Housing Grants Assistant Ref: 62-24

Salary: Grade 10, £23,152 per annum
Hours: Part time, 18.5 hours per week, days to be agreed
Basis: Temporary contract, ending 30^th March 2026
Place of Work: Working from the Dereham office, with some home working possible

Would you like a job where what you do:

• makes a difference to some of the most vulnerable people in your community?
• uses your skills and experience to help provide a long term solution for people with disabilities, helping them to stay in their home?

We are seeking someone to work as part of the Integrated Housing Adaptations Team, who will ensure the smooth day to day running of the Grants Service by providing efficient and accurate business support to the team and liaising with customers.

You will:

• Be the first point of contact for clients, giving basic advice to callers regarding grant eligibility & process, information about what services are available from the Council and updating clients on the progress of their case.
• Ensure all clients enquiries are registered on the ICT systems including any updates and associated information. Maintain, input and update records, spreadsheets and databases ensuring a high degree of accuracy.
• Provide advice and guidance on council policy and procedure. Monitor and respond to enquiries made through generic mailboxes. Where necessary, clearly signpost complex enquiries to the relevant officer, so customers receive seamless information and service.
• Book appointments and schedule events for the service as required. This will include booking appointments with customers
• Support the Technical Officer and Caseworker to administer the processes associated with progressing a Disabled Facilities Grant and completed works - this would include chasing start work dates, CDM documents, invoices, completion certificates and other associated administrative processes.
• Produce monthly performance reports from the customer database as requested.

About you:

Collaborative

• You recognise the skills, talent and experience of others and reach out to them for their contribution and input.

Ambitious

• You always ask yourself 'How could we do this better?', taking ownership of change and helping others to understand, adapt, implement, and embed it.
• Your approach to work is filled with positivity and optimism.
• You are a proud ambassador, taking pride and responsibility for the work we do and encouraging others to do the same.

Results-driven

• You review your own performance and ask for feedback to learn and improve.
• You make sure you are clear on what you need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions.
• You are driven, showing courage and resilience even when things don't go to plan.
• You keep to your promises and challenge yourself and others to deliver high-quality services.

Empowering

• You show energy and drive to explore new opportunities and challenge the status quo - acting on opportunities to generate income or reduce costs, embracing new technology and promoting digitalisation.
• You ask for help and support when needed, and take responsibility if things don't go well, learning from it for your own and for the organisation's development.
• You appropriately challenge unacceptable behaviour.

Supportive

• You treat others as you would want to be treated myself, ensuring that you are welcoming, friendly and approachable.
• You care for your colleagues, take an interest in them, and show support for their personal identities and what's important to them

Interested?

Please see the job description and person specification for more a comprehensive list of duties and for the qualities needed.

Please ensure that you complete a supporting statement to accompany your CV and use this opportunity to list how you might meet the essential and desirable criteria in the job description. 

Job summary

Description of duties

• Be the first point of contact for clients, giving basic advice to callers regarding grant eligibility & process, information about what services are available from the Council and updating clients on the progress of their case.
• Ensure all clients' enquiries are registered on the ICT systems including any updates and associated information. Maintain, input and update records, spreadsheets and databases ensuring a high degree of accuracy.
• Provide advice and guidance on council policy and procedure. Monitor and respond to enquiries made through generic mailboxes. Where necessary, clearly signpost complex enquiries to the relevant officer, so customers receive seamless information and service.
• Sort incoming post according to agreed processes and service levels. Scanning and indexing correspondence and documents.
• Use the appropriate systems/look up tables to complete Preliminary (means) Test of Resources (PTOR) calculations and communicating the results to the customer. To exercise professional curiosity to identify any anomalies and refer to a manager.
• Raise purchase orders, receipting goods, coding invoices and appropriate use of service contracts in line with corporate financial guidelines
• Arrange meetings and take notes at meetings, monitor and distribute them, including meetings of a sensitive and complex nature.
• Book appointments and schedule events for the service as required. This will include booking appointments with customers
• Support the Technical Officer and Caseworker to administer the processes associated with progressing a Disabled Facilities Grant and completed works - this would include chasing start work dates, CDM documents, invoices, completion certificates and other associated administrative processes.
• Produce monthly performance reports from the customer database as requested. Support the service to update and maintain social media and web pages including responding to correspondence using this media. Proof-reading leaflets and intranet content, posters and other documents. To produce and distribute mail-outs for projects as required.
• Follow standard operating procedures in line with service and financial procedures and data protection and contribute to developing and improving business support procedures.
• Carry out any other duties as required by your line manager from time to time in accordance with the grading of the post.
• Ensure compliance to all policies, procedures, standard operating practices, with recommendations for action and continuous improvement.

This job description is not exhaustive.

The job description outlines the current position and will be subject to review in the light of development within the service, in consultation with the post holder as detailed in your Contract of Employment.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge and experience of office systems including Word, Excel, e-mail and searching for information on the internet.
• Practical experience of working accurately and meeting deadlines whilst under pressure.
• Create emails and communicate effectively in an office environment.
• Experience of working within a team environment
• Experience of dealing with a wide range of customers and providing accurate feedback and information

Desirable

• Experience of data collection, input, analysis and interpretation
• Experience of arranging meetings, note taking and production of accurate minutes.
• Knowledge of using electronic diaries and appointment systems

Qualifications

Essential

• Good standard of English and Numeracy (at GCSE grade C / level 4 or above, or equivalent)

Desirable

• Advanced use of office IT systems including Word, Excel, E-mail, internet and social media

Essential Behaviours

Collaborative

• I recognise the skills, talent and experience of others and reach out to them for their contribution and input.

Ambitious

• I always ask myself 'How could we do this better?', taking ownership of change and helping others to understand, adapt, implement, and embed it.
• My approach to work is filled with positivity and optimism.
• I am a proud ambassador, taking pride and responsibility for the work we do and encouraging others to do the same.

Results Driven

• I review my own performance and ask for feedback to learn and improve.
• I make sure I am clear on what I need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions.
• I am driven, showing courage and resilience even when things don't go to plan.
• I keep to my promises and challenge myself and others to deliver high-quality services.

Empowering

• I show energy and drive to explore new opportunities and challenge the status quo - acting on opportunities to generate income or reduce costs, embracing new technology and promoting digitalisation.
• I ask for help and support when needed, and take responsibility if things don't go well, learning from it for my own and for the organisation's development.
• I appropriately challenge unacceptable behaviour.

Supportive

• I treat others as I would want to be treated myself, ensuring that I am welcoming, friendly and approachable.
• I care for my colleagues, take an interest in them, and show support for their personal identities and what's important to them.

What's it like to work for us?

We are passionate about our people and pride ourselves on being a great place to work, we genuinely care and know that a happy workforce is a productive and motivated one! If you're still not sure, here are some stats from our 2024 staff survey to convince you..

• 94% said they feel trusted and empowered
• 90% of staff recommend Breckland as a great place to work
• 89% said they have had opportunities to learn and grow in the last 12 months
• 94% think Breckland provide positive action on health and wellbeing
• 91% said they felt supported by their manager

If you STILL need convincing, here's what some of our staff say...

• "Breckland is a fantastic employer, lots of opportunities and support"
• "Having only just started, it is a great place to work, everyone says hello, is smiley and chatty. I like the groups that are on, like carers shed and neurodiversity"
• "We are encouraged to take regular breaks and there are mental health first aiders and a wide range of good promotional aspects of healthy living and wellbeing."
• "In times of need the council offers excellent support."
• "BDC really does seem to care about the wellbeing and happiness of their staff."

At Breckland Council we have embraced the Government's agenda to modernise local government. Our approach is to lead change rather than follow it, and to add the best value we can to our communities. We achieve this by developing our employees to their full potential, providing them with the relevant knowledge, equipment, and authority to carry out their duties.

We are a dynamic and innovative organisation that is always testing and learning as we seek to continually improve. We have never stood still in response to the emergence of new opportunities, changing customer demands, and ongoing funding challenges. We have exciting plans for how to deliver the best possible services to our residents and businesses.

Breckland as a district is a special place nestled in the heart of rural Norfolk, spanning over 500 square miles of beautiful countryside and forest, with five Market Towns and over 140,000 residents. We care, we listen, and we support people and businesses within our district. We have big ideas and we are innovative in our approach, coming up with ways to meet the needs of the local communities that we serve. Through our actions, we want to make things better.

But we know that we can't do it alone. We are a collaborative organisation and we work together with others to make a greater impact. We are also an organisation where our employees can grow and develop and are empowered to achieve and succeed. We are proud of our area, and by driving investment and enabling opportunities, we can maximise its full potential. We want to inspire aspiration to live, work, visit, or do business here: we want our district to be one of choice.

We will support and enable growth and change in our thriving, welcoming places where people and businesses choose to be, knowing their ambitions can be not just fulfilled but exceeded. By listening to people, by understanding what they need and by working together, we can shape what we have to offer. By doing so, we can benefit those who are already here and those who choose to come to live, work, visit, or do business.

We offer excellent conditions of service, including:

• A local government pension scheme (14 per cent employer contribution).
• Attractive holiday package (25 days increasing after three years' continuous Local Authority service by one day per year up to the maximum of 28 days, plus bank holidays)
• Free car parking.
• Remote-enabled working arrangements.
• A newly refurbished office. See what it is like working here by watching this short film: 
  

Our commitment to talent development, on the job learning and upskilling, training and professional memberships, will keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role, please contact Kate Smith, Senior Caseworker, by emailing kate.smith@breckland.gov.uk

Please ensure that you complete a supporting statement to accompany your CV and use this opportunity to list how you might meet the essential and desirable criteria in the person specification.

Closing date: 09:00, Monday 10 March

Apply online

Please be aware that if you are selected for this role there will be a requirement to undertake a DBS check as part of pre-employment checks.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities employer, recognising the benefits of sustaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from anyone who feels they meet the requirements of our vacancies. These are listed as essential requirements on the person specification.