Housing Assessment & Advice Officer

Band 7 - £33,119 - £37,562 p.a.

Contract: Permanent

Brilliant opportunity to join Portsmouth City Council as a Housing Assessment & Advice Officer, and really make a difference! This role is permanent, 37 hours per week and at the salary of £33,119 - £37,562 p.a. 

Portsmouth City Council's Housing Needs Advice & Support team works directly with customers to help deal with housing issues and prevent homelessness in the city.  We are a busy front-line service dealing with customers who may be vulnerable and facing homelessness. We give advice, work to prevent homelessness, assist people to resolve their housing need and make assessments of housing and support needs in accordance with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Housing Act 1996 and Portsmouth City Council's Allocations Policy.  We are committed to excellent customer service, and to listening to and understanding our customers' circumstances, and working collaboratively with them to identify housing solutions.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting good practise and all employees are required to adhere to internal safeguarding policies.  

You will be part of a busy team which deals with customers both face to face and by telephone.  You will be interviewing customers about their housing situation and working with them to find solutions to their housing issues.  This may involve negotiation with landlords, other housing providers, family members and internal and external agencies.  You will need to ask personal and searching questions and listen carefully to responses so that you fully understand the customer's circumstances.  Your challenge will be to identify actions and solutions to secure housing.  You will need to manage a large case load, prioritise your work and have excellent organisational skills.  You will also need to build effective working relationships with customers and landlords and explore all possible housing solutions to help prevent homelessness and the need to move.   

We are looking for somebody who:

• Has experience of the issues faced by vulnerable and homeless households, and a desire to assist people with housing needs, and work to proactively to resolve these issues.
• Can quickly adapt to the role, drawing on experience or transferable skills.
• Is confident and can clearly and effectively communicate verbally, interpreting legislation and explaining the impact to our customers. 
• Can communicate clearly in writing, explaining legal decisions to both customers and partners.
• Understands the key elements to negotiations and can find ways to achieve outcomes for customers.
• Can listen to people and not rush to conclusions or judgements before fully understanding what is needed or wanted by a customer.
• Is emotionally resilient and able to deal with the impact of being exposed to customer's difficult circumstances, and remain professionally detached and focused even if the message you deliver involves saying no. 
• Has experience of working directly with customers in a front-line service.
• Understands welfare benefits systems and the issues faced by customers experiencing financial difficulties.
• Has experience of equalities issues and is committed to equal opportunities.
• Understands safeguarding and can recognise safeguarding concerns and take appropriate action to manage risk.
• Can critically analyse information and keep clear case records.
• Works proactively and can remain motivated, working on their own initiative and organising and prioritising their workload. 
• Enjoys the challenge in finding innovative solutions to problems and has the personal skills and experience to do so.
• Has IT skills suited to working in a busy office.
• Has knowledge of the local area and is able to visit people in their own homes and attend meetings in the local area. 
• The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken and written English is essential for the post.

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours. 

Group assessment: 20th October 2026 at 09:15 - 12:00  

Interviews: 21st & 22nd October 2026

Candidates who have applied within the last 12 months and have been unsuccessful at assessment centre or interview are requested to wait 12 months before re-application.

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page: Support for applicants - Careers portal

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful. 

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800. 

If you need additional support looking for roles, you may be eligible for help under our Connect to Work programme, for more information please visit Connect to Work - Portsmouth City Council 

• Portsmouth City Council Candidate Guide.pdf
• Job Profile.pdf