Appeals & Housing Reviews Officer

Two Permanent Positions and one is a 24 Months FTC Contract /Secondment Opportunity

Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient vibrant and creative borough in the heart of London with strong diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values.

Over the past twenty years the Council has built up first-class services outstanding public infrastructure and a reputation for excellence innovation and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work such as our fight for equity in Hackney with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. But the work doesnt stop there we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life including gender neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.

Operating as an independent statutory function within the Benefits and Homelessness Prevention Service the Reviews Team delivers vital oversight across the Council. The team manages formal challenges from residents exercising their right to review decisions issued by frontline housing and benefit officers.

Our core duty centers on protecting this right of appeal ensuring every decision is robustlegally sound and compliant with relevant housing statutory frameworks.

The candidate will have experience in dealing with Part VI Housing Register Appeals and Part VII Homelessness Reviews.

In this position you will be responsible for providing an exceptional statutory review service concerning housing allocation and homelessness determinations. The postholder will ensure comprehensive investigations are conducted in full compliance with legislative timeframes executing sound legally defensible decisions while managing a substantial caseload and collaborating closely with legal representatives and internal council services.

The role is advertised as an hybrid role (a combination of home and office based working) the successful candidate will need to be able to commute to the County Courts to attend s204 appeal hearing as required in order to fulfil the needs of the service.

We are seeking a dedicated candidate with extensive expertise in homelessness regulations and housing law. The successful applicant will possess sharp analytical abilities to evaluate complex evidence draft well-reasoned determinations and maintain strict adherence to statutory deadlines.

Your responsibilities will include :

- Carrying out all homelessness and housing register reviews within the prescribed legislative timescale and with regards to current legislations case laws and policy.

- Working closely with Team Manager to minimise legal challenges. Monitor and report on Judicial Reviews and other legal and Ombudsman challenges and enquiries.

- Attending court on behalf of the Council in County Court and High Court matters and working with the Team Manager on relevant issues to protect the Councils interests and to assist in possession of properties and tenancies.

- Working with the Team Manager to develop comprehensive management information for all aspects of appeals and reviews for the Benefits and Homelessness Prevention Service

- Identify and monitor outstanding appeals and reviews to ensure that they are completed within agreed timescales.

- Work closely with other departments teams and external agencies to ensure the Council meets its legal responsibilities across a range of legislation for all customers.

- To have maintain and demonstrate a detailed knowledge of Homelessness Regulations Legislations and Relevant Case laws and Housing Allocations Law & Practice as applied to Lettings Policy in order to correctly assess and make robust decisions on applications and to give full reasoned responses to appeals reviews and other enquiries

As a Council our most outstanding asset is our staff who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore we do not accept supporting statements or CVs.

To proceed with your application you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

This application process replaces a supporting statement.

This Job is subject to a Standard DBS Check

Closing date for applications: 25 October 2026 (22:59)

Interview and assessment date: W/C 09 November 2026

We are also working towards our vision which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be order to achieve this we are seeking individuals who embody our PROUD values: Purpose and Respect where we foster belonging through active inclusion kindness and open dialogue; Ownership where we champion proactive collaboration and accountability for our shared success; and Unity and Diversity where we work as one Council to break down silos and champion anti-racist behavior.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age disability gender reassignment marriage and civil partnership pregnancy and maternity race religion or belief sex and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works) which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: