Housing Options Visiting Officer

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, accepting of all, and free from discrimination and bias.

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 has grown significantly during the last 12 months, reflecting that Housing & Homelessness is now a key council priority.

The team is responsible for the delivery of the following service functions:

1. Provision of the statutory homeless service
2. Provision of temporary accommodation
3. Management of the housing register
4. Co-ordination of support to citizens rough sleeping
5. Commissioning of homeless services
6. 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 focused on preventing households from becoming homeless and 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.

Our Values:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

What is the job role?

The Housing and Homelessness Service is a very busy environment and faces several challenges to meet the housing needs of the citizens of Coventry. The team has grown significantly during the last 24 months, reflecting that Housing & Homelessness is now a key council priority.

The Housing & Homelessness Service won the Large Team of the Year at the prestigious LGC (Local Government Chronicle) awards in 2022, reflecting the changes that have been implemented in recent years. However, there is still much to do to build on this and continue to improve our services for people in housing need at a time of unprecedented demand.

We are looking for a dynamic, self-motivated individual who can adapt to the changing needs of the Housing & Homelessness service. As a Housing Options Visiting Officer, you will have a keen eye for detail and will take every opportunity to prevent homelessness.

Duties of the role include:

• Carrying out home visits in the community to people who are homeless and threatened with homelessness.
• Providing housing and homelessness advice and mediating in family disputes and with private landlords.
• Assessing suitability of accommodation and reporting on findings.
• Carrying out housing needs assessments under homelessness legislation.
• Representing the Housing and Homelessness Service in the community.

If you have experience and knowledge of the Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, this will be beneficial but not essential.

Who are we looking for?

The successful applicant will need to have a clean driving licence and constant access to a car, which will need to be in good working condition. A generous rate will be paid for mileage used on the job. This role is solely office-based and working in the community; there is no provision for home working.

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme: As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process, please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Interview date(s): 30th and 31st January 2025. Interviews will comprise a role play exercise and competency-based interview questions.

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 5100 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.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit Coventry City Council Vacancies.