How you'll make a difference:
The HomeChoice Service delivers a high quality, comprehensive housing access service to households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Access to safe and suitable housing plays a vital role in stabilising communities, reducing inequalities, improving wellbeing and supporting safer neighbourhoods. As a member of the management team, you will play a key role in leading, coordinating, and developing housing advice and homelessness prevention services.
What you will be doing:
- You will manage a team that delivers advice and support to households in accordance with statutory homelessness legislation, providing guidance and oversight on complex cases to ensure consistent and lawful decision-making.
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Leading on monitoring and maintaining operational quality assurance standards, you will ensure that housing assessments and homelessness decisions are robust, legally compliant and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for customers.
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A key aspect of your role will be responding appropriately to requests for reviews, information, and enquiries from members of the public, ensuring all responses are handled in line with relevant legislation, council policies and service standards.
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Drawing on your expertise and knowledge of homelessness services, you will coordinate the assessment and management of complex and sensitive cases, acting as the lead point of contact for matters of significant public interest, emergency situations and high-risk customer needs.
What we need from you:
- We require you to hold a degree or equivalent relevant qualification, or be able to demonstrate significant experience, in front line housing advice or similar environment. This will include a strong understanding of housing options, homelessness prevention, available remedies and the needs of vulnerable people and minority groups.
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It is essential that you have experience of working within a housing or homelessness service, supported by a thorough knowledge of housing and homelessness legislation and a sound understanding of related statutory duties, including those arising under the Children Act 1989 and the council’s equality duties.
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As this is a fast-paced and demanding role, you will have experience of working collaboratively with customers, partner agencies and other professionals to resolve housing issues and homelessness effectively, ensuring positive outcomes are achieved within required timescales.
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You will be able to demonstrate strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess complex situations, identify appropriate solutions, and manage a challenging caseload while meeting statutory requirements and service standards.
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You must have proven IT skills and be proficient in the use of databases, spreadsheets, word processing, the internet and electronic mailing.
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Ideally, you may have experience of supervising, motivating and developing a team, alongside excellent communication, influencing and negotiating skills.
What you need to know:
- This role is hybrid, with a mixture of working at our office in Kingswood and from home.
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Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained.
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You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area so you must have a full, valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle or have an alternative means of travel.
Interviews will be held on Tuesday 22nd September 2026.
How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different:
- As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
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We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
- We know our team work best when they have balance in their lives, and we offer genuine flexibility to help them achieve that work/life balance.
- What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos, the support and the training.
Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.
- We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
- We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life.
- We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.
We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.
We’re making a difference, be part of it!
To view the full job description, please click this link: Team Lead - Housing Advice and Options - Job Description
