We have an exciting opportunity for a Housing Options Triage Officer to join our Housing and Community Services team.

We are looking for an individual who is committed to providing a high quality, customer-focused service and will work with customers and partners to achieve positive outcomes.

The main purpose of this role is to assess housing needs and provide specialist advice in respect of all housing options to prevent and relieve homelessness. Working as part of a busy team, you will deliver a front‑line housing service to individuals and families experiencing housing difficulties, both in person and by telephone.

You will take part in the team rota, which includes responding to emergency approaches, carrying out face‑to‑face assessments and undertaking duties as required to meet the needs of the service.

As a Triage Officer, you will be the public’s first point of contact with the team and will be required to make an initial assessment of whether households are homeless or at risk of homelessness within 56 days.

You will provide specialist verbal and written advice in respect of the housing options available to customers, early intervention assistance to those experiencing difficulties managing their current housing situation and in some cases issue s184 decisions where the applicant is deemed not homeless.

This role will also support residents through changes brought by the Renters’ Rights Act on the 1 May 2026, offering clear advice on the new tenancy rules and strengthened renter protections.

At present, the team works in a hybrid pattern, combining office and home working. However, you will be required to work five days per week in our Causeway House office whilst completing your induction and from time to time to meet service demands.

You will have great persuading and influencing skills, along with the ability to come up with creative solutions for a wide range of housing difficulties.

An ability to manage a high volume of enquiries from households approaching the service, accurately identifying and obtaining the necessary information from applicants and relevant third parties, is essential for the role.

You must also be able to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, while maintaining thorough and accurate records.

You will need to be an enthusiastic, flexible team player with strong interpersonal and computer skills, preferably with experience of delivering advice and support to the public, as well as liaison with other statutory and public bodies.

You will also be keen to help us develop the service, focusing on solutions and open to new ideas. Previous experience of providing housing advice and applying relevant legislation is desirable.

Working hours for this role will be 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, but you should be able to be flexible over start/finish times to meet the demands of the service. In addition, you will be part of the team’s out-of-hours service, for which an additional payment will be made.

If you are interested in this position and would like an informal chat, please contact Jayne Mills on 01376 312593 or Titilayo Olagoroye on 01376 312594.

For more information, please see the Job Profile.

To apply, click Apply online below.

Why choose Braintree District Council?

Braintree is an ambitious and dynamic Council and is becoming one of the fastest growing Districts in the East of England with three growing towns, London just 45 minutes away and the District located directly between the international transport centres of Stansted Airport and Harwich and Felixstowe International Ports. We have a deserved track record for delivering and a strong reputation within the business community.

Braintree District Council is a great place to work. We pride ourselves on our creative and innovative approach, which is led by our employees, and are committed to having an engaged workforce who understand our strategy and how they can help deliver it. Our people see the difference they make and how the work they do actively contributes to and encourages positive change in the local community.

We also offer some great benefits, including:

Flexible working
Hybrid working arrangements are available in this role (home/office based) subject to business need
Local government pension scheme
Learning and development for all employees
Employee discounts at local businesses
Employee recognition schemes
Extensive health and wellbeing programmes, including discounted gym membership

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Closing date for receipt of completed applications: midnight on Sunday 21st June 2026.

Face-to-face interviews will be held on Wednesday 1st July & Friday 3rd July 2026. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates.