Our benefits
Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.
You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!
Why choose us?
We offer a vibrant working environment with:
-
a competitive salary
-
a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
-
lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
-
generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
-
hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.
We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.
About the role
Are you passionate about supporting vulnerable people and helping individuals and families secure a stable place to call home? We are seeking a dedicated Housing Options Advisor to join our Housing Advice and Options Service or Single Homelessness Service, working as part of a small, supportive team committed to delivering high-quality housing advice, intervention and prevention services across North Northamptonshire.
In this rewarding role, you will provide specialist advice, assessment and casework to people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, ensuring their housing and support needs are identified and addressed in line with homelessness legislation, statutory guidance and Council policies. Working collaboratively with colleagues, partner agencies, landlords, letting agents and family networks, you will focus on achieving positive outcomes for residents, preventing homelessness wherever possible and reducing the need for temporary accommodation.
If you are a proactive, customer-focused professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to making a real difference in people's lives, we would love to hear from you. This role operates across the North Northamptonshire locality, providing a varied and impactful opportunity to support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
What will you be doing?
As a Housing Options Advisor, you will be the first point of contact for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, providing advice, support and practical solutions to help them secure and sustain suitable accommodation. You will assess housing needs, complete housing assessments and personal housing plans, and work proactively to prevent and relieve homelessness through negotiation, mediation and early intervention.
-
Assessing and supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
-
Providing housing advice, guidance and practical solutions to prevent homelessness.
-
Completing housing assessments and developing personalised housing plans.
-
Managing a caseload and making decisions in line with homelessness legislation and Council policies.
-
Working with landlords, support agencies and partner organisations to secure positive outcomes.
-
Identifying safeguarding concerns and supporting vulnerable individuals and families.
-
Maintaining accurate case records and contributing to service improvement.
-
Delivering a professional, customer-focused service across North Northamptonshire.
About you
- Hold a minimum of 5 GCSE’s grade A-C (or other Level 2 NVQ qualification) or able to demonstrate an equivalent capability
-
Experience of working within a local authority, housing association or voluntary organisation.
-
Experience of working in an advisory / support role or customer focussed environment
-
Experience of managing a caseload and prioritising own workload
-
A good understanding and knowledge of the main causes of homelessness and rough sleeping, and the barriers that people face when trying to access accommodation and support services
-
Knowledge of homelessness legislation, guidance and caselaw.
-
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse client groups.
-
Good numerical and analytical skills and ability to produce and interpret financial and statistical information
- Problem-solving and negotiation skills, with the ability to develop practical and creative housing solutions.
-
Able to produce clear, concise and persuasive written reports on complex issues.
-
Proficiency in IT systems, including housing management software and Microsoft Office.
-
Good analytical skills and ability to produce and interpret statistical information
About us
Our Values and Behaviours
Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:
Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy
Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.
Disability Confident Employer
We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.
Our Employment and Disability Service provides bespoke support to individuals facing barriers to employment, helping them work towards their goals to start, stay and succeed in employment. For further information please click here The Employment and Disability Service (EADS) | North Northamptonshire Council
Armed Forces Community
The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).
Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)
