Housing Options Officers

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

The Housing and Homelessness Service is a very busy environment  and faces several challenges to meet the housing needs of citizens of Coventry.  The team have grown significantly during the last 12 months and this reflects the fact that Housing & Homelessness are now a key council priority.  

The team are responsible for the delivery of the following service functions: 

• Provision of the statutory homeless service 

• Provision of temporary accommodation 

• Management of the housing register 

• Co-ordination of support to citizens rough sleeping 

• Commissioning of homeless services, and  

• Responsibility for housing strategy  

The Council has a strategic vision that is clearly set out in both the Housing & Homelessness and the Rough Sleeping Strategies which were both approved in 2019. 

By becoming part of an expanding team who are focused on preventing households from becoming homeless as well as providing tailored support and interventions when someone does become homeless this is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our city. 

Our Values

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

What is the job role?

Do you want to be part of an award winning team? Are you looking for your next challenge?

An exciting opportunity has become available within the Housing & Homelessness Service. We are currently recruiting for several permanent and fixed term Housing Options Officers to join our team.

As a Housing Options Officer, you’ll be responsible for supporting the Council to carry out homelessness duties under The Housing Act 1996, as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. In this fast-paced service area, you will need to be creative, adaptable, and hardworking in order to prevent homelessness and provide excellent case management services to our customers.

The main duties of this role include:

• Completing assessments with customers who are homeless or threatened with homelessness
• Making decisions in line with homelessness legislation and communicating to applicants in writing
• Mediating between applicants and landlords
• Working on a rota basis to cover front line homelessness functions
• Providing advice, guidance and signposting

For more information, please read the job description attached.

Who are we looking for?

Previous experience of working within Housing, Homelessness, Voluntary and Advisory sectors is desirable but not essential. We are also keen to receive applications from candidates with lived experience of homelessness.

In April 2020, the Housing & Homelessness Service moved to remote working, we are currently working on a hybrid model with a mix of home and office working. 

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Interview date(s): There will be a 2 stage-recruitment process for this role. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to invite them to the first stage of the process.

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies