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About the Role

Are you looking to build a career in housing while helping to reduce homelessness and support local residents?

We are seeking an Accommodation Officer to join our team. You’ll play a key role in delivering a proactive, high-quality housing service, supporting households in temporary accommodation (TA) and helping them move into secure and affordable homes.

Key responsibilities:

• Manage a varied caseload, supporting residents to sustain tenancies and move on to secure and affordable homes
• Carry out regular home visits, offering advice and ensuring tenancy conditions are met
• Be able to effectively identify support needs, risks and safeguarding concerns and complete necessary referrals
• Address rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, and other tenancy issues
• Reduce time spent in TA by progressing all available move-on options
• Maximise housing benefit claims and ensure rent payments are maintained
• Complete income and expenditure assessments to reduce future homelessness risk

This is a busy & challenging role, but we work as a supportive team who together make a difference. The role is full time, working 34 hours per week on a permanent basis, and there is the opportunity for hybrid working. You will also be required to conduct home visits, attending various types of properties as needed.

About Swale Borough Council

Swale Borough Council is a progressive and ambitious Local Authority, located less than an hour from Central London in an attractive and diverse part of Kent involving urban, rural, and coastal areas. We believe that staff are our most valuable asset and we’re committed to attracting and retaining the very best. In recent times we have adapted and evolved to meet the current world by introducing a highly flexible hybrid working policy, along with a 34-hour week, recognising that staff wellbeing and work life balance is high on our agenda.

Our Offer

A range of benefits including:

• 34 hour full time working week with the offices closing at 1:30pm on Friday
• Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
• Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
• Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
• Free parking
• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
• Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.
• Annual flu vaccine
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
• Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
• A professional fee payment, if required for the role

About You

You will be expected to have a good knowledge of housing issues and be able to provide advice and assistance to households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

You need to be prepared to and have experience of dealing with people faced with very stressful and distressing situations and be able to remain calm and empathise with their situation.

You will need to be able to identify support needs, risks and safeguarding concerns and complete necessary referrals.

You will be expected to work as part of a team, as well as working independently, being able to manage your own case load, using your own initiative and having good problem solving skills.

You will have excellent communication skills and the ability to confidently communicate with a wide range of people.

Additionally, you will be able to work on your own initiative and prioritise your own workload and have a full UK driving licence with the ability to attend properties to conduct visits as required.

Selection Process

Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.

Swale Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.

The Council considers that the successful applicant will have access to young people and/or vulnerable adults and it is a requirement under The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 that you hold an enhanced disclosure and barring scheme check. Upon successful appointment, you will be required to provide evidence of an enhanced DBS check if you subscribe to the DBS Update Service or complete the process to obtain a DBS check.

If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Kerry Wright, Accommodation Compliance Manager on 01795 417487

Interview Date: 13th August 2026