Job Title: Housing Options Officer
Location: Ashford, Kent, TN23
Salary: £26,685 to £29,079 pa
Job Type: Permanent, Full time - 37 Hours Per Week
Closing Date: 20th August2025
About the Role:
Make a Real Difference in People's Lives
Are you passionate about helping people find safe, secure housing? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment?
In this role you will be the first point of contact for residents in housing need. This is a vital role where you will be providing support to the Housing Options teams in allocating new cases and identifying emergencies for immediate action.
Your day to day:
* Supporting the Housing Options and Lettings Teams in preventing homelessness and promoting housing stability.
* Be the first point of contact for housing enquiries via phone, email, and in person
* Triage and allocate new cases to Housing Options Officers, identifying emergencies for immediate action
* Providing comprehensive advice on housing options, homelessness legislation, and the Council's lettings policy
* Maintaining accurate records and case notes to support legal decisions and service coordination
About you:
In order to be competent in this role it is essential that you have experience working in housing advice, homelessness services, or a housing-related field, along with having:
* Proven experience in a front-line, customer-led service, particularly supporting vulnerable individuals
* A practical working knowledge of housing and homelessness legislation.
* The ability to assess housing need and identify statutory duties
* Strong interpersonal and communication skills
* Ability to remain calm and empathetic in challenging situations
Benefits:
We offer a wide range of benefits including:
* Hybrid Working - We are an organisation that puts people first and understands how important employee wellbeing is. We want to help you to balance your working life and home life and offer flexible ways of working to help structure your life in a positive and productive way; both at home and in the office. This maximises personal development and collaborative working.
* Competitive remuneration package - We offer an excellent salary linked pension scheme including:
o Generous annual leave with flexi time
o Free life insurance
o Supportive relocation package
o Opportunities for training and development
Additional Information:
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces Community.
With devolution news and talks evolving across the country for local authorities, we understand that there may be some uncertainty for those currently serving within the sector. Although Kent and Medway have not been included in the Devolution Priority Programme, discussions continue in this area. Kent, Medway and all District and Borough Councils in the South East will continue to work closely with each other to deliver vital services to our communities. This is an exciting, but stable time to join our organisation.
Ashford Borough Council recognises the need to ensure the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults when they come into contact with the services we provide.
To find out further information about the role and to view the full job description, please visit the council's website.
Please click the APPLY button and you will be redirected to the council's website to complete your application.
Candidates With the Relevant Experience or Job Titles of; Social Housing Advisor, Housing Needs Assistant, Housing Officer, Housing Support Officer, Housing Assistant, Housing Officer, Housing Services ,Housing Assistant, Social Housing Assistant, Supported Housing Officer, Social Housing Worker, Housing Administrator may also be considered for this role.