Accommodation Officer

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.

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• 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.

We are recruiting for four full time Accommodation Officers to join our already inclusive and vibrant team.

The team place homeless households into temporary accommodation. Customers are responsible for the cost of the accommodation and all utilities. Customers can request storage for personal belongings but there is a charge they will need to pay.

Two staff will deal with the finance, making sure all Housing Benefit is in payment or if not entitled to Housing Benefit a license Fee is issued and paid.

One staff member will deal with placing households into temporary accommodation and deal with issues around any accommodation.

One staff member will deal a mix of property and people as you’ll visit households in temporary accommodation to check it is being used. Work with occupiers and helping them resolve housing (temporary accommodation) related issues, good communication and people skills alongside property related experience. Ability to to work out in the community 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, with a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential.

The Role

• Placements of households into temporary accommodation in line with the legislation, to move households out of or between temporary accommodation to ensure the best use of stock.
• Act as an intermediary between landlord and household if disputes arise to try and reach a settlement to support, so the temporary accommodation is not lost.
• To work closely with landlords and providers to secure properties to meet the housing needs of the households under the Housing and Homelessness duties, whether for temporary or permanent accommodation.
• Negotiate with Landlords regarding the condition of the property. If ready to let, to undertake the inspection in line with the required Coventry City Council standard. Training will be provided if required.
• Identify where occupiers require additional support so they can move to permanent accommodation to end the duty.
• Complete any Housing Benefit claims on behalf of the customer.

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role

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).

For the role you’ll need,

• A positive attitude towards helping people to overcome Homelessness.
• Strong negotiating skills, advocacy skills and IT skills.
• Resilience and determination to achieve right outcomes for Homeless people/families.
• To be highly motivated with a strong drive and ambition to achieve results.
• Willingness to learn about the relevant legislation for Housing and Homelessness
• You will be able to use your initiative, be forward thinking and solutions led due to this being a reactive role.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Flexible and resilient
• The ability to travel around the city.

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.

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): Stage 1 19/9/25, if successful you will be invited a Stage 2 on 11/9/25 or 12/9/25.

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.

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