Accommodation Officer

at  Coventry City Council

About the team we are recruiting to
We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is 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 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?
Let’s Rent Coventry’ is Coventry City Council’s rent guarantee scheme, launched in May 2020. It aims to match households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, with private landlords who have properties to let in the city. This provides homeless households with a safe, suitable home for at least 12 months and enables the Council to fulfil its duties under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996).
We are recruiting for an Accommodation Officer, you’ll join the team at an exciting time for the housing and homeless service, and in the post you’ll be responsible for increasing the capacity of the private rented sector. By building links with landlords in the private rented sector you will secure accommodation and help prevent homelessness.
You’ll be working alongside colleagues to increase the supply of PRS accommodation and match these to households in temporary accommodation to allow the service to discharge its homeless duties.
You’ll need the ability to be creative and solution-focused negotiating and connecting with people from all backgrounds.
The role can also include the placement of households into temporary accommodation, the ongoing case management of homeless households in temporary accommodation with tenancy management, rent collection and timely move-on into more permanent accommodation to discharge the Council’s rehousing duty.
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?

FOR THE ROLE YOU’LL NEED

• To be highly motivated with a strong drive and ambition to achieve
• A positive attitude towards helping people overcome Homelessness
• Strong negotiating skills and advocacy skills.
• Resilience and determination to achieve the right outcomes for Homeless people/families
• 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
  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): 1st Stage interview 9th July 2024, if you are successful at this stage you will be invited back to the 2nd stage interview 12th July 2024.
About Coventry

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 strateg