Housing Support Officer

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced administrator to join our Housing Team to help us build on our achievements. The successful applicant will be working within a team dedicated to support the housing and homeless teams in Rother.

The Housing Support Officer is responsible for providing excellent administration and financial support to the Housing Needs Team. They also play a critical role in supporting the Local Authority’s statutory enquiries.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Managing invoices and payments, with a focus on those relating to temporary accommodation
• Providing an initial response to all enquiries made by customers, other service areas and agencies via a range of communication channels on all housing related matters referring enquiries to the appropriate person/agency if required
• Managing and administering personal charge contributions and making written and phone contact with customers to arrange payment
• Liaising with other agencies on behalf of the Authority/customer when required and completing referrals where required
• Supporting customers in temporary accommodation with making housing benefit claims
• Inputting and helping with maintaining the Service’s Housing Register and to assist in the preparation of statistical and management information and reports
• Providing support with housing triage tasks, this may consist of (but not limited to) making initial contact with homeless applicants, process enquiries from customers in connection with housing needs, undertake initial enquiries to establish homelessness, check initial documents in preparation for assessment and ensure added to client file.

Key skills and Experience:
• Minimum two years’ experience in an office setting, preferably in a customer focused environment including the use of computerised and financial systems
• Excellent verbal and numerical reasoning
• Work under pressure and deal with unforeseen and urgent demands
• Deal with members of the public in a courteous and efficient manner

If you would like an informal discussion regarding this vacancy, please contact Caroline Wakefield, Housing Needs Operations Manager on caroline.wakefield@rother.gov.uk

The job description and application form are available to download from our website: www.rother.gov.uk/jobs

Please send completed application forms and queries to: recruitment@rother.gov.uk

Closing date for receipt of applications is midnight on Sunday 27th October

Interviews will be held on Thursday 7th November.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and community sectors.