Private Rented Sector Officer

Do you have a passion for housing and helping people?

This is an exciting opportunity to work closely with Agents, landlords and other accommodation providers in Swindon. To build strong trusting relationships so that we can all together support people in a housing need. The impact housing can have on a person’s health and wellbeing can ensure we foster strong and safe communities for all.

Your next role

We are looking for a committed individual to support vulnerable tenants in their current accommodation placements. Assisting with successful moves into permanent housing.

Working alongside our colleagues in the Housing Options Team, you’ll build effective relationships with private landlords and letting agents to develop and maintain the private sector relationships, and create opportunities for customers who are homeless or threatened with homelessness to secure accommodation in the private rented sector market.

You will develop and administer key initiatives to maximise the use of the private rented sector, including the landlord incentive schemes and the homelessness prevention fund. As well as support already acquired private rented placements with tenants

About you

You must understand landlord and tenant law and the benefit system, in addition an understanding of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.  A Housing qualification with CIH would be an advantage.

You will need experience of temporary accommodation, supported housing or rented housing and knowledge of private rented sector legislation, policy and practice, as this is central to the role. However, you don’t need experience across all aspects of the job as that will form part of your development journey with us.

To be successful in this role, you will need to be creative and innovative, able to work effectively with our clients, with relevant agencies and landlords and have excellent case management, you must have excellent communication skills to negotiate and communicate with a wide range of people, including customers, colleagues, landlords, letting agents and other partnership agencies.

As you will be supporting residents within their tenancies, this will include attending properties for inspections, appointments and viewings.

You will be contributing towards reducing homelessness for Swindon and you will need to be solutions driven, professional and adaptable approach to working and thrive in a busy environment with a positive approach to many different challenges!

If you have the drive and commitment to meet targets and achieve positive outcomes for the residents of Swindon and the Local Authority, then we want to hear from you!

You must be fluent in the English language (as a requirement of Part 7 of the Immigration Act – for the effective performance of a customer-facing role).

The ability to travel throughout the Borough will be required and access to a car.

Your next package

Please see our Rewards and Benefits offer for more details.

As an employee, you will receive a diverse and exciting environment in which to work, encouraging creativity and innovation whilst recognising the need to support ongoing personal development and a flexible work life balance.

For Swindon to thrive in the future, we need to lay the foundations now. It’s why our regeneration and transformation programmes are already underway. So, you’ll be joining us at an exciting time on our journey. We’ll look to you to share your knowledge, influence decisions and drive real, positive change. With your contributions, we’ll achieve our vision of a prosperous, re-vitalised Swindon together. And you’ll be proud to say it was made better with you.

Please see our Vision and Values page for more details and our new Swindon Plan.

Potential applicants are sometimes put off if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. We think individual experience, skills and passion make all the difference, so if you meet the majority of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.

Your next steps

Read the role profile and select the Apply button where you will be redirected to the Swindon Borough Council website to complete our online application process. Clicking the ‘Apply’ button on this job website is not an application, you must register on the Swindon Borough Council website in order to be considered for the role.

For further information about this role please contact Hayley Jenkins, Homeless Prevention Manager at hjenkins@swindon.gov.uk.

As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from a diverse range of communities, and in particular disabled people and people from ethnic minorities. Read our statement of commitment to equality & inclusion.

If you are experiencing technical issues submitting your application please email resourcing@swindon.gov.uk