Location
London Borough of Newham

Hours
Permanent, full-time position

Salary
£35,520 - £37,134 per annum

About the Role
This is a frontline customer-focused role within the Housing & Homelessness Service, acting as the first point of contact for residents seeking housing advice, homelessness assistance, and support with their housing circumstances. The role is responsible for triaging homelessness applications, assessing housing enquiries, providing high-quality advice, and ensuring residents are directed to the most appropriate service pathway. The successful candidate will play a key role in delivering an efficient and customer-centred service, helping vulnerable residents access support at the earliest opportunity.

This is not a specialist case management role. It requires strong communication skills, sound judgement, and the ability to work within a fast-paced environment while managing customer expectations and service demand.

The post holder will work closely with Housing Advisors, Homelessness Prevention Officers, Temporary Accommodation Teams, Social Care, Children's Services, Adult Services, Registered Providers, and a variety of voluntary and statutory agencies.

Homelessness and housing need continue to present significant challenges across London, with increasing numbers of residents requiring advice, support and accommodation assistance. The Housing & Homelessness Support Assistant plays a vital role in ensuring residents access the right support at the right time.

Key responsibilities include:
- Acting as the first point of contact for residents approaching the Council for housing and homelessness assistance.
- Working from Housing Hubs and other community locations as required by the service rota, delivering housing advice, homelessness triage, and customer support in accessible local settings.
- Conducting initial triage assessments of housing applications and homelessness enquiries.
- Gathering relevant information and supporting documentation to determine the appropriate service pathway.
- Providing accurate housing advice and information in accordance with housing legislation, policies and procedures.
- Assessing applications and referrals to identify urgency, vulnerability, safeguarding concerns and housing need.
- Creating and maintaining accurate case records on the Council's housing management systems.
- Signposting residents to internal and external support services where appropriate.
- Managing customer enquiries received via telephone, email, online systems and face-to-face appointments.
- Supporting Housing Advisors and senior officers by preparing cases for assessment and decision-making.
- Working collaboratively with partner agencies to ensure residents receive timely assistance.
- Maintaining high standards of customer care while dealing with challenging situations and vulnerable residents.
- Contributing to service performance targets, including response times, application processing and customer satisfaction measures.

This role is customer-service focused and requires the ability to deliver a professional, empathetic and efficient service while managing competing priorities and service demand.

Experience
- Delivering excellent customer service within a housing, homelessness, local authority, public sector or similar environment.
- Handling high volumes of enquiries and managing competing demands effectively.
- Assessing customer needs and identifying appropriate solutions or referral pathways.
- Working with vulnerable individuals and households in a sensitive and professional manner.
- Maintaining accurate records and case information using electronic systems.
- Working within established procedures, policies and service standards.
- Communicating clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
- Building positive working relationships with colleagues, partner organisations and stakeholders.
- Managing difficult conversations and resolving customer queries effectively.

Desirable Experience
- Knowledge of housing and homelessness services.
- Understanding of the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
- Experience of housing options, homelessness prevention or customer access services.
- Experience using housing management or casework systems.
- Awareness of safeguarding responsibilities and supporting vulnerable residents.

About You
You will be empathetic, organised and resilient, with a genuine commitment to helping residents access housing support. You will have excellent interpersonal skills and be confident dealing with people from a wide range of backgrounds, including those facing crisis situations.

You will be able to gather and analyse information quickly, make informed decisions regarding service pathways, and deliver a consistently high standard of customer service in a busy operational environment.