Housing Officer Gr G

ROYAL BOROUGH OF KINGSTON UPON THAMES – ROLE PROFILE
Housing Officer
Permanent Role, based in Kingston
Grade - G
Role purpose
The Council is focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for its residents. To do this the Council needs employees who thrive in an agile and networked organisation and can provide a housing service that reflects the needs of its residents.
This is an exciting opportunity for a Housing Officer to join Housing Landlord Services.
We are seeking an experienced Housing Officer with a minimum of 2 years' experience in general needs housing management. Due to high demand, the successful candidate will be required to work on-site 4 days a week and 1 day working from home.
? Delivering an integrated housing service to tenants and leasehold customers and to work closely with other teams, councilors and Tenants & Residents Associations to achieve and maintain sustainable tenancies in sustainable communities.
? Providing a proactive and customer focused housing management service across a designated area and ensuring that the Council fulfills its legal and contractual obligations to tenants and leaseholders.
? Acting as a regular and visible presence on Estates, taking action to make sure the neighbourhood is safe and well maintained and providing advice, information and reports on any housing management matter.
? Championing resident and community engagement and involvement at all times; including working with residents to develop estate improvement plans
The role reports directly to the Senior Manager - Tenancy Services and is responsible for providing a housing management service to an allocated geographical area. There is currently no line management responsibility.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Service & Focus
? Meets the Council’s customer service standards by demonstrating professionalism and courtesy at all times to colleagues, customers and stakeholders.
? Understands the needs and expectations of internal and external customers
? Liaises with partner services including internal departments and external organisations and provides them with information and advice relating to the services provided.
? Drives customer involvement in service delivery and puts the customer at the centre of everything that we do.
? Demonstrates a “can-do” attitude to customer services based on empathy and excellent communication.
? Demonstrates ownership, responsibility, flexibility and collaboration with others that raises the Council’s profile
Communications
? Uses effective and accessible methods of communicating with residents taking into account individual needs and contributes to the delivery of the communications and engagement strategy
? Ensures clear and appropriate communication and the sharing of information
between external and internal teams, organisations and networks to create opportunities
? Helps build strong working relationships between the Housing Services team and other teams in all services in order to achieve a ‘One Council’ approach to service delivery
Leadership
? Ensures that barriers to delivering an effective housing service are identified and addressed appropriately.
? Contributes to the development of the wider housing & tenancy management work streams and other relevant workforce plans and strategies, in line with Council priorities.
? Considers how best to achieve maximum value for money across all activities
? Contributes to the development and implementation of the recording and reporting of a range of KPIs, targets, and electronic data to monitor, benchmark and measure service delivery.
Performance
? Works with manager and colleagues to define outcomes, set targets and monitor performance within a culture of continual improvement
? Monitors data, cases and programmes and identifies where adjustments can be
made to keep performance on track.
? Consistently achieves performance targets and celebrates success with team
? Sets high expectation for own learning, development and performance, fully optimises opportunities available and seeks the same for others
? Actively engages in appraisals and regular one to ones with the manager.
Digital/New Ways of Working
? Continually looks for ways to improve our service to customers, including using digital/automated processes, eliminating paper wherever possible.
? Uses new technologies, particularly Google, to enable modern working practices to thrive and improve housing management.
? Is part of a workforce that delivers collaboration in a virtual / face to face environment that meets the business needs of the service
Technical & Operational Delivery
? Delivers excellent housing management services by ensuring that all activities comply with relevant legislation and regulation and are delivered on time.
? Manages and works alongside the ASB Officer and other relevant officers and partners to resolve ASB/Hate Crimes and tackle Domestic Abuse cases in line with
current policies, procedures & legislation.
? Carries out all stages of the void process including pre-void inspections, viewings and signups as required and as set out in the Council’s rehousing policy.
? Provides assistance, advice and information to residents on the full range of tenancy and housing management services. This includes and working with other service areas (e.g., repairs, estate services, District Heating Network, Parking Services etc) to ensure all contractual responsibilities are met.
? Responds to complaints, members’ enquiries and problems of service delivery which are within the post holder’s responsibility and makes suggestions for improving service delivery
? Works alongside the Regeneration Team/Rehousing Officers in ensuring that the decanting process in areas undergoing redevelopment is efficient and reflects the needs of affected residents. This may also include carrying out detailed housing needs assessments with tenants, leaseholders and freeholders as necessary, and . coordinating, the end-to-end moving support package on offer to residents, coordinating the required services, and putting in place support arrangements
? Supports Engagement and Communications Lead with the welcome to your new home events. To conduct 6 weeks settling in visits and introductory tenancy reviews.
? Investigates and processes tenancy changes such as successions, assignments and mutual exchanges.
? Coordinates and carries out routine estate inspections and makes appropriate recommendations in relation to communal repairs, fire safety, compliance / general health and safety.
? Conducts tenancy audits and highlights tenancy fraud and or fraudulent behaviour for further investigation
? Identifies the need for and promotes Resident engagement/ participation and community development initiatives. This includes attending residents’ meetings.
? Ensures the efficient processing of rights to compensation, ex-gratia claims and discretionary awards in line with policy, audit and legal requirements.
Equality and Diversity
? Embeds equity, equality, fairness and diversity into all aspects of team working and service delivery.
NB. The requirements of this post include being able to undertake all physical tasks associated with conducting property/site visits. You may be required to work outside normal working hours.
The person
In order to successfully deliver the responsibilities of the role, you will need to:
? Be proactive and responsive
? Hold an educational qualification
? Have a minimum of 2 years tenancy management experience
? hold a professional qualification (Desirable)
? Have excellent communication skills-, i.e. Communicating clearly, confidently and appropriately with residents, partners and colleagues using the best methods of communication
? Have housing/tenancy management experience
? Be Numerate and have good report/letter writing skills
? Be able to work successfully with key stakeholders within and outside of the Council including Members, residents, businesses, communities, partner organisations and other public services
? Demonstrate agility and adaptability in mindset and ways of
working
? Demonstrate innovation and creativity
? Have a track record of using IT systems and automation successfully to enhance the delivery of housing/tenancy management.
? Question and challenge ways of working, with an understanding of the bigger picture in terms of the corporate context and external environment
? Demonstrate commitment to own personal and professional development to meet
the changing demands of the role
? Demonstrate a high level of innovation and creativity.
? Understanding of Regeneration
? Knowledge on Housing Regulator Consumer Standards
? Able to attend evening meetings
Our Values
Becoming an enabling council is a key principle that runs through our organisational development and is embedded in everything we do. Underpinning these priorities are the following values:
? Supportive of trying new ideas, with the courage to change direction.
? Transparent and connected in all that we think, say and do.
? Appreciative of each other, recognising and celebrating
success.
? Respectful of difference and valuing diversity.
4

Housing Officer
Based in Kingston - Managing patch 800
Require an experience Housing Officer with at least 2 years housing management experience in general needs.

Key Responsibilities
* Resident Engagement: Visit all new tenants in their homes to explain tenancy conditions and identify any vulnerabilities or additional needs
. Ensure regular communication and engagement with residents through estate inspections, customer surgeries, and home visits.
* Tenancy Management: Manage a variety of tenancy-related matters, including succession, assignment, discretionary re-housing, and management transfers. Take action on issues such as anti-social behaviour, illegal occupation, and breaches of tenancy agreements
.* Housing Management: Conduct regular estate inspections and follow up on issues affecting residents. Conducting tenancy audit, PCFRA/PEEPS Identify and recommend estate improvements and work with internal teams to ensure a coordinated approach to Housing management
.* Supporting Vulnerable Tenants: Work closely with vulnerable tenants to ensure their needs are met, making referrals to support services as necessary
.* Legal and Enforcement Actions: Prepare and serve legal notices, including Notices Seeking Possession and Notices to Quit. Prepare cases for court, draft witness statements, and represent the council in legal proceedings.. Knowledge on Housing regulator consumer standards and Awabb Law

About you*
Experience: Proven experience in managing complex tenancy issues within a social housing context.
* Skills: Excellent communication and problem-solving skills, with a commitment to addressing resident concerns.
* Knowledge: Thorough understanding of housing and anti-social behaviour legislation.
* Attributes: A proactive, adaptable, and resilient individual who is committed to continuous improvement and delivering positive outcomes for residents. Demonstrates a strong commitment to equalities, diversity, and inclusion.