Description
Ealing Council has an exciting opportunity for a Service Improvement and Review Officer to join our Housing Demand Service. At Ealing, we are committed to delivering fair, lawful and resident-focused housing services, ensuring that some of our most vulnerable residents receive high-quality decisions and outcomes.
As a Service Improvement and Review Officer, you will independently investigate and determine statutory reviews of housing and homelessness decisions, ensuring compliance with housing legislation, statutory guidance and Council policy. You will play a key role in safeguarding fairness, improving decision-making and ensuring that residents receive legally robust and well-reasoned outcomes.
Responsibilities:
- Conduct statutory reviews under Parts VI and VII of the Housing Act 1996.
- Investigate complex cases, analyse evidence and make independent decisions.
- Draft clear, comprehensive and legally sound review decision letters.
- Manage a varied caseload and deliver decisions within statutory timescales.
- Liaise with applicants, legal representatives, internal teams and external agencies.
- Support appeals, legal challenges and service improvement initiatives.
- Identify learning opportunities and contribute to improving decision-making across the wider service.
Requirements:
- Strong commitment to customer care and equality, with the ability to work sensitively and objectively with vulnerable or challenging customers.
- Ability to manage and prioritise own workload, work independently within legal frameworks, and meet statutory deadlines.
- Strong knowledge and experience of the Housing Act 1996 (Parts VI and VII) and related statutory decision-making.
- Competence in using IT systems, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and housing database systems.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear statutory review decision letters and explain decisions to customers and professionals.
- Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to manage large volumes of information and work within statutory timeframes.
- At least 5 GCSE qualifications or equivalent including English and Maths, grade A*-C/9-4 or NVQ level 2 or 3 Housing Practice or equivalent work experience.
Benefits:
- Opportunity to work within a specialist statutory review service.
- Career progression through a Grade 11-12 career structure.
- Exposure to complex and challenging housing law casework.
- Opportunity to influence service improvement and organisational learning.
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
- Access to learning, development and professional growth opportunities.