Skip to main content

This job has expired

Housing Needs Officer

Employer
Birmingham City Council
Location
Various - including Lancaster Circus, Newtown, Margaret Street
Salary
£20,344 - £26,317
Closing date
16 Apr 2020
Reference
BCC001141

View more

Sector
Local Councils
Job Type
Housing
Contract Type
Fixed Term Contract
Working Pattern
Standard
Hours
Full-Time

Job Details

An exciting, yet challenging, opportunity has arisen to join Birmingham City Council’s Housing Options Service on an initial 12 month fixed term contact - all of which are suitable for acting up if you are an internal candidate. Successful candidates will be required to be flexible in their working hours to support a team under significant pressure providing a homelessness and housing application services on behalf of the City. This is a very challenging role in a highly pressured environment.

We have various positions available throughout the service including:

Housing Options Centre – For further information or queries please contact Tina Day (tina.day@birmingham.gov.uk or 0121 675 3602) or Collette Campbell (collette.campbell@birmingham.gov.uk or 0121 303 1000)

As a Housing Needs Officer you will be responsible for interviewing customers in line with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and managing each case through to conclusion (including developing good quality personal housing plans/ support plans). Applicants must be confident in their prioritising skills, with the ability to put forward recommendations for homelessness decisions to a Senior Housing Needs Officer. Adherence to financial regulations, maximising income and debt recovery, providing advice on preventing homelessness and promoting a variety of housing options is a requirement of the role.

Visiting Officer – Housing Options Centre and Registrations

A vacancy for a Visiting Officer has become available within Birmingham City Council’s Housing Options Service. The appointed officer will be required to interview and visit some of our must vulnerable customers at various locations in around the Birmingham and surrounding areas. As part of the team of front line visiting officers you must have access to a car to interview homeless households, providing a full range of alternative housing options.

 

Housing Registration Team - For further information or queries please contact Marion Neil (marion.neil@birmingham.gov.uk or 0121 675 2153)

As a Housing Needs Officer you will be responsible for overseeing and assessing a range of housing applications, supporting each case through to conclusion. You will be required to apply the city councils allocation policy and use the IT system to assess applications.

Temporary Accommodation Finance Team - For further information or queries please contact Pauline Thomas (pauline.thomas@birmingham.gov.uk or 0121 675 2154)

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity within the Housing Options Service.  You will be responsible for assisting with the collection of rent and former arrears, you will help to maximise income, assist with benefit claims, make payment arrangements, implement rent escalation procedures and invoicing. You will have excellent communication skills, a head for finance and knowledge and/or experience of benefits and rent collection.  You will also have an awareness of homeless legislation.

Key requirements for all posts:

Applicants must be confident in their decision-making and prioritising skills, with the ability to make timely decisions.

Applicants should also have the relevant skills to build and maintain effective professional working relationships with internal and external partners. You will be required to ensure that high quality services are delivered which meet or exceed service targets, and will work to set the direction and priorities for the team against a context of change and service improvement. You will need to demonstrate management experience, and or potential, knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction legislation, and a clear commitment to delivering high quality customer focused service.

As we are looking for a number of staff to cover various roles in the service the interview panels will consist of managers from each of the service areas above who will discuss with you your preference and will offer (where relevant) a position that is most suited to your skills. You will be asked for your order of preference at the interview stage.

You will be required to ensure that high quality services are delivered which meet or exceed service targets, and will work to set the direction and priorities for the team against a context of change and service improvement. You will need to demonstrate management experience, and or potential, knowledge of the Homelessness Reduction legislation, and a clear commitment to delivering high quality customer focused service.

Right to work in the UK documentation will be fully checked for all applicants. All non UK and non EU applicants are required to apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship from Birmingham City Council and must be approved by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Supporting documents
Housing Needs Officer JD PS.pdf

Company

Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city.

We welcome people from diverse and underrepresented communities and encourage applications from, those with caring responsibilities, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, neurodivergent, disabled and LGBT+ people. As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, we are committed to promoting and supporting the physical and mental health of all our staff and removing barriers to improve inclusion.   We are making significant strides to understand and continuously improve our employees’ experience and we are committed to implementing progressive diversity talent management.

Information for applicants with a disability

We are a proud Disability Confident Employer.  We encourage applicants to disclose disabilities, so we can support them fully during our recruitment process and make any necessary reasonable adjustments. Please contact: 0121 675 7070 option 3 (lines open between 8.45am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday).

If you require an application in an alternative format, such as Braille or you are unable to complete an application form via WMJOBS, please contact bccHR@birmingham.gov.uk. When you have completed your application form this can be returned to bccHR@birmingham.gov.uk or for Braille applications these can be posted to, Recruitment Team, 2nd Floor, 10 Woodcock Street, B7 4BG.

The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence. 

There is a clear vision which is ensuring that the Council is working for communities today and building for tomorrow, we focus our resources on five key priorities:

  • A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
  • An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.
  • A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
  • A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
  • A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.

We see the Council’s role as providing strategic leadership – that’s being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision. We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision-making.

We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision.  We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long-term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.

In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well-being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.

Birmingham City Council is a Foundation Living wage employer - known as the Birmingham Living Wage. The Birmingham Living Wage, is determined by the Living Wage Foundation on an annual basis by the Centre of Research in Society Polity at Loughborough University. The current rate can be found at: www.livingwage.org.uk.

Living wage   small disability confident logo

Company info
Website
Telephone
0121 675 7070
Location
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham
West Midlands
B2 2XU
United Kingdom

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalised job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert