Housing Options Assistant

About the role

The Housing and Homelessness Service at Coventry City Council is looking for Housing Options Assistants to help tackle homelessness and respond to residents in need. The team is new and growing, and is responsible for the statutory homeless service, temporary accommodation, the housing register, support for rough sleeping, commissioning of homeless services and housing strategy. The assistant listens, assesses needs and helps people access the right support, face-to-face, by phone or online.

Key responsibilities

• Assess people's housing and support needs to understand the intervention required.
• Manage enquiries, referrals and appointments for homelessness assessments.
• Carry out initial assessments so customers receive appropriate help at the right time.
• Work with partners across the public, voluntary and community sectors to signpost effectively.
• Keep accurate records and enter data correctly into the systems.
• Support the delivery of homelessness prevention work and help the team deliver a high-quality service.

Required profile

• No specific experience of homelessness legislation needed; support is given to learn it.
• Right to work in the UK; no sponsorship offered.
• Appointment is conditional on a satisfactory DBS check.
• Experience using multiple communication channels (phone, email, letter, face to face).
• Experience working in a team and supporting vulnerable people.

Required skills

• Strong interpersonal skills, calm and understanding manner.
• Clear communication with people from different backgrounds.
• Confidence using ICT systems and writing clear case notes and client correspondence.
• Ability to work in a busy environment, prioritise workload and work independently when required.

Guaranteed interviews are offered to members of the Armed Forces and veterans, people in or previously in care, and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions. The closing date is 23 November 2026; the salary is £27,274 to £30,515 per year for a full-time temporary post of 37 hours.