Housing Officer Full Time NEW

Hours: 37 Hours

Salary: C3 £32,061 – £33,699

Contract: 12 Months Maternity Leave Cover

Location: Kirkstall Brewery/Leeds Housing Options – Merrion House

As a Housing Officer you’ll provide quality housing management services to meet the needs of customers, making a positive contribution to the social and physical environment of the area managed.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About You

As a Housing Officer, you will bring to the role:

• Ability to community effectively and influence customers and deliver an efficient customer focused service
• Able to develop innovative solutions to varied and complex problems.
• Knowledge of current social Housing, and issues affecting the sector.

About The Role

The post will be to support the management of our temporary accommodation. This will primarily focus on the set up and support of a new provision at Kirkstall Brewery for homeless families. The Housing Officer maintains excellent customer service whilst also undertaking necessary duties to ensure the health of our communities and undertake income generating work. The Housing Officer will need to display excellent communication, and resilience and have a passion for supporting customers and communities.

The role is integral to our wider landlord service.

What We Offer You

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How To Apply

• Please complete the online application form.
• Read our guidance for further advice.

Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you’ll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job Purpose:

• To provide quality housing management services to meet the needs of customers, making a positive contribution to the social and physical environment of the area managed.
• Customer focused and motivated to give the best possible service in the communities we serve.
• To deliver an efficient customer focused service, ensuring maximum performance levels and continuous improvements in all areas of housing management services.

Principal Responsibilities

• To take ownership and responsibility for the social and physical environment of a defined geographical service area.
• To ensure that the estate environment is maintained to a high standard.
• To be responsible for the achievement of performance targets within a defined geographical area.
• To be responsible for maximising various income streams to the authority and our tenants, including housing and other benefits.
• To deal with issues of anti-social behaviour, nuisance and work with other agencies to help create safe and sustainable communities.
• To enforce tenancy conditions where appropriate.
• Supervise and manage staff as required
• Provide appropriate advice and support to customers.
• To ensure the Councils safeguarding procedures are followed where appropriate.
• To actively develop and promote tenant engagement and involvement through a variety of different approaches.
• To work with partner services, elected members and local communities to deliver and develop services and improvements in a defined area.
• To work within Council policies and procedures including data protection and financial regulations.
• To ensure the Council’s health and safety policies and legal requirements are adhered to.
• To contribute to the development, review and improvement of policies and strategies in line with current legislation and best practice.
• To support the achievement of equality and diversity in both employment and service delivery including the promotion of equality of opportunity
• Promote and deliver the priorities, values and objectives of Leeds City Council at all times
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade
• Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
• Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements.

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview or Certificate.

Qualifications And Knowledge

• Knowledge of the role of the Council Housing Service and its responsibilities in managing homes and communities.
• Knowledge of current housing issues, legislation, policies and local strategies and initiatives.
• Awareness of customer engagement opportunities, enabling customers to help design and evaluate services.
• A good understanding of equality issues in the day to day delivery of services.
• Knowledge of the Council’s Allocations and Lettings procedures.
• Knowledge of effective income management practices.
• Knowledge of effective anti-social behaviour remedies and best practice.
• Awareness of how social and environmental conditions affect quality of life.

Specific Skills And Competencies

• To be able to communicate effectively with customers, colleagues, elected members and all other partners
• Able to supervise and manage colleagues
• Able to use a wide range of communication tools appropriate to the customers preferred method.
• Able to show empathy, act tactfully and sympathetically with customers over a range of issues
• Able to manage competing demands and priorities to meet deadlines.
• Able to make objective decisions in the interests of achieving local priorities.
• Able to input, maintain and retrieve information accurately from a variety of sources.
• Able to objectively investigate and clearly report (in writing or verbally) on a range of issues.
• To work within budgets.
• Able to adapt behaviours to achieve positive outcomes

Experience

• Experience of working with other agencies to achieve positive outcomes for customers.
• Experience of supervising colleagues
• Experience of taking and responding to a broad range of customer enquiries.
• Experience of playing a key role within a community.
• Experience of the working with the public.
• Experience of working to deadlines and adapting to competing priorities
• Experience of working in a busy customer focused team.
• Experience of working with a range of computer software packages including Microsoft Office

Behavioural And Other Characteristics Required

• Committed to continuous improvement.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills, and continuous professional development
• Able to effectively promote and market the service.
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of and a belief in the Council’s Community Hub Agenda
• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council values and behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
• Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.