Housing Needs Team Manager

Overview

In this role you will lead a frontline Housing Needs team within the council, guiding homelessness prevention and statutory assessments. You’ll ensure compliance under housing legislation while fostering a prevention-first, customer-focused approach. You will shape service delivery, manage complex cases, and respond to policy changes, partnering with internal and external teams. The role offers opportunities to drive service improvements and enforce Renters’ Rights Act duties in a collaborative, hybrid-working environment.

Pay / Benefits

• leave entitlement up to 31 days + bank holidays
• hybrid working opportunities
• health and wellbeing support
• generous local government pension scheme
• discount schemes across leisure and culture

Responsibilities

• Lead one of five Housing Needs teams to deliver homelessness prevention and statutory assessments under the Housing Act 1996
• Ensure legally compliant assessments and high-quality outcomes for residents
• Drive a prevention-focused, customer-first approach and shape service improvements
• Manage complex cases, high-risk decisions and respond to evolving legislation and policy changes
• Embed innovative ways of working and collaborate with internal and external partners
• Oversee enforcement responsibilities linked to the Renters’ Rights Act, protecting tenants’ rights and landlords’ obligations
• Support and develop team members, performance management and cross-team collaboration

Key requirements

• Extensive knowledge of homelessness legislation, housing allocations, tenancy law and prevention duties
• Proven experience managing teams and performance in a complex frontline service
• Strong partnership working skills across public, private and voluntary sectors
• Ability to manage complex cases, legal challenges and high-risk decisions
• Excellent communication, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proactive, innovative approach to service improvement and change

• leadership
• communication
• collaboration
• problem-solving
• adaptability
• knowledge of homelessness legislation

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