Allocations Officer

About The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Council's Housing Allocations Team. As a Housing Allocations Officer, you will collaborate within a team to deliver the Council's housing allocations scheme, ensuring fair and efficient allocation of social and affordable housing in North Northamptonshire. Your role will involve assessing applications, providing guidance to applicants, and liaising with internal and external stakeholders to match housing applicants with available properties.

You will also contribute to policy implementation, maintain accurate records, and uphold high standards of customer service, while supporting the team to achieve shared goals and meet key performance targets.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Council's Housing Allocations Team. As a Housing Allocations Officer, you will collaborate within a team to deliver the Council's housing allocations scheme, ensuring fair and efficient allocation of social and affordable housing in North Northamptonshire. Your role will involve assessing applications, providing guidance to applicants, and liaising with internal and external stakeholders to match housing applicants with available properties.

You will also contribute to policy implementation, maintain accurate records, and uphold high standards of customer service, while supporting the team to achieve shared goals and meet key performance targets.

As Housing Allocations Officer:

• You will investigate, interview, analyse, and respond to customer enquiries in writing, verbally, or in person and take any appropriate action necessary.
• You will ensure that an accurate, comprehensive record is kept of all interactions with applicants and partner agencies (written and verbal) and that all files are maintained to a high standard to assist monitoring, decision-making and effective case management.
• You will attend training and keep your knowledge updated on any IT software required to carry out the role including the participation of any upgrades and user testing.
• You will assist in the production of information leaflets, delivery of public events in the community to promote the housing allocations service and ensure that information relating to the service is kept up to date on the customer housing portal and Council website.
• You will work closely with the Housing Options Team to assist with the effective prevention and resolution of homelessness.
• You will develop and maintain close working relationships and ensure effective communication with partner registered providers, private landlords, Council services and a wide range of other stakeholders that are involved in the functions of housing need, allocations, lettings and the management of social housing.
• You will ensure that housing applicants experience a seamless and well-coordinated allocations service.
• You will assist in training internal and external partners, voluntary and statutory agencies.
• You will ensure the accurate collection of data and information to assist performance monitoring, forecast future need for the service and implement agreed service improvements.
• You will contribute to reviews (including consultations) of the housing allocations scheme and associated procedures.
• You will maintain professional competence and a working knowledge of housing allocations legislation, guidance and developments.
• You will comply with the Council's full range of policies and procedures including the Council's housing allocations scheme.
• You will represent the Council on a variety of meetings, forums and multi-agency panels, as required, and ensure that the information required to assist those meetings is communicated in an appropriate and timely manner.
• You will contribute to the ongoing development and efficiency of the scheme and service.
• You will provide support to the Senior Housing Allocations Officer, Housing Allocations Team Leader and Housing Allocations Manager by undertaking other tasks to enable the efficient and high-quality delivery of the housing allocations service, as and when required.

• You will have demonstrable experience in a housing related role within a local authority, housing association or voluntary organisation.
• You will have knowledge of housing legislation and associated subjects particularly an understanding of Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996 as amended.
• You will have experience of working efficiently in partnership with a range of stakeholders.
• You will have experience in…