Role Purpose
As a Housing Officer, you will manage an allocated neighbourhood portfolio and provide a proactive, visible and customer-focused housing management service. You will build effective relationships with customers, manage tenancies and estates, respond to complex housing matters and work with colleagues and partner agencies to create safe, sustainable and well-managed communities.
You will take ownership of cases from first contact through to resolution, balancing support, prevention and proportionate enforcement. You will help minimise empty-home loss, maximise income, maintain accurate records and ensure services are delivered in line with Homes in Somerset policies, operational standards and values.
You will:
Lettings and tenancy management
As a Housing Officer, you will manage an allocated neighbourhood portfolio and provide a proactive, visible and customer-focused housing management service. You will build effective relationships with customers, manage tenancies and estates, respond to complex housing matters and work with colleagues and partner agencies to create safe, sustainable and well-managed communities.
You will take ownership of cases from first contact through to resolution, balancing support, prevention and proportionate enforcement. You will help minimise empty-home loss, maximise income, maintain accurate records and ensure services are delivered in line with Homes in Somerset policies, operational standards and values.
You will:
Lettings and tenancy management
- Manage the end-to-end lettings process, including applicant verification, property viewings, application processing and timely allocation of homes to eligible applicants.
- Assess housing needs, explain options and provide clear support and guidance throughout the application and tenancy process.
- Manage internal moves where required and oversee tenancy and leasehold matters in accordance with policies and standard operating procedures.
- Act as the primary relationship manager for customers within your allocated neighbourhoods, providing an accessible, coordinated and responsive service.
- Manage a wide range of tenancy matters, including tenancy reviews and audits, successions, assignments, mutual exchanges, abandonments, decants, permissions, hoarding, tenancy fraud and breaches of tenancy.
Neighbourhood and estate management - Maintain a visible presence within your neighbourhoods, complete property and estate inspections and take prompt action to address concerns, hazards, untidy areas and required repairs.
- Oversee the quality of estate services and service contracts, ensuring agreed standards, customer needs and value for money are achieved.
- Attend residents' meetings, drop-in sessions, consultation activities and community events, working with colleagues to strengthen customer engagement.
- Contribute to the development and successful management of new housing schemes.
Anti-social behaviour, safeguarding and enforcement - Take ownership of reports of anti-social behaviour, harassment, hate incidents, domestic abuse, tenancy fraud and other breaches of tenancy, managing cases through to resolution.
- Complete proportionate risk assessments and safety plans, respond promptly to safeguarding concerns and follow relevant reporting and referral procedures.
- Investigate concerns, gather evidence, prepare statements and exhibits, and use appropriate tenancy enforcement options, including warnings, injunctions and possession proceedings where necessary.
- Attend court and multi-agency meetings where required, and work closely with the Police, local authorities, social care, probation and other partners.
- Identify and refer customers to appropriate support services, helping vulnerable residents to remain safe and sustain their tenancies.
Performance, partnership and case management - Manage a varied caseload, maintain accurate and timely records and ensure all actions comply with data protection, information security and organisational requirements.
- Work collaboratively across the organisation, providing support, cover and professional guidance to colleagues as required.
- Work with compliance colleagues and contractors to facilitate property access and respond to tenancy breaches, including supporting injunction referrals when appropriate.
- Take ownership of complaints and service failures within your area, resolving concerns promptly and identifying opportunities for service improvement.
- Use available budgets and resources responsibly, support customers to maximise income and refer them to specialist financial or welfare support where appropriate.
What you will bring: - A strong customer focus, with the confidence to build trust, listen carefully and communicate clearly with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
- A calm, fair and resilient approach when managing sensitive, distressing, challenging or potentially confrontational situations.
- Sound judgement and the ability to assess risk, make evidence-based decisions and apply support or enforcement proportionately.
- Personal accountability and a proactive approach to managing competing priorities, progressing cases and delivering agreed outcomes.
- The ability to negotiate, influence, de-escalate conflict and communicate complex information sensitively.
- A collaborative approach to partnership working, with a commitment to sharing knowledge and supporting colleagues.
- A commitment to equality, safeguarding, confidentiality, continuous learning and improving services for customers.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential - Experience of delivering high standards of customer service and managing a varied workload in housing, neighbourhood management or a comparable customer-focused service.
- Knowledge of tenancy and neighbourhood management, including relevant housing law, regulation, policy and good practice.
- Knowledge or experience of managing anti-social behaviour cases, including evidence gathering, partnership working and the appropriate use of legal remedies and enforcement powers.
- Understanding of safeguarding responsibilities relating to children, adults at risk and domestic abuse, including risk assessment and referral pathways.
- Experience of effective case management, maintaining accurate records and progressing matters to resolution.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, negotiation, influencing and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to analyse and interpret information, produce clear reports and make balanced decisions.
- Ability to use housing management or similar case-management systems, mobile technology and Microsoft Office applications.
- Understanding of data protection, information security, health and safety and confidentiality requirements.
- English and Maths at GCSE grade A-C/4-9, or an equivalent level of literacy and numeracy.
Desirable - A relevant housing qualification or degree.
- Membership of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
- Knowledge of income management and financial inclusion within a housing environment.
- Experience of monitoring estate-based contracts, such as caretaking or cleaning services.
- Experience of preparing court documentation and attending court as a witness.
Other Information - The role involves travel to homes, estates, meetings and other locations across Somerset.
- Flexible working may occasionally be required to respond to urgent circumstances or attend meetings and community events outside normal working hours.
- The postholder may encounter sensitive or distressing information and challenging or potentially confrontational situations.
- The role requires appropriate participation in lone-working and officer-safety arrangements.