About Us

Job Title: Allocation and Mobility Officer

Salary Range: £36,426 - £44,139 per annum

Permanent – Full time (36hours)

Location: Putney Bridge Rd/Twickenham Civic Centre.

Objective of role  

The Allocation team are primarily responsible for the effective and efficient letting of Council and registered social landlord vacancies that are available to the Council and to ensure that any re-letting period is kept to a minimum.

You will be part of a busy service that offers a challenging yet rewarding environment where no two days are the same. Supporting people when they are most in need whilst having the ability to build a good rapport with service users as well as registered providers, housing management teams and supporting agencies. 

You will need to proactively seek solutions for clients who may have complex rehousing needs and assess the suitability of a settled offer of accommodation.  

You need to be organised and have the skills to effectively manage the rehousing demands and clients’ expectations in accordance with the Lettings plan(s). 

Resilience is key as some of those in need of our services are often vulnerable and in need of appropriate support and guidance during this period.

About the role 

Customer service skills: The main objective is helping people move to new and right sized homes. You must have great customer service and negotiation skills and like helping and supporting people.

Writing Skills: Accurately recording on the management system, writing letters and reports, you will need to be able to write clearly and to a high standard as regular contact with residents and other stakeholders is a feature of the role. 

Basic knowledge of Housing Allocations: You will need to understand the basics of the rehousing process and the client groups the Council(s) assist including those we have a legal duty to; however, support will be given to candidates to build on this knowledge and on the job learning will take place.

Proactive and organised: You will need to be able to work at pace, effectively managing multiple priorities and be results driven. You will need to be innovative and come up with solutions to people’s rehousing needs.  You will need to manage cases to completion, making sure that actions are taken without delay and communication is regular. Taking pride and ownership of cases and focusing on delivering an excellent service. 

Stakeholder relationships: Working with a diverse client group you will need to build professional relationships with stakeholders such as key workers and other services in the wider Housing and Council departments such as Assessment teams. 

Empathy and listening: At times service users may be struggling and it is important that you recognise this when dealing with this stage of their rehousing journey. You will have the passion to make a positive difference. 

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

- Ability to work independently, motivated and put people first

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to adapt to a diverse range of clients

- Excellent customer service skills

- Excellent organisation skills and the ability to prioritise

- Commitment to maintaining and improving the quality of services provided.

If you are passionate about making a positive impact on Richmond and Wandsworth’s ability to deliver services, possess the required skills, and thrive in a challenging yet highly rewarding environment, we invite you to apply for this opportunity.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

Closing Date: Sunday 06^th October 2024 

Shortlisting Date: W/C 07^th October 2024

Interview and Test Date: w/c 14^th October 2024 

Useful Information:

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. 

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.  

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils