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  

Coventry City Councils Supported Temporary Accommodation (STA) Team sits within the wider Housing and Homelessness team.  We are a small, friendly team who share a common goal, and that is to work with internal and external partners to find long-term accommodation for homeless people. We are fortunate to have a dedicated office, which is based alongside the largest of our accommodation buildings and is shared with our support provider P3 and our own Facilities Management team.  The collaborative work done between the Supported Temporary Accommodation Team and the P3 support team has been essential to the success we have had so far.   

It’s great to know that you are interested in working with us at Coventry City Council. As a prospective employee, it is important that everyone who works for us is committed to our One Coventry values and shares our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. 

Our Values are:

As a Supported Accommodation Housing Officer you will be responsible for providing an excellent customer focused service, ensure that the Council’s accommodation is well managed and maintained. You will work proactively and closely with occupiers and support agencies to address property and tenancy related issues to ensure occupiers abide by their licence conditions.

In further detail your key duties and responsibilities will be to: 

• Manage void units, minimise the time a property is void ensuring that a property is let within set targets.
• Conduct viewings, arrange and carry out sign-ups, ensuring the delivery of exceptional customer service at all times. Ensure customers are familiar with the terms of the Licence Agreement and that they understand their obligations.
• Respond promptly and sensitively to all reports of Anti-Social Behaviour, nuisance and harassment, following the Council’s procedures and best practice, including practical assistance and support for victims.
• Work closely with the Support Provider to assist with move-on of customers.
• To visit households in temporary accommodation to ensure occupancy, identify where occupiers require additional support and welfare checks, to move households out of or between temporary accommodation
• Ensure tenants are aware of their responsibility to pay their rent, providing advice on preventative action to be taken to stop them falling into arrears.
• Work with the Council’s Accommodation Officers to resolve rent arrears issues, including advising and assisting tenants to claim housing and welfare benefit entitlements.
• Contribute to the maximisation of income on occupied units by assisting with the management of customer budgets (e.g. complete housing benefit claim forms on behalf of tenants and verify claims on behalf of the Local Authority)

We are currently recruiting to 2 vacancies, one permanent and one fixed term contract until July 2022. These are full-time posts, working 37 hours a week between the hours of 8am - 8pm.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

To be successful in this role you will need:

• Positive attitude towards helping people to overcome Homelessness 
• Strong negotiating skills and advocacy skills.
• Resilience and determination to achieve right outcomes for Homeless people
• Willingness to learn about the relevant legislation for Housing and Homelessness
• The ability to travel around the City.
• You will be able to use your initiative, be forward thinking and solutions led due to this being a reactive role

When considering your application, the recruiting panel want to see what makes you the ideal candidate in the ‘Your suitability for the post’ section of your application. It is essential when completing this section that you demonstrate your skills, knowledge and experience relating to the Person Specification, whether this is through direct housing management experience, or from roles with transferable skills. Whilst the panel want you to consider all areas of the Person Specification, they are particularly interested in the following areas;

•  Good quality lettings – As a Supported Accommodation Housing Officer you will be expected to take ownership of a portfolio of properties, ensuring they are clean & safe, with void and income lose at a minimum.
• Working with a complex client group – You will have a good working knowledge of working with an often-challenging client group, and be able to negotiate and advocate for them.
• Excellent work and time management skills – You will need to work to tight deadlines, making sure work is completed in a timely and efficient manner. You will also need to be a good team player, with both internal and external partners.

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): 11 + 12/10/2021

Coventry is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces old and new. Around the modern city centre there are traces of history everywhere – in the old city walls, the timber-framed buildings and the reconstructed medieval Spon Street. But Coventry has always had an eye on the future, and is now firmly focused on regenerating and re-inventing itself to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. With major developments and new projects taking place right across the city, Coventry City Council is the place to be!

There's a huge buzz about the city – Coventry ranks as the 8th best city to live, work and do business in the UK, and is the UK City of Culture 2021 ! We believe this will help put Coventry on the map for all the right reasons. You can feel the sense of local pride throughout the city as we build towards this momentous year. It also offers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to those joining us to play their part in it.

We genuinely believe that Coventry City Council is a special place. You will be joining Coventry City Council during an exciting time to become part of a team that contribute to achieving our visions for the city. We have made our council a place where we look after our people, making sure you're happy in your work and given everything you need to succeed. We've created friendly, welcoming workplaces where everyone is working towards the same cause, providing the best possible services for the city of Coventry.

As a council with improvement at its heart, we’re committed to making life better for the people who live and work in Coventry. We’re equally concerned with the quality of life enjoyed by our people, so by joining us, you won’t just be helping the community, you’ll be helping yourself too.

Not only do you get to work alongside great people that are helping to improve services for our community we offer great benefits too! For your valued contribution we will provide a fantastic benefits package including;

• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Outstanding local government pension scheme
• Learning & Development with access to certified courses.
• Access to an award winning Occupational Health Team
• Vibrant employee networks