Housing Officer - 37 Hours

Overview

Torbay Council's Strategic Housing & Delivery Service is expanding, and this is a unique opportunity to join as a Housing Officer. The Council is actively involved in several innovative projects aimed at alleviating the local housing crisis, with plans to build multiple hundreds of new homes for local residents in need over the coming years.

Great strides have been made recently in housing development, but as supply increases, the Housing Management Team is growing to better serve tenants and provide outstanding customer support.

Role Summary

The successful candidate will support the Housing Manager managing Torbay Council's social housing stock. Responsibilities include delivering top-quality tenancy services such as tenancy and estate management, lettings, voids and transfers (decants), rent collection and arrears management, and customer relations. All tasks must adhere to council policies and the standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing. Prompt, courteous handling of diverse resident enquiries is essential.

A key focus will be fostering resilience among tenants to protect individuals, dwellings, and the broader community.

The role requires close collaboration within a team to deliver a housing management service that meets resident and community needs effectively.

Candidate Profile

• Ability to engage constructively with challenging individuals and situations.
• Active and non-judgemental listening skills.
• Flexibility to work independently and cooperatively within a team.
• Demonstrable experience in social housing environments.
• Up-to-date knowledge of social housing policies, laws, and the regulator’s responsibilities.
• Awareness of relevant regulations and best practices.
• Experience implementing organizational policies and procedures.
• Literacy and numeracy qualifications comparable to a C Grade in GCSE English and Maths.
• Level 3 qualification accredited by the Chartered Institute of Housing or equivalent NVQ Level 3 in a related field.
• Possession of a full, valid driving license.

The role offers flexibility with hybrid working options but requires regular travel and occasional work outside normal hours, compensated by a flexible time-in-lieu scheme.

Benefits

• Flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance.
• Commitment to employee wellbeing.
• Training opportunities and support for earning qualifications.
• Participation in the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Additional Information

This role involves regulated activity, thus requiring an Enhanced Criminal Record Check plus a Barred List check to safeguard vulnerable groups. The checks will cover spent and unspent convictions, cautions, local Police information, and relevant barred lists.

Interviews are planned during the week of 10th August 2026. Early applications are encouraged as the advert may close before the deadline of 6 August 2026. Visa sponsorship is not available for this post.

Skills Required

• Strong communication skills and the ability to handle multiple priorities in a pressured environment.
• Effective negotiation, interpersonal, and presentation capabilities.
• Confidence in managing challenging interactions sensitively and professionally.
• Active listening skills with a non-judgmental approach.

Knowledge

• Familiarity with housing competency standards.
• Experience in estate management and involving service users in consultations.
• Understanding of housing legislation, welfare, benefit systems, and related regulations and good practice.

Experience and Qualifications

• Track record of meeting deadlines, prioritizing tasks, and problem-solving effectively.
• Experience working with tenants, tenant organizations, and external partners.
• Required literacy and numeracy levels comparable to GCSE passes in English and Maths.
• A CIH-accredited Level 3 Certificate in Housing or willingness to obtain it as a condition of employment (with costs covered by the Council).