Housing Officer S02

To provide a tailored, resident-focused housing management service within a designated neighbourhood. This will include:
· providing effective tenancy management and enforcing tenancy conditions;
· ensuring that tenants and leaseholders are involved in the design and implementation of estate management services to meet individual and neighbourhood requirements;
· pro-actively liaising with other housing divisions, as well as undertaking joint working across the housing service, and engaging with external partners to deliver effective services.
MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Tenancy management
1. To ensure that tenants understand their rights and responsibilities under the tenancy agreement and that all tenancy conditions are adhered to.
2. To take action concerning breach of tenancy, removal of squatters, unauthorised occupants, authorising successions, assignments and referring complex cases to the Area Housing Manager.
3. To attend Court to give evidence in cases relating to breaches of tenancy and of lease agreements and to execute evictions in conjunction with appointed bailiffs.
4. To investigate and manage all reported and recorded incidents of low level antisocial behaviour in a timely manner and in accordance with service standards, legislation and the Antisocial Behaviour Policy and Procedure. Ensure that early intervention and enforcement measures are implemented to minimise the risk to the victim or perpetrator.
5. To advise tenants on, and process applications under, the Council's policies on transfers and mutual exchanges.
6. To be responsible for carrying out initial tenancy visits to new tenants' homes to ensure that they are satisfied with the service and understand the terms of their tenancy. To arrange a follow up meeting to ensure that any issues that arose are dealt with including rent and housing benefit repairs and any other tenancy issues or problems within the home.
7. To carry out regular tenancy audits, use business intelligence to detect unlawful subletting, and work with internal departments where information sharing protocols are in place to protect public asserts.
8. To effectively manage the termination of tenancies and to work with the Lettings and Voids Team so that the void turnover period is minimised.
9. To work with colleagues within Housing Services and ICT to assist in the improvement of digital services for residents and mobile working solutions for staff, including providing feedback on experience with mobile working solutions, passing on feedback from residents and promoting a move towards self-service for residents and flexible working with colleagues.
Estate management
10. To engage with and involve residents in the management of their neighbourhood by:
· carrying out regular estate inspections and identifying issues for resolution
· ensuring effective follow up so that issues are resolved within an appropriate timescale;
· involving residents in this process;
· taking action where the standards are not at an acceptable level;
· monitoring ground maintenance, repairs and maintenance of blocks and estates in partnership with appropriate officers/ sections
11. To plan and perform regular visits on the estate, to identify any maintenance requirements and organise relevant response, including raising communal repair works within allocated budget.
12. To notify all residents in relation to fire inspection risks, health and safety risks and communal area risks. To serve notice where appropriate and follow up on enforcement within agreed timescales and reasonable notice periods.
13. To manage emergency evacuations and arrange for residents to be resettled in suitable alternative accommodation as need arises during core hours.
14. To negotiate with and involve residents and partner agencies in the development and implementation of estate action plans that address the individual and local needs of the neighbourhood.
15. To secure removal of rubbish and graffiti.
16. To appropriately action reports of vandalism, squatting, illegal subletting and abandoned properties and abandoned vehicles. .
17. To provide services and surgeries from the estate, community halls and residents' homes.
18. To support and sustain tenancies and communities and to prevent homelessness through the provision of general tenancy support to residents to help sustain their tenancy.
Tenant participation
19. To attend Enhanced Tenants and Residents Association (ETRA) meetings and other tenant and leaseholder' involvement and consultation meetings and forums as and when required. This includes liaising with Tenants' Associations or similar organisations and encouraging a culture of customer involvement.
20. To introduce new tenants to local resident groups and make aware of Tenants and Residents Associations and work with the Rents and Leasehold Teams to ensure rent and service charge responsibilities are clear and maintained.
21. To provide a highly visible housing management presence on the estate. This includes assisting in the production of local tenant newsletters and keeping residents up to date on all estate-based improvement.
22. To participate in the programme to publish Housing Officer profiles on estate notice boards, introductory letters and resident publications. The profiles will include a photograph of the Housing Officer responsible for managing the estate.
23. To attend resident involvement events to develop tenant and resident participation and engagement, and to attend other relevant functions across the borough as required to represent the service.
24. To work with internal colleagues to build and maintain a comprehensive profile of the estates. This includes advising business intelligence teams of changes to boundaries, appearance and access points for the estate.
General
25. To effectively manage and resolve residents' contacts logged through the Neighbourhood Contact centre
26. To deal with all day-to-day correspondence and telephone calls in line with service standards. To provide written responses to enquiries for councillors, senior managers, and MP's and ensure that responses are provided within agreed timescales.
27. To provide monthly monitoring information for performance scrutiny to the Area Housing Manager as and when required.
28. To actively participate in the reviewing of housing management policies and procedures.
29. To undertake other duties and responsibilities of a similar nature which reflect the level of those described above that may be required. The post-holder may be required to undertake duties at this level elsewhere within the service.
30. To foster positive team-working across the Housing Services to ensure smooth running of the division.
31. To take a leading role in developing and fostering good relationships with Ward Councillors for an allocated council ward.
32. To record data accurately and contribute to the development, maintenance and monitoring of systems, registers, records and databases for the efficient storage and retrieval of data, whilst undertaking analysis and research to produce reports as required on all neighbourhood management issues
33. The post-holder may be required to change office location in accordance with the needs of the service.
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
34. Any other duties commensurate to the grade and role
NB: All employees are expected to adhere to the Council's Diversity & Equality and Health and Safety Policies.

1. Proven housing experience in the social housing sector
2. Experience of leasehold and tenancy management
3. Experience of engaging with residents through regular estate inspections
4. Experience of taking action against breach of tenancy, including removal of squatters
5. Experience of customer service; in dealing with people
on the telephone and in person.
6. Experience working to deadlines
A/T/I A/T/I
A/T/I A/T/I A/T/I A/T/I
Knowledge

7. Good understanding of the social housing sector
8. Up to date knowledge of legislation relevant to the social housing sector including leasehold management and current issues within the housing sector
A/T/I A/T/I
Skills and abilities

9. Good written and verbal communication skills
10. The ability to exercise good judgement.
11. Ability to provide advice to residents on services provided by Hackney Council
12. Comfortable with change, welcoming it as an opportunity to grow.
13. Flexible approach and commitment to achieving results.
14. Ability to look positively for solutions rather than obstacles.

Hackney is one of the UK's highest performing local authorities, serving one of London's best places to live and work. We have achieved a huge amount: our services, our schools, our public spaces are all amongst the very best. We have changed the reputation, not just of the Council, but of Hackney itself. Bringing jobs and investment into the borough, securing the legacy from the 2012 Games, and making this a place of which we can all be proud.

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and the workforce can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and maternity, age and marital status. 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.