Housing Options Officer

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 ValuesIn line with our One Coventry Values we strive to have a workforce that reflects our local communities and welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds, applicants who have a disability and applicants who are from the LGBTQ+ community to apply for our senior leadership roles. 

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.

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

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.

Stage 1 - 27th May 2024 (provisional)

Stage 2 - 3rd June 2024 (provisional)
About CoventryCoventry 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