Accommodation Team Leader Ref: 49-25

Salary: Grade 7, starting at £37,763 per annum
Hours: Full time, 37 per week
Basis: Permanent contract
Place of Work: Dereham and Thetford, with regular travel within Breckland and across Norfolk and occasional home working

Would you like a job where what you do:

• makes a difference to some of the most vulnerable people in your community?
• ensures excellent quality of service given to people in temporary accommodation?
• builds on and improves partnerships and relationships with Registered Housing Providers?

In order to provide the best quality and choice possible for our customers who need emergency help, Breckland Council has invested in new temporary accommodation in the Breckland district.    We are seeking someone to oversee the management of the temporary accommodation service, provide housing management services to those residing in our small housing stock and line manage a small team.

A bit about us:

At Breckland Council we are modernising local government. We lead change rather than follow it and 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.  

About you:

The type of person that you are and your attitude is just as important to us as your working 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 the Accommodation Team Leader you will:

• Directly line manage the Accommodation Officers, carrying out 1:1 supervision etc.
• Be responsible for developing and managing the use of temporary accommodation, with the aim of keeping occupation and expenditure to a minimum.
• Be responsible for the overall day to day management of council owned or leased properties used as temporary accommodation. 
• Work closely with our Property Team to ensure the relevant health and safety and compliance checks in the council's owned or leased temporary accommodation are completed
• Be responsible for the monitoring and spending of the temporary accommodation budgets, including the associated rent accounts.
• Be responsible for the overall day-to-day management of the small number of council owned properties that are let to tenants, ensuring compliance within the requirements of being a Registered Provider.
• Be responsible for the overall day-to-day management of the income recovery process (from all temporary accommodation and tenanted properties) to ensure income is maximised.  This will include being responsible for officers following legal processes for recovery of income not received.

Please see the job description and person specification for more a comprehensive list of duties and for the qualities needed.

Please note that applicants who do not complete a supporting statement setting out how you meet the person specification criteria detailed in the job description, will not be considered for interview.

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role please contact jane.booth@breckland.gov.uk

Closing date - 9am, Monday, 8^th December 2025
Interviews - Wednesday, 17^th December 2025

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 which 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.

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.

Job summary

Description of duties

• Support the Housing Solutions Team Leader in providing an effective Housing Solutions Service.
• Directly line manage the Accommodation Officers, carrying out regular 1:1 supervision, appraisals, etc. with staff in accordance with Council policies and taking responsibility for their performance, development, conduct and attendance.
• Be responsible for developing and managing the use of temporary accommodation, with the aim of keeping occupation and expenditure to a minimum.
• Be responsible for the overall day to day management of council owned or leased properties used as temporary accommodation.  This includes arranging property repairs and maintenance, carrying out pro-active and reactive property inspections, ensuring all property and equipment is fit for purpose, compliant and safe and dealing with any unacceptable behaviour from the residents.
• Liaise with Property Services Team to ensure relevant health and safety and compliance checks in the council's owned or leased temporary accommodation are carried and accurate records maintained i.e. legionella testing, emergency light testing, PAT testing, fire risk assessments etc
• Be responsible for the overall day to day management of the small number of council owned properties that are let to tenants, ensuring compliance within the requirements of being a Registered Provider.
• Act as duty manager on a rota basis, signing off temporary accommodation requests and dealing with enquiries from officers and customers as required.
• Be responsible for the overall day to day management of the income recovery process (from all temporary accommodation and tenanted properties) to ensure income is maximised.  This will include being responsible for officers following legal processes for recovery of income not received.
• Develop and update policies and procedures in relation to being a Registered Provider.
• Ensure licences and all associated documentation and systems are up to date and accurate.
• Ensure rent statements and annual rent increase letters are sent to tenants of council owned properties.
• Ensure housing benefit overpayments are processed for payment in a timely manner.
• Ensure relevant mailboxes are monitored and responses are appropriate and timely.
• Be responsible for the day to day monitoring and spending of the temporary accommodation budgets, including the associated rent accounts.
• Assist in the preparation of reports, carrying out of investigations or making of recommendations in conjunction with the Team Manager and service management team for Cabinet, Scrutiny, senior managers or external agencies ensuring appropriate liaison and consultation with interested parties.
• Ensure that a high level of customer service is maintained at all times.
• Develop outcomes for the service and ensure suitable management information and performance information is known, understood and analysed, including the completing of statutory returns.
• Provide technical advice and expertise, assisting with the interpretation of new regulations, providing guidance and training as required.
• Ensure compliance to all policies, procedures, standard operating practices, with recommendations for action and continuous improvement.
• Take personal responsibility to build and maintain relationships with key partners, including private landlords, housing associations, statutory bodies, and third and voluntary sector organisations and the general public.
• Develop and maintain open, honest and constructive relationships and be supportive to colleagues.
• Play an active role in driving forward improvements in customer service delivery including complaints, MP enquiries, FOI requests Subject Access Reviews and s.202 reviews
• To undertake any other duties as requested by the Housing Manager and the Housing Solutions Team Manager, appropriate to the level and competence of the post.

Primary Line/Performance Management Objectives of the Role

• To ensure the Accommodation & Allocations Officers provide an excellent temporary accommodation service.
• To ensure the  Accommodation Officers remain focused on reducing the use of temporary accommodation and obtain best value for money.
• To ensure that all documentation and systems are kept up to date with accurate information
• To lead the Accommodation Officers to deliver on the relevant statutory obligations.

Responsibilities for:

Finance

Responsible for the Temporary Accommodation budget.

Decision Making

Alongside other senior colleagues, assessing and processing all temporary accommodation and broad housing advice related enquiries in a manner which is focused upon the sensitive requirements and needs of the customer.

Communications

Liaising with internal staff members of staff and portfolio holders. Direct communication and contact with external partners including but not exclusive to Breckland residents, tenants and landlords, organisations/representatives, Government and non-governmental organisations. Take a personal responsibility to build and maintain relationships with key partners, including private landlords, housing associations, statutory bodies, and third and voluntary sector organisations and the general public.

People

The post holder is responsible for developing a culture within the Housing Solutions Team and wider Housing Service which is linked to the behaviours and values of the Council. In addition, the post holder will be expected to look at improved ways and processes to benefit customers of the service and the wider organisation.

Assets

The Post holder is responsible for the equipment issued by Breckland Council.

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. This will be in consultation with the post holder, as detailed in your Contract of Employment.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Experience of working in residential property management.
• Knowledge and experience of building compliance and relevant processes
• Experience of working with and supporting the needs of vulnerable people
• Experience of combining excellent team working with the ability to operate with a minimum amount of supervision
• Proven experience of working in a busy customer service focused environment
• Working knowledge of a wide range of Microsoft Office packages
• Experiencing of taking initiative, identifying opportunities and taking an outcome-oriented approach to addressing challenges
• Experience of taking decisions in a busy environment
• Excellent time management and negotiation skills
• Full driving licence

Desirable

• Experience of working in social housing property management.
• Experience or clear knowledge of the Housing Act 1996 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
• A working knowledge of:
• -        Housing allocations and homelessness law
• -        Landlord and tenant law
• Experience of taking legal action to end tenancies
• Experience of managing a budget

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to A-Level standard or equivalent qualification or appropriately experienced for the role

Desirable

• Post Grad Diploma in Housing
• Educated to degree level

Essential Behaviours

Collaborative:

• I look for opportunities to coach, support and mentor people both inside and outside of my own team (s) or discipline.
• I encourage individuals and teams to work, learn and deliver together.
• I make sure people feel trusted, valued, informed and supported.

Ambitious:

• I act as a role model, leading by example: motivating, influencing and inspiring others.
• I am motivational and drive positivity.
• I take an optimistic approach: engaging others and giving individuals the space and freedom to be creative.
• I actively encourage innovation. If things go wrong, I see that as an opportunity to learn and develop.

Results Driven:

• I act as a role model, leading by example: motivating, influencing and inspiring others.
• I am motivational and drive positivity.
• I take an optimistic approach: engaging others and giving individuals the space and freedom to be creative.
• I actively encourage innovation. If things go wrong, I see that as an opportunity to learn and develop.

Empowering:·     

• I make sure individuals have control and a sense of purpose about their work. Work should make people feel good.
• I stamp out any instances of blame - individuals are accountable, but we do not look for a person to blame.
• I empower everyone to work in the most effective way, trusting in their ability to deliver, and encourage individuals to have the confidence to challenge in a safe space.

Supportive:

• I help create an environment where individuals feel comfortable to be themselves and where they feel heard, included and valued.
• I promote and regularly check on individual's mental health and wellbeing.
• When individuals are finding things hard, I give them chance to talk and give them the help and support they need. ​​​​​​​

Mental Demands

The post requires the successful candidate to deal sensitively with customers who may be vulnerable and/or emotional and situations that may be challenging, demanding and stressful, but still require clear and logical decisions to be made to bring matters to an acceptable conclusion.  

The role is led by service demand and at times is likely to require regular re-prioritisation of existing workload to cope with unpredictable peaks in demand for the service which requires professionalism at all times.

In order to deal with the workload and manage customer expectation the role will regularly be mentally and emotionally demanding.

Physical Demands

To be able to meet the physical and travel/mobility requirements of the post and to make home or out of office visits as required.

Part of the role is office based (sometimes in satellite offices) requiring the use of PC's and laptops, or working remotely from home or on site.

Health & Safety (exposure to risk)

The post is exposed to occasional unavoidable risks including:

• Complex and varied work area. Need to manage to tight deadlines and look after welfare ( workplace stress)
• Visits to properties that are 'filthy' and/or verminous, infested with pests, or with trip/slip hazards
• Could face angry/verbally aggressive/ verbally abusive customers ( phone/email).
• Exposure to some personal and sensitive data and records which could affect mental well being.

Please ensure that you include a Supporting Statement demonstrating how you meet the requirements as set out in the Person Specification.

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role please contact jane.booth@breckland.gov.uk  

Closing date - 9am, Monday, 8^th December 2025
Interviews- Wednesday, 17^th December 2025

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

APPLY ONLINE

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.