Vacancy Details

Housing Accommodation Officer 

Salary for this position is £28,367 to £31,077 

Working in local government is a highly satisfying and rewarding experience in so many ways. In return for the contribution you’ll make to the local community, we are a great employer to work for, with great benefits to offer. 

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Housing Advice Service as a frontline Housing Accommodation Officer. Homelessness is high on the national agenda and we are offering an exciting permanent role to join our newly formed Accommodation Service, which is part of the wider Housing Advice Service. The successful candidate will have the responsibility for managing and providing temporary accommodation and make use of all available accommodation options to discharge the Council’s homelessness duties.  

You will support the work across the Housing Advice Service to deliver on our range of legal responsibilities, focusing on the private rented sector and clients in temporary accommodation. The Housing Advice Service reacts to needs of the client group, the right candidate will find that there are never two days which are the same.

The Homelessness Reduction Act requires the Council to boost its focus on homelessness prevention and strengthen our proactive service to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This role involves a range of tasks to support the accommodation service as well as direct interaction with our clients and key partners, so strong customer service skills are needed. 

You will have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to produce accurate and concise information. We are looking for someone who is flexible and resilient, a supportive team player who is able to remain calm and to work effectively under pressure. 

The right candidate will enjoy team work and enthusiastically embrace our proactive housing options approach, which aims at preventing homelessness and finding real solutions for people in housing difficulties. You will be a self-starter who is able to work on your own initiative and organise your own workload with a positive and flexible attitude. 

You will be responsible for coordinating our Landlord Incentive Scheme and working with landlords to maximise the Council’s access to assured short hold tenancies, through relationship building, negotiation and creative problem solving. You will have experience of working with letting agents and landlords, be driven and be able to adapt and manage a demanding workload. 

We are seeking a motivated and innovative person, with good attention to detail, who can work proactively with customers and partners to find creative housing solutions. 

You will also be working with the Housing Advice Service and HERO (Housing, Energy & Retraining Options) service to market, develop and improve the Council’s private rented offer. This post reports directly to the Accommodation Team Leader. 

In return you will be valued, supported and provided with an environment where you can foster ideas to develop the service and put the customer at the heart of what you do.

Closing Date: Monday 18th January 2021 

Equal Opportunities

Sevenoaks – Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Sevenoaks District 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.