Call Before You Serve Officer

Job title: Call Before You Serve Officer

Job reference: 000012548

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

• Salary: £28,608 - £30,515 a year pro rata
• Location: Council House and Hybrid
• Hours: 21.72 hours per week
• Working Pattern: 3 days per week
• Contract Type: Temporary / Fixed Term for 18 months
• Closing Date: 23rd October 2026

The Opportunity

Join DASH (Decent and Safe Homes) Services, an innovative regional service hosted by Derby City Council and working with Local Authorities across England to improve standards and outcomes within the private rented sector. As a Call Before You Serve (CB4YS) Officer, you will play a vital role in preventing homelessness by supporting landlords, tenants and local authority partners to sustain tenancies and resolve housing issues before they reach crisis point. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference, using your housing and homelessness expertise to deliver practical solutions that help people remain in their homes while building positive relationships across the private rented sector.

What you’ll be doing

• Managing a caseload of referrals aimed at preventing homelessness and sustaining private rented sector tenancies.
• Providing specialist advice on tenancy law, housing legislation, homelessness prevention, welfare benefits and the private rented sector.
• Working closely with landlords, tenants and local authority officers to identify practical solutions that prevent tenancy breakdown and homelessness.
• Delivering mediation and negotiation between landlords and tenants to achieve positive outcomes and avoid eviction.
• Supporting landlords to understand and comply with relevant housing and tenancy legislation.
• Gathering, analysing and presenting information to assist local authorities in making housing and homelessness decisions.
• Maintaining accurate case records, reports and performance data in line with quality standards and data protection requirements.
• Monitoring progress against service level agreements, performance targets and customer outcomes.

About you

You will be a motivated and solutions-focused professional with experience in homelessness prevention, housing advice, welfare benefits or the private rented sector. You will have a strong understanding of housing legislation, tenancy law and the challenges faced by both landlords and tenants, with the confidence to provide accurate guidance in complex situations.

• GCSE Grade C (or equivalent) in English and Maths.
• Knowledge of homelessness legislation, including the Homelessness Reduction Act.
• Knowledge of housing law, tenancy legislation and the Renters' Rights framework.
• Experience of working within homelessness prevention, housing, lettings or the private rented sector.
• A strong understanding of welfare benefits, Universal Credit and Welfare Reform.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build rapport, influence, negotiate and mediate effectively.
• Experience of delivering advice and support over the telephone, online and face to face.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret legislation and assess individual circumstances.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• A customer-focused, non-judgemental and empathetic approach when supporting people in challenging situations.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint.
• The ability to work independently while contributing positively to a collaborative team environment.
• A positive, enthusiastic and resilient attitude, with a genuine commitment to preventing homelessness and improving housing outcomes.

This role is ideal for someone with a proactive, can-do approach who is passionate about making a difference, enjoys building positive relationships with landlords and partners, and is committed to helping people achieve sustainable housing solutions.

Who We Are

At Derby City Council, we're proud to deliver over 250 essential services that support our residents, communities and businesses. Guided by our vision to create an Inclusive, Green, Growing and Vibrant City, we put people at the heart of everything we do.

Our values shape how we work every day. We believe in Great People, One Team, we're Bold in embracing change, Strong in delivering for our communities, and We Care about making a positive difference.

Join us and you'll be part of an ambitious, collaborative organisation where you can develop your career while helping to shape Derby's future.

Why join Derby City Council?

At Derby City Council, you'll have the opportunity to make a real difference while building a rewarding career in an organisation that values, supports and invests in its people. Alongside the opportunity to help shape the future of Derby, you'll benefit from a comprehensive range of employee benefits, including:

Financial Benefits

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) – a secure, defined benefit pension with life cover
• Team Derby Rewards – discounts across a wide range of retail, leisure and lifestyle brands
• Tusker Car Benefit Scheme – a salary sacrifice scheme for leasing a brand-new, fully maintained and insured vehicle

Work-Life Balance

• Generous annual leave, starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days after five years' service (plus bank holidays, depending on your contract)
• The option to purchase additional annual leave
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements for many roles
• Flexible retirement options, where eligible
• Support for colleagues with caring responsibilities

Learning and Development

• Learning and development opportunities, with regular career conversations to support your growth
• Leadership and management development programmes, mentoring and professional qualifications
• Modern workspaces designed to support collaboration, productivity and wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing

• Employee Assistance Programme, wellbeing support and a year-round wellbeing calendar
• Free annual flu vaccinations
• Cycle2Work Scheme and free cycle training

Community and Inclusion

• Up to 15 hours of volunteering leave each year
• Recognition through initiatives including the Here for Derby Awards and Long Service Awards
• The opportunity to join one of our Employee Networks, including LGBTQ+, Disabled Employees and Carers, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Employees, and Neurodiversity

At Derby City Council, we believe our people are our greatest strength. Whatever stage you're at in your career, you'll be joining an inclusive organisation where you'll be supported to develop, feel valued and make a meaningful difference to the communities we serve.

Some benefits are dependent on your role, contract or length of service.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Derby City Council, we're committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and can thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we serve.

As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can choose to apply through our Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

We are also proud to hold the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award, recognising our commitment to supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families. Members of the Armed Forces community, veterans and their close family members who meet the essential criteria are also eligible for our Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, including during your application, interview or onboarding, we'll work with you to provide the support you need.

If you have any questions about this vacancy or need assistance with your application, please contact the Recruitment Team on 01332 640844 (Relay UK: 18001 01332 640844) or email recruitmentteam@derby.gov.uk.

Please see here for Job Description

Please see here for Person Specification

Please see Declaration Form for CV Applications here

Please see Equalities Form for CV Applications here

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