Chichester District Council Jobs

About Chichester District Council

Chichester District Council is the local authority for the Chichester district in West Sussex, in the South East of England, covering the cathedral city of Chichester, the coastal Manhood Peninsula, the Witterings and a large rural area stretching north into the South Downs. Its headquarters are at East Pallant House in the centre of Chichester. The council's housing team provides advice, runs the housing register, manages temporary accommodation and works with housing associations and community groups, rather than operating as a large council landlord.

Housing and homelessness services

In April 2025 the council adopted a five-year Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2025 to 2030, backed by a dedicated £1 million budget. Its priorities include early intervention to prevent homelessness and end rough sleeping, reducing reliance on nightly-paid and temporary accommodation, delivering specialist supported housing with West Sussex County Council, improving standards in the private rented sector and creating affordable homes for young people, families and older residents.

The Housing Advice Team assesses people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, applying prevention and relief duties and drawing up housing plans, with triage handled through the Chichester Homemove portal. Emergency temporary accommodation is provided for those in priority need, and the council has converted a former student block, Pinewood House, into short-stay temporary accommodation. A council Rough Sleeping Outreach Team builds relationships with people on the streets and links them to accommodation and support, working with Stonepillow, which runs the Chichester Hub day centre and a 17-bed hostel, alongside Change Grow Live, Sussex Police and county adult services. A Severe Weather Emergency Protocol opens accommodation when temperatures fall to freezing for three nights. The team also runs a tenant finder service with tenancy sustainment support, a Housing Matters Roadshow that takes advice into communities, landlord accreditation, housing standards enforcement and home improvement grants.

Working for the council

Chichester invites staff to join a council with a broad mix of services and a visible impact on local lives. Employees receive between 26 and 31 days of annual leave depending on grade, rising to 31 days for everyone after five years, plus a flexi-time scheme available to most posts. Staff join the Local Government Pension Scheme with a death-in-service lump sum of three times salary. Other benefits include a health screening programme, workplace yoga and wellbeing initiatives, discounted Westgate Leisure Centre membership with extra lunchtime allowance, a Cycle to Work scheme, one professional subscription paid, online learning through Learning Pool, support for professional qualifications, relocation assistance for eligible posts and a staff awards scheme. Some roles attract market supplements and essential car user allowances.

Typical roles

Housing-related vacancies at Chichester typically include housing advice and homelessness prevention officers, housing options caseworkers, rough sleeping outreach workers, temporary accommodation officers, tenant finder and tenancy sustainment staff, housing standards officers and housing strategy or enabling posts, alongside newer roles such as Supporting You Officers who help residents facing financial vulnerability.

• Location: East Pallant House, 1 East Pallant, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1TY
• HR contact: chichesterhr@chichester.gov.uk / 01243 534526 (switchboard 01243 785166)
• Pension: Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)