Triage Officers (Housing & Communities) Ref: 06-25

Salary: Grade 9, starting at £24,916 per annum (pay award pending)
Hours: Full time, 37 per week
Basis: Permanent
Place of Work: Dereham or Thetford 

After a review of the Housing and Communities service we are excited to be expanding our service and we have a number of rewarding positions available.   Some of these are technical and specialist positions, ideal for individuals with knowledge and experience in housing legislation and some are more public-facing roles, which are perfect for those who excel at connecting with people, fostering relationships, and creating a welcoming environment.

We are recruiting 4 new Triage Officers to be the first point of contact for our customers who approach us with housing and welfare needs.

For this role, would you like a job where what you do:

• Can have a direct and positive impact on the lives of people?
• Uses your interpersonal skills to establish facts in an empathetic way?
• Links across the housing service to help assist and advise those who need it most, often facing challenging circumstances?

About you:

Your qualities and behaviours are as important to us as your work experience.  Is this you?

• 'I recognise the skills, talent and experience of others and reach out to them for their contribution and input'
• 'I listen supportively to the ideas of others, building on their ideas, while sharing my views and knowledge'
• 'I have an open mindset, take risks and explore new ways of doing things'
• 'My approach to work is filled with positivity and optimism'
• 'I am flexible ensuring I provide the best possible service, wherever and whenever is best for the customer'
• 'I am driven to achieve results and show courage and resilience even when things don't go to plan'
• 'I take responsibility if things don't go well and learn from it for my own and for the organisation's development'
• 'I treat everyone with kindness, dignity and respect, valuing their thoughts, background and experience'
• 'I understand and take care of my own well-being and of that of those around me.'

OK, I'm interested... But is it really the job for me?

As a Triage Officer you will:

• Be a meaningful first point of contact for customers and partners, ensuring that all relevant information is obtained to allow an initial assessment of the customer to allow them to be swiftly referred through to the right help and support.
• Connect customers with appropriate internal or external services and resources.
• Assist customers with accessing services that support their health and wellbeing.
• Ascertain a household's risk of homelessness at first point of contact and direct accordingly.
• Undertake case work as necessary to complete a triage assessment and provide appropriate advice and guidance.
• Co-ordinate and provide relevant and meaningful responses to all general housing and welfare queries, including emails and phone calls.
• Assist residents with accessing services that support them to find or sustain accommodation.

Please see the job description and person specification for more a comprehensive list of duties that the role normally entails as you could be asked to occasionally pick up other responsibilities, and also for the personal qualities needed.

Please be aware that applicants who do not submit a supporting statement showing how they meet the person specification will not be considered for interview.

Closing date - 9am, Monday 19 May

Job summary

Description of duties

• Be a meaningful first point of contact for customers and partners, ensuring that all relevant information is obtained to allow an initial assessment of the customer to allow them to be swiftly referred through to the right help and support.
• Connect customers with appropriate internal or external services and resources.
• Assist customers with accessing services that support their health and wellbeing.
• Ascertain a household's risk of homelessness at first point of contact and direct accordingly.
• Undertake case work as necessary to complete a triage assessment and provide appropriate advice and guidance.
• Co-ordinate and provide relevant and meaningful responses to all general housing and welfare queries, including emails and phone calls.
• Assist residents with accessing services that support them to find or sustain accommodation.
• Provide appropriate advice in relation to the Allocations Policy in relation to eligibility and the likelihood of obtaining social housing for rent.
• Check the out of hours dashboard each morning and take relevant action, depending on whether a household has been accommodated by the out of hours service.
• Ensure case management files are updated with details of all contact and case progression.  Seek information from customers/landlords/lenders/relatives and other agencies to assist the Housing Solutions Officers in preventing or relieving homelessness.
• Effectively manage relationships with internal partners to make the best use of corporate skills and expertise.
• Undertake any other duties as requested by the Housing Manager and the Team Leaders, appropriate to the level and competence of the post
• Ensure compliance to all policies, procedures, standard operating practices, with recommendations for action and continuous improvement.

This job description is not exhaustive.

The job description outlines the current position and will be subject to review in the light of development within the service, in consultation with the post holder as detailed in your Contract of Employment.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Experience of working as part of a team and using own initiative
• Excellent customer service skills
• Working knowledge of a wide range of office ICT applications
• Experience of dealing with demanding and challenging people in difficult/sensitive situations.
• Experience of working in a customer facing environment, giving information or advice both in person and in writing
• Ability to identify the information need to make decisions and then follow a flow chart/process to make a confident decision on the next steps needed.

Desirable

• Good knowledge of services, benefits and support available to customers experiencing housing and welfare problems.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to GCSE level in both Maths and English (or equivalent)

Desirable

• Educated to A level or equivalent

Essential Behaviours

Collaborative:

• I look for ways to work in partnership with colleagues across services, Members and external partners
• I listen supportively to the ideas of others, building on their ideas, while sharing my views and knowledge

Ambitious:

• I always ask myself 'How could we do this better?
• I am a proud ambassador for the Council, taking pride and responsibility for the work we do and encouraging others to do the same

Results Driven:

• I make sure I am clear on what I need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions
• I am flexible ensuring I provide the best possible service, wherever and whenever is best for the customer

Empowering:

• I embrace new technology and look for new ways for our services to become digital not forgetting to be accessible for all
• I take responsibility if things don't go well and learn from it for my own and for the organisation's development

Supportive:

• I treat others as I would want to be treated myself ensuring I am welcoming, friendly and approachable
• I treat everyone with kindness, dignity and respect, valuing their thoughts, background and experience

Health & Safety (exposure to risk)

Could face angry/verbally aggressive/ verbally abusive customers ( phone/email).

Majority of time is spent at work station/sedentary- VDU/ Work Related Upper Limb and Posture issues

Exposure to some personal and sensitive data and records which could affect mental well being.

What's it like to work for us?

We are passionate about our people and pride ourselves on being a great place to work, we genuinely care and know that a happy workforce is a productive and motivated one! If you're still not sure, here are some stats from our 2024 staff survey to convince you..

• 94% said they feel trusted and empowered
• 90% of staff recommend Breckland as a great place to work
• 89% said they have had opportunities to learn and grow in the last 12 months
• 94% think Breckland provide positive action on health and wellbeing
• 91% said they felt supported by their manager

If you STILL need convincing, here's what some of our staff say...

• "Breckland is a fantastic employer, lots of opportunities and support"
• "Having only just started, it is a great place to work, everyone says hello, is smiley and chatty. I like the groups that are on, like carers shed and neurodiversity"
• "We are encouraged to take regular breaks and there are mental health first aiders and a wide range of good promotional aspects of healthy living and wellbeing."
• "In times of need the council offers excellent support."
• "BDC really does seem to care about the wellbeing and happiness of their staff."

At Breckland Council we have embraced the Government's agenda to modernise local government. Our approach is to lead change rather than follow it, and to add the best value we can to our communities. We achieve this by developing our employees to their full potential, providing them with the relevant knowledge, equipment, and authority to carry out their duties.

We are a dynamic and innovative organisation that is always testing and learning as we seek to continually improve. We have never stood still in response to the emergence of new opportunities, changing customer demands, and ongoing funding challenges. We have exciting plans for how to deliver the best possible services to our residents and businesses.

Breckland as a district is a special place nestled in the heart of rural Norfolk, spanning over 500 square miles of beautiful countryside and forest, with five Market Towns and over 140,000 residents. We care, we listen, and we support people and businesses within our district. We have big ideas and we are innovative in our approach, coming up with ways to meet the needs of the local communities that we serve. Through our actions, we want to make things better.

But we know that we can't do it alone. We are a collaborative organisation and we work together with others to make a greater impact. We are also an organisation where our employees can grow and develop and are empowered to achieve and succeed. We are proud of our area, and by driving investment and enabling opportunities, we can maximise its full potential. We want to inspire aspiration to live, work, visit, or do business here: we want our district to be one of choice.

We will support and enable growth and change in our thriving, welcoming places where people and businesses choose to be, knowing their ambitions can be not just fulfilled but exceeded. By listening to people, by understanding what they need and by working together, we can shape what we have to offer. By doing so, we can benefit those who are already here and those who choose to come to live, work, visit, or do business.

We offer excellent conditions of service, including:

• A local government pension scheme (14 per cent employer contribution).
• Attractive holiday package (25 days increasing after three years' continuous Local Authority service by one day per year up to the maximum of 28 days, plus bank holidays)
• Free car parking.
• Remote-enabled working arrangements.
• A newly refurbished office. See what it is like working here by watching this short film: 
  

Our commitment to talent development, on the job learning and upskilling, training and professional memberships, will keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

Please see the job description and person specification for more a comprehensive list of duties that the role normally entails as you could be asked to occasionally pick up other responsibilities, and also for the personal qualities needed.

Please be aware that applicants who do not submit a supporting statement showing how they meet the person specification will not be considered for interview.

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role please contact Sophie Soto (Team Leader), by emailing sophie.soto@breckland.gov.uk

Closing date - 9am, Monday 19th May
 

APPLY ONLINE

Please be aware that if you are selected for this role there will be a requirement to undertake a DBS check as part of pre-employment checks.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities employer, recognising the benefits of sustaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from anyone who feels they meet the requirements of our vacancies. These are listed as essential requirements on the person specification.