Our Values

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:

About the team we are recruiting to

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  

The Council has a strategic vision that is clearly set out in both the Housing & Homelessness and the Rough Sleeping Strategies which were both approved in 2019. 

By becoming part of an expanding team who are focused on preventing households from becoming homeless as well as providing tailored support and interventions when someone does become homeless this is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our city. 

What is the job role?

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 one permanent. This is a full-time post, 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).

Who are we looking for?

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): 06/02/2023

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 4800 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies

Coventry City Council