Customer Insight Specialist (Housing Needs)

We are seeking an experienced Customer Insight Specialist to join our Housing Needs service at Croydon Council. The successful candidate will play a key role in improving services for vulnerable residents by ensuring complaints are handled effectively and fairly. The salary range for this role is GBP 43,449 - 45,123 per year.

About the Role The Customer Insight Specialist will lead on complex complaints, support learning from customer feedback, liaise with the Housing Ombudsman and Local Government Ombudsman, and help drive service improvements across Housing Needs. The successful candidate will be a skilled investigator and communicator who is passionate about improving services and achieving positive outcomes for residents.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and respond to complex Housing Needs complaints
• Provide expert advice and guidance on complaints handling
• Coordinate responses involving multiple teams
• Identify trends, root causes and learning opportunities from complaints and customer feedback
• Support the delivery and monitoring of service improvement and action plans
• Ensure compliance with complaints legislation, guidance, and Ombudsman requirements
• Manage responses to enquiries from the Local Government Ombudsman and Housing Ombudsman
• Respond to enquiries and correspondence from MPs, Councillors and the Mayor
• Deliver coaching, guidance and training to managers and officers on effective complaints handling
• Monitor complaint performance, standards and timescales across Housing Needs
• Build positive working relationships with residents, councillors, MPs, partner organisations and external agencies
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement and learning from complaints
• Support the implementation of recommendations arising from Ombudsman investigations and service reviews

Requirements

• Complaints handling experience or highly transferable skills
• Experience working within Housing Needs, homelessness, temporary accommodation, allocations or a related housing service
• Experience working with customers in sensitive or challenging circumstances
• Experience building productive relationships with stakeholders at all levels
• Experience managing complex cases and competing priorities simultaneously
• Excellent understanding of Housing Needs services and the challenges faced by residents
• Strong knowledge of complaints handling principles and best practice
• Excellent written communication skills
• Strong analytical and root cause analysis skills
• Ability to identify service improvements from customer feedback and complaint trends
• Excellent customer service skills, with empathy and professionalism
• Ability to influence, advise and support managers and colleagues
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to make sound decisions and manage sensitive situations confidently
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance and regulatory expectations relating to complaints handling and Housing Needs services