First Contact Officer

All about the Role
As the first point of contact for Peterborough's Housing Needs Service, you'll play a vital role in supporting some of the city's most vulnerable residents. Whether it's a care leaver navigating their first tenancy or a family facing housing insecurity, you'll be the welcoming voice and guiding hand that helps them access the right support.

This is a fast-paced, front-line role where your ability to listen, empathize, and act quickly will make a real difference. You'll handle a wide range of enquiries—by phone, email, and face-to-face—identifying customer needs and signposting them to the most appropriate services, including self-help tools and specialist teams.

You'll provide essential support to the wider Housing Needs service, ensuring inboxes are monitored, documents are processed efficiently, and referrals are actioned promptly. Attention to detail and commitment to service excellence will be key.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment, values dignity and respect for all, and is passionate about delivering outstanding customer service. You'll be part of a supportive team that encourages open communication, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

All about You
We are looking for someone who brings empathy, focus, and resilience to every interaction. You'll understand that behind every housing enquiry is a person facing real challenges—and you'll be committed to helping them find the right path forward.

You'll have an awareness of key housing legislation, including the Housing Act 1996 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and be keen to build on that knowledge. You'll be customer-focused, with a holistic approach to supporting vulnerable clients, and have a basic understanding of social housing issues.

We're looking for someone who communicates openly and respectfully, helping to foster a positive and collaborative workplace culture. You'll be highly organised, able to manage competing priorities, and confident working under pressure. Whether it's managing inboxes, processing referrals, or working with multi-agency partners, you'll bring clarity, efficiency, and a problem-solving mindset.

You'll be comfortable using IT systems and databases, and understand the importance of accurate record-keeping and timely responses.

Above all, we're looking for someone who believes in equality, dignity, and excellent customer care. You'll treat every person with respect, listen actively to their needs, and always strive to deliver the best possible outcomes.

If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.

All about our Benefits 
We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme… 

• Access to a range of benefits via Vivup, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes 
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)  
• Access to car lease scheme 
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances 
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings 
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth 
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day 
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network 
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards 

All about our Commitments 
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success. 

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk  we will work with you to meet your needs. 

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.