Allocations Officer

About East Staffordshire Borough Council

East Staffordshire Borough Council is a high-performing local authority combining urban and rural settings, with offices located at Burton Town Hall near Burton upon Trent train station.

Role Overview

The Council seeks a motivated and customer-oriented Allocations Officer to join the Housing Service team. This pivotal role supports the transparent, fair, and policy-compliant allocation of housing through the Council’s Housing Allocations service and Choice Based Lettings scheme.

The successful candidate will be responsible for assessing housing applications, maintaining the Housing Register’s accuracy, validating supporting documentation, and managing all aspects of Choice Based Lettings such as property advertising, applicant shortlisting, and nominations. They will also provide clear guidance to applicants, handle sensitive discussions professionally, and collaborate extensively with Registered Providers, partner agencies, and internal departments to foster positive housing outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Assessing and processing housing applications ensuring compliance and fairness.
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date housing register records.
• Verifying supporting evidence provided by applicants.
• Administering the Choice Based Lettings process, including advertising properties and managing applicant shortlists.
• Making appropriate nominations for housing allocations.
• Providing clear and professional advice to applicants.
• Handling sensitive conversations with tact and professionalism.
• Collaborating with Registered Providers, partner agencies, and internal teams to support successful housing placements.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Proven experience managing complex housing cases and making defensible decisions.
• Strong organisational and administrative capabilities.
• Ability to effectively manage and prioritise workloads and caseloads.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Sound understanding of housing allocations policies and Choice Based Lettings systems.
• Capable of maintaining composure under pressure and dealing sensitively with conflict and challenging situations.
• Experience working collaboratively with Registered Providers, partner organisations, and internal departments.
• GCSE grade C or equivalent in Mathematics and English.
• Familiarity with housing software systems, preferably Locata or similar platforms.

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to providing a fair, transparent, and customer-focused housing allocation service.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and sympathetically with diverse customers and stakeholders.
• A team-oriented, flexible approach with dedication to equality, diversity, and safeguarding.

Additional Information

• The appointment is conditional on obtaining a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Applications should include a maximum 1,000-word statement demonstrating how the applicant meets the person specification.
• The Council embraces diversity and encourages applications from individuals of all ages, genders, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and abilities. It is a Disability Confident Leader.
• Due to the Council’s current status, visa sponsorship is not available; only applicants eligible to work in the UK at application time will be considered.
• Applicants must disclose any family or close personal relationships with Council members or officers during the application process.