Role Purpose

The Development Support Officer plays a key role in building, maintaining, and strengthening working relationships with local authorities to support the placement of residents into suitable accommodation.

This role is focused on proactive engagement with councils, supporting property utilisation, managing referrals from point of vacancy through to move-in, and ensuring residents receive appropriate post-move-in support in line with local authority expectations and housing benefit requirements.

The role acts as a structured coordination link between local authorities, internal housing teams, and support services.

Key Responsibilities

1. Local Authority Relationship & Engagement

· Build and maintain professional working relationships with local authority housing, temporary accommodation, homelessness, and supported housing teams

· Act as a consistent point of contact for councils regarding available accommodation and referral pathways

· Proactively engage local authorities regarding vacant or upcoming vacant properties

· Support the distribution of marketing and availability information to relevant council departments

· Respond to local authority enquiries in a professional, timely, and well-documented manner

2. Marketing & Vacancy Promotion

· Issue vacancy notifications and property availability updates to local authorities

· Support the preparation and circulation of property information, availability schedules, and referral criteria

· Maintain accurate records of marketing activity and engagement outcomes

· Ensure that vacancy promotion aligns with agreed council protocols and funding requirements

3. Referral Vetting & Allocation

· Receive and log referrals from local authorities

· Vet referrals against property criteria, support capability, and risk considerations

· Liaise internally to confirm property suitability and availability

· Support the allocation of properties in line with local authority agreements and internal approval processes

· Maintain clear audit trails on referral decisions, approvals, and allocations

4. Move-In Coordination

· Arrange and coordinate move-ins with local authorities, internal teams, and support staff

· Ensure all required documentation is in place prior to move-in (referral forms, support needs, risk information, ID where required)

· Confirm move-in dates, access arrangements, and handover processes

· Ensure move-ins are recorded accurately within internal systems and trackers

5. Post Move-In Resident Support

· Support post move-in engagement with residents to ensure a smooth transition

· Act as a liaison point between residents, support teams, and local authorities where required

· Ensure post move-in checks and support actions are logged clearly and consistently

· Escalate any immediate concerns, risks, or safeguarding issues in line with internal procedures

· Support ongoing communication with councils regarding resident placement status where required

6. Reporting, Compliance & Record-Keeping

· Maintain accurate records of referrals, allocations, move-ins, and support activity

· Ensure all actions are documented clearly to support audit, housing benefit, and local authority scrutiny

· Update trackers and internal systems in line with organisational standards

· Provide regular updates to management on vacancy status, referrals received, and placement progress

Skills & Experience

Essential

· Strong written and verbal communication skills

· Confidence engaging professionally with council officers and external stakeholders

· High level of organisational and administrative accuracy

· Ability to manage multiple placements and referrals simultaneously

· Strong understanding of housing processes, move-ins, and resident support pathways

Personal Attributes

· Professional, calm, and relationship-focused

· Highly organised and detail-driven

· Proactive and solutions-oriented

· Confident handling sensitive information and vulnerable client groups

· Able to work independently while following structured procedures

Key Outcomes of the Role

· Strong, consistent local authority relationships

· Reduced vacancy periods through proactive engagement

· Clear, auditable referral and move-in processes

· Smooth resident transitions supported by structured post move-in engagement

· High standard of documentation supporting council and housing benefit requirements