OR104945 – Housing Needs & Homelessness Manager in Newport

Job Purpose
To lead and manage the delivery of the Council’s Housing Needs and Homelessness service, ensuring the authority meets its statutory duties under homelessness and housing legislation, prevents homelessness wherever possible, and provides timely, lawful, and customer‑focused services. The postholder will ensure services are compliant, outcomes‑focused, financially sustainable, and aligned with the Council’s wider housing and corporate priorities. Ensure services are accessible, fair, and responsive to the needs of vulnerable households, by promotion of safeguarding, equality, and trauma‑informed practice across the service.

Job Context

• Lead, develop and manage the team, ensuring high performance, quality decision‑making, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the quality, legality, and timeliness of homelessness assessments, decisions, and placements.
• Deliver homelessness prevention initiatives, ensuring early intervention and effective partnership working.
• Oversee the quality, and health and safety of temporary accommodation, ensuring suitability and safeguarding considerations.
• Support provision of responses to legal challenges, complaints, and Ombudsman enquiries relating to the service.
• Work collaboratively with internal services, registered providers, voluntary and community organisations, health partners, and neighbouring authorities.
• Represent the Council at multi‑agency forums and strategic partnerships relating to housing and homelessness.
• Support emergency planning as required and ensure that the out of hours emergency homelessness service is provided and to be included in the out of hours managers standby rota.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Proven ability to influence based on facts and evidence, a range of audiences with differing competence and abilities.
• Ability to communicate one to one and with specific client groups.
• Substantial practical experience demonstrating development through a series of progressively more demanding and relevant work roles.
• Relevant experience within the service area, working as part of team to meet service standards, targets and deadlines.
• Good communication, interpersonal and presentation skills, able to explain technical / legal issues clearly.
• Proven ability to negotiate with, persuade and influence others.
• Good ICT skills including use of Microsoft applications and specialist systems.
• Authoritative knowledge of the specialist work area and relevant legislation, regulations, processes, systems, procedures and standards.
• Good knowledge of other areas of the authority relevant to the service and of wider sector / external influences.
• Good planning and organisational skills, with proven ability to prioritise and co‑ordinate workload, monitor and evaluate work, to ensure deadlines are achieved.
• Research, investigation and analysis skills.
• Knowledge of relevant financial processes and experience or training sufficient to ensure financial processing and / or budget monitoring is completed accurately.

Qualifications

• May require relevant certifications including evidence of fluency in English language.
• Educated to A level standard or equivalent or equivalent experience.
• Hold a professional qualification in Housing.
• Full or part qualified member of Chartered Institute of Housing.
• Relevant vocational / professional qualification.

Other Requirements

• You will be required to take part in the Out of Hours Stand‑by Duty Rota as and when requested by management. Standby and call out duties are paid in accordance with the IWC Terms and Conditions.
• Have use of a car and have full current driving licence and ability to travel to external appointments or training.
• May be required to undertake additional duties as commensurate with grade and role.