Senior Housing Allocations Officer (Full Time)

About The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Council's Housing Allocations Team. As a Senior Housing Allocations Officer, you will provide effective supervision and manage the performance of a team of Housing Allocations Officers. You will develop, update and implement clear and effective arrangements for the management of the service to ensure that the Council meets its statutory obligations.

You will ensure the delivery of a high quality, responsive and customer focused housing allocations service ensuring that all applications to join the Council's housing register are processed, and accommodation is advertised and nominated to, in accordance with statutory obligations, policies, procedures and service standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Promote the full range of affordable housing options and ensure that housing register applicants receive the advice, help and support they need to address housing needs.
• Assist the Housing Allocations Team Leader to identify areas for service improvement, enhancement and best practice.
• This role will be based across North Northamptonshire.
• Responsible for processing applications to join the Council's Housing Register, raising adverts and completing nominations in accordance with statutory requirements, the Council's Housing Allocations Scheme and other relevant agreements and procedures.
• Responsible for the operational day to day management, supervision and performance of the Housing Allocations Officers. Provide advice, guidance, support and training to the officers to enable them to deliver an effective, high-quality, responsive and customer focused housing allocations service.
• Regularly review policies, agreements, procedures, and service area action plans to ensure they remain relevant and provide service improvement and efficiencies.
• Assist in budget management, by ensuring that opportunities for income collection (ie advert charges) are maximised and forecast appropriately.
• Ensure that customers are provided with accurate and relevant advice in relation to their housing needs and accessibility of social and affordable housing, are encouraged to explore creative solutions, and other suitable and affordable housing options such as the private rented sector, mutual exchange/home swap etc.
• Ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the systems used to deliver the housing allocation service including bug fixes and implementation of updates/enhancements.
• Assist in monitoring team performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) and service targets. Contribute to the preparation of performance reports and ensure accurate case recording and data entry.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external partners, attending multi-agency meetings as required and contribute to achieving positive outcomes for households in housing need.
• Assist the Housing Allocations Team Leader, and work with colleagues across the Housing Solutions Service, to review service delivery, aiming for continued improvement, and to develop working practices, protocols, partnership and data sharing agreements etc with key organisations and services.
• Work closely with and provide cover for the other Senior Housing Allocations Officers and deputise for the Housing Allocations Team Leader, as required, providing support by undertaking other tasks to enable the efficient delivery of the service.
• Demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people's behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs.
• Comply with the Council's policies and procedures including (but not limited to) safeguarding, financial regulations, promotion of equalities, customer care, agreed audit actions and health and safety (ensuring that reasonable care is taken at all times for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and other persons).
• Understand the council's commitment to Corporate Parenting and take responsibility to support this commitment. Enable the council to be the best corporate parents possible to children and young people in our current and previous care.
• Carry out any other duties which fall within the broad spirit, scope and purpose of this job description and which are commensurate with the grade of the post.
• This post requires satisfactory clearance of a Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure.

About You

• Hold a minimum of 5 GCSE's grade A-C, a relevant housing qualification (CIH Level 4 Diploma or equivalent) or show an equivalent capability.
• Demonstratable experience at a senior officer level (or similar) within a local authority, housing association or voluntary organisation.
• Extensive knowledge of Part 6 Housing Act 1996 (as amended), related legislation, guidance and case law.
• Experience of working in a housing allocations team / delivering relevant services.
• Experience of handling complex cases and providing solutions for vulnerable individuals and families.
• A good understanding and knowledge of the main causes of housing need, homelessness and rough sleeping, and the barriers that people face when trying to access accommodation and support services.
• Demonstratable experience of staff management including service and performance improvement.
• Knowledge of housing allocations policies, welfare benefits, and tenancy law.
• Experience in partnership working with statutory, voluntary, and private sector organisations.
• Experience of attending and participating in multidisciplinary case conferences.
• A good understanding and awareness of housing allocations/nominations arrangements.
• Ability to form and develop professional and effective working relationships with colleagues, partners and service users and work effectively and enthusiastically as part of a team.
• Spoken and written English fluency.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Good analytical skills and ability to produce and interpret statistical information.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the emotional resilience to deal effectively with complex circumstances surrounding vulnerable people.
• Excellent listening and interviewing skills, with a proven ability to inspire and motivate people to improve themselves and/or others.
• A skilled problem-solver and negotiator with an organised and imaginative approach to work and the ability to manage difficult and sensitive situations.
• Ability to work well under pressure, on own initiative, and manage and prioritise own workload and team members when needed.
• Effectively work with others to achieve a positive outcome by being proactive and solution focused.
• IT and keyboard skills, including the ability to use Microsoft Office and maintain accurate records and case files.
• Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people's behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.
• Full driving licence and access to own transport for work purposes.
• Willing to work outside normal office hours as necessary.

Our Benefits

• A competitive salary.
• A pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• Lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council.
• Generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.
• We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About Us

Our Values Define Who We Are And How We Operate, By Forming The Foundation For How We Interact With Our Customers, Colleagues And Provide Our Services. They Are Also At The Forefront Of Our Decision Making And Delivery And Are:

• Customer-focused
• Respectful
• Efficient
• Supportive
• Trustworthy

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Our Employment and Disability Service provides bespoke support to individuals facing barriers to employment, helping them work towards their goals to start, stay and succeed in employment.

Armed Forces Community

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).