Homelessness Prevention Officer
| Posting date: | 20 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £39,152 to £41,771 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 26 March 2026 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | DAC0810 |
Summary
Refugee and Asylum team
Our Housing and Communities Team are passionate about the people who live in our town; our vision is for everyone, including those seeking Sanctuary, to have the opportunity to live in a good quality sustainable home within in a lively and thriving neighbourhood. Our work is rewarding, we change lives for the better by tackling homelessness, building new homes and strengthening communities.
Are you passionate about preventing homelessness and supporting people in finding sustainable housing solutions? Reading Borough Council is looking for a motivated, empathetic, and proactive individual to join our Housing Needs Team as a Homelessness Prevention Officer.
As part of the Refugee and Asylum Team, you will focus on supporting Refugees needing assistance to move on from Home Office Accommodation or Schemes. You will use your excellent communication and negotiation skills to strengthen relationships within the Refugee and Asylum support network, while securing innovative housing options and avenues of support for the client group. You will represent the service in various partner settings, whilst sharing your knowledge and information to help shape positive outcomes for individuals and families navigating the complexities of resettlement.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as a diverse and inclusive team will be key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
About the role
In this role, you will manage a caseload of customers, carrying out assessments, developing personalised housing plans, and working collaboratively with partners to prevent homelessness wherever possible. You’ll draw on your problem‑solving skills to identify practical, creative solutions, and you’ll be confident in advocating for your clients across a range of internal and external forums.
To succeed, you’ll need a strong understanding of the challenges faced by refugees and people seeking asylum, alongside the ability to work in a fast‑paced environment with compassion, resilience, and sound judgement. In return, we offer a supportive team, opportunities for professional development, and the chance to make a real and lasting difference to people rebuilding their lives in Reading.
If you’re committed to empowering individuals, breaking down barriers, and delivering high‑quality, person‑centred support, we’d love to hear from you.
Main Duties and responsibilities:
Leading on your own caseload and work collaboratively with other partner agencies.
You will work with members of the public to prevent them from losing their current home or to support them to secure a new one.
The focus of the role is to prevent households from being homeless whilst working within the legal framework.
The successful candidate will have the ability to negotiate through a variety of environments
Will require you to have difficult conversations and deliver on realistic expectations.
About you
If you are passionate about ensuring excellent customer service for residents who are homeless or in housing need, then this could be the next challenge for you.
If you have experience in another field, we would welcome a supporting statement so we can understand how your skills will relate to our post.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success.
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date:Thursday 26th March 2026
Interview Date:To be confirmed
Interview Process:
Our Housing and Communities Team are passionate about the people who live in our town; our vision is for everyone, including those seeking Sanctuary, to have the opportunity to live in a good quality sustainable home within in a lively and thriving neighbourhood. Our work is rewarding, we change lives for the better by tackling homelessness, building new homes and strengthening communities.
Are you passionate about preventing homelessness and supporting people in finding sustainable housing solutions? Reading Borough Council is looking for a motivated, empathetic, and proactive individual to join our Housing Needs Team as a Homelessness Prevention Officer.
As part of the Refugee and Asylum Team, you will focus on supporting Refugees needing assistance to move on from Home Office Accommodation or Schemes. You will use your excellent communication and negotiation skills to strengthen relationships within the Refugee and Asylum support network, while securing innovative housing options and avenues of support for the client group. You will represent the service in various partner settings, whilst sharing your knowledge and information to help shape positive outcomes for individuals and families navigating the complexities of resettlement.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as a diverse and inclusive team will be key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
About the role
In this role, you will manage a caseload of customers, carrying out assessments, developing personalised housing plans, and working collaboratively with partners to prevent homelessness wherever possible. You’ll draw on your problem‑solving skills to identify practical, creative solutions, and you’ll be confident in advocating for your clients across a range of internal and external forums.
To succeed, you’ll need a strong understanding of the challenges faced by refugees and people seeking asylum, alongside the ability to work in a fast‑paced environment with compassion, resilience, and sound judgement. In return, we offer a supportive team, opportunities for professional development, and the chance to make a real and lasting difference to people rebuilding their lives in Reading.
If you’re committed to empowering individuals, breaking down barriers, and delivering high‑quality, person‑centred support, we’d love to hear from you.
Main Duties and responsibilities:
Leading on your own caseload and work collaboratively with other partner agencies.
You will work with members of the public to prevent them from losing their current home or to support them to secure a new one.
The focus of the role is to prevent households from being homeless whilst working within the legal framework.
The successful candidate will have the ability to negotiate through a variety of environments
Will require you to have difficult conversations and deliver on realistic expectations.
About you
If you are passionate about ensuring excellent customer service for residents who are homeless or in housing need, then this could be the next challenge for you.
If you have experience in another field, we would welcome a supporting statement so we can understand how your skills will relate to our post.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success.
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date:Thursday 26th March 2026
Interview Date:To be confirmed
Interview Process:
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.