housing Solutions Team in a fast-paced environment.

You will manage interim accommodation, assist with rent accounting, and support customers with benefits and housing applications while collaborating with partners to change lives in our community.

Qualifications

• Two years of experience in a customer-focused environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
• Skilled negotiator with problem-solving capability.

Responsibilities

• Manage occupants of interim or temporary accommodation and related rent accounting.
• Ensure accommodation is safe, clean and well maintained, prioritising cost efficiency.
• Support customers with Housing Benefit and housing register applications.
• Collaborate with services and partners to achieve the best outcomes for people.

Skills

Customer service experience

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Decision making

Driving licence

Job description

Do you have a passion for Housing, Homelessness or Property Management?

Will you thrive in a fast-paced role dealing with a wide variety of people including those with complex needs?

Are you hard working, resilient and able to think clearly under pressure with a solutions based approach?

This an exciting role operating on the frontline of West Northants Council response to Homelessness and Housing Solutions. As a new unitary Council, embedding a new structure, this is a great time to join us as we develop staff and shape the way we work in Homelessness and Housing Solutions within our local community providing the best possible service.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Our Benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

What will you be doing?

Working alongside colleagues in the Homelessness & Housing Solutions Team, you will:

• Manage occupants of interim and temporary accommodation including the move-ins, check outs, rent accounting and day to day management of placements.
• Ensure that the accommodation that the Council uses is safe, clean and in a good state of repair and that it is allocated in a manner to help minimise the cost of temporary accommodation.
• Support customers during their time in temporary accommodation specifically regarding their Housing Benefit and housing register applications as well as other aspects of their life
• Working collaboratively with other services, partners and organisations to ensure the best possible outcome for people, playing an active role in changing someone's life.

About you

Candidates would have a minimum of two years relevant work experience in a customer focused environment with an ability to work at a fast pace, demonstrating excellent verbal and written communication.

You will be a skilled negotiator with an ability to problem solve, prioritise your own workload and make effective contributions to an incredible team. The successful candidate will be resilient, a self-starter and able to make sound decisions.

Applicants must possess a valid driving licence and access to a car.

Previous applicants need not apply.

About Us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email [e-mail] for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.