Complaints and Reviews Coordinator - Braintree District Council

Job title: Complaints and Reviews Coordinator

Location: Braintree, Essex

Salary: £41,145 to £45,498 per annum
Contract type: Fixed term for 2 years
Hours: Full time
Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 11^th January 2026

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be supporting Braintree Council to recruit this Complaints and Reviews Coordinator role.

To apply please click here: Complaints and Reviews Coordinator or visit https://www.braintree.gov.uk/join-our-team. Please DO NOT click the Apply button on the left.

The Opportunity:

Are you passionate about making a real difference for people?

We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and driven individual to join our Housing and Community Services team at Braintree District Council for the role of Complaints and Reviews Coordinator.

This is a key position within the service, responsible for managing complaints and statutory reviews under section 202 of the Housing Act 1996 for homelessness decisions, as well as reviews of housing register decisions in line with the Allocations Policy. But this role is more than the legislation and letters alone, this is about putting people at the heart of everything we do. 

You will take ownership of the entire process from investigation to coordination and quality assurance, ensuring that every complaint and review leads to meaningful leaning and service improvement.

In this pivotal role, you will:

• Lead statutory reviews under section 202 of the Housing Act 1996 for homelessness decisions and housing register reviews in line with our Allocations Policy.
• Handle high-profile enquiries from MPs and elected members, delivering timely, accurate, and customer-focused responses.
• Challenge and influence senior managers, driving a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Embed learning from complaints and reviews into our quality assurance framework, ensuring feedback loops result in better outcomes for residents.

Job Accountabilities

1. Investigate and respond to Stage 1, 2 and 3 Housing and Community services complaints and resolve them at the earliest opportunity and within the required timescale. To conduct all investigations with an open mind and ensure that all issues raised by the complainant are addressed with reference to any relevant policies, legislation, and good practice where appropriate.
2. Proactively work with the Senior Management, Head of Housing and Community and all Mangers, legal representatives and colleagues within the Housing and Communities Service to ensure that the responsible Officers take prompt action to address any lessons learned from complaints to improve service delivery.
3. Promote a positive complaint handling culture across the Housing Service, raising awareness of all relevant policies and providing refresher complaints management training to teams as and when appropriate.
4. Responsible for responding to MP and elected member enquiries and questions across Housing and Community Services, which includes drafting responses on behalf of Corporate Directors, Heads of Service and members.
5. Provide administrative support to the Council’s Housing Team.
6. Record all complaints received on a complaints database, together with all relevant documentation.
7. Work to resolve complex service requests raised by customers and to ensure that where appropriate customers understand the Council’s complaints procedure.
8. Collaborate with colleagues in managing the behaviour of challenging and persistent complainants in accordance with the Council’s policy on dealing with unreasonably persistent complainants and unreasonable complainant behaviour.
9. Provide and coordinate reasonable assistance to customers who are vulnerable and who may have support needs.
10. Monitor and analyse customer satisfaction across the service, making recommendations for service improvements and developing guidance notes and training for staff to minimise reoccurring complaints.
11. Conduct statutory homelessness reviews under s.202 Housing Act 1996, ensuring compliance with legislation, Homelessness Code of Guidance, case law, and Council policy.
12. Undertake reviews of housing register decisions, including eligibility, banding, and priority assessments, in line with the Allocations Policy, Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996, case law and the Allocations Code of Guidance.
13. Prepare decision letters with clear reasoning and reference to relevant legislation, guidance, and policy.
14. Consult with legal services where necessary and represent the Council in any subsequent appeals or challenges.
15. Maintain accurate records of all reviews and outcomes for audit and reporting purposes.
16. Collaborate with line managers in delivering a programme of internal quality checks to monitor performance against policies and procedures.
17. Develop a thorough working knowledge of the systems used within the Housing Service for document storage and other aspects of service delivery.
18. Collaborate with managers to produce monthly and quarterly performance reports.
19. Identify areas for improvement and internal and external good practice.
20. Work across the Housing Service with officers at various levels including directors, heads of service, senior managers, team managers and elected members.
21. Undertake any other tasks as directed by Senior Management and the Head of Housing in the Housing Service.

Experience:

We are looking for someone who is proactive and people focused, with a passion for delivering excellent customer service. You will be a highly motivated and organised individual with strong analytical and communication skills.

You will have experience of complaint handling and be confident in interpreting complex legislation including an understanding of homelessness and housing allocations legislation, and be a natural collaborator who can work across teams ad with legal representatives to make sure lessons learned lead to real change.

Why choose Braintree District Council?

Braintree District Council is an ambitious and forward-thinking authority with a vision of creating a great place for our residents and businesses.

As a Council our role is as a guardian of the place and its people; where residents live well in healthy and resilient communities; a well-connected district with high-quality homes delivered with the infrastructure and a place which attracts and provides good employment opportunities.

We are becoming one of the fastest growing Districts in the East of England with three growing towns, London just 45 minutes away and the district located directly between the international transport centres of Stansted Airport and Harwich and Felixstowe International Ports. We have a deserved track record for delivering and a strong reputation within the business community.

Braintree District Council is a great place to work. We pride ourselves on our creative and innovative approach which is led by our staff. We are committed to having an engaged workforce who understand our strategy and how they can help deliver it. Some of the benefits of working for Braintree District Council are:

* Hybrid working arrangements are available in this role (home/office based with a minimum of two days in the office per week) subject to business need

*Competitive pay and benefits

*Flexible working

*Local Government Pension Scheme Defined Benefit Scheme

*Free Car Parking

*Learning and development for all staff

*Staff Discounts

*Employee Assistance Programme

*Staff recognition schemes

*Extensive health and wellbeing programme, including discounted gym membership

If you thrive in a challenging, fast-paced environment and want to make a tangible impact on the lives of our residents, we’d love to hear from you.

For an informal chat about the role, please contact Carly Jones or Becca Collins on 01376 552525.

To apply, click here: Complaints and Reviews Coordinatoror visit https://www.braintree.gov.uk/join-our-team. Please DO NOT click the Apply button on the left.

Closing date for receipt of applications: Midnight on Sunday 11^th January 2026.

Please Note – Essex County Council is advertising this role on behalf of Braintree District Council and if successful you will be employed by Braintree District Council.