Housing Officer - Supported Housing

Our client Peter Bedford Housing Association (PBHA) is a housing association with charitable aims that create positive change in people’s lives. As well as homes and support, PBHA empowers people to learn, access work and discover their creative talents. Based in Hackney, Islington and Newham, PBHA work with people who are homeless, have mental ill health, learning difficulties and multiple needs. PBHA’s work enables people to move on and lead independent lives.

The role:

Housing Officers work within PBHA’s Housing Team to provide a quality housing management service to tenants with additional tenancy sustainment needs. Post holders will work from PBHA’s main office in Haggerston, with access to local offices where appropriate. However, most of the work will be in tenants’ homes in the community. The post holder will be issued the IT equipment necessary to facilitate mobile working.

Aims of the post

Housing Officers work with vulnerable tenants to enable them to sustain their tenancy and participate in their community.

Specific Responsibilities

• To be responsible for working a caseload of tenants within a locality.
• Identifying individual tenancy needs through assessment and an identified Housing Plan detailing risks, needs and move on plans.
• Regular contact with tenants as per plan.
• Provide a weekly housing management drop in at PBHA’s hubs.
• Ensure that tenants apply for benefits where eligible, and signpost tenants to information on how to maximise income
• Record and monitor any breaches of tenancy agreement and work proactively and within procedures to resolve them.
• Liaise with housing officers, the finance and adult learning departments to provide effective prevention and management of rent issues, escalating where necessary in accordance with arrears policy and standard operating procedures.
• Liaise with colleagues to ensure void targets are met and properties are let within agreed timescale.
• Assist in the moving in/out process.
• Ensure tenants understand their rights and responsibilities in their occupancy agreements.
• Deal with complaints, nuisance and tenancy disputes as they arise. Work with tenants to promote self-help and mediation approaches to dispute resolution and address and escalate in line with procedure.
• Inspect and order furniture, assisting tenants where they are able to do so.
• Recharge former tenants where applicable.
• Carry out regular building inspections, helping tenants to report repairs.
• Take pride in PBHA’s property and assets, and encourage tenants to do so.
• Enforce the conditions of tenancy that enable PBHA to undertake urgent works such as gas servicing.
• Carry out H&S and fire checks and assessment, liaising closely with others to ensure that follow up actions are completed.
• Report safeguarding concerns as appropriate.

Customer Focused Services

• Promote and support tenants/participants to access PBHA’s participation and co-production opportunities.
• Adhere to lone-working procedures.
• To positively promote and signpost tenants and participants to report complaints in line with PBHA’s practice.
• To have a collaborative and co-operative approach towards resolving complaints, working with colleagues across teams and departments.
• To take collective responsibility for any shortfalls identified through complaints.
• To act within the Professional Standards for engaging with complaints as set by the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Main Conditions of Service

This is a part-time position. The post is for 18.75 hours per week. Duties will occasionally be carried out over evenings and some public holidays. Overtime is not paid but in line with Agile working, hours can be averaged out over a 2-week period. PBHA implements Agile working practices which are to be negotiated with the line manager.

Annual leave entitlement is 26 days per year (pro rata) plus normal bank holidays pro rata (inclusive of bank holidays). This will rise after each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days (pro rata).

The minimum experience required for the post is:

• To have worked in a paid or voluntary capacity with at least one of the following groups: people who have mental ill health; learning difficulties; people who have been homeless and rootless; or people who have alcohol-related problems.
• To have an understanding of the particular wellbeing needs of minority ethnic groups.

The competencies required for the post are the ability to:

• Can positively contribute and take initiative; good negotiation skills
• To be positive, resourceful, and resilient when working in a challenging environment
• Able to constructively challenge and lead positive change
• Promotes positive risk taking and helping people to find their own solutions to engrained challenges.
• Understanding and ability to manage boundaries effectively, including awareness of limits of own competence, role and responsibilities
• Good verbal, written & positive interpersonal communication skills, ensuring that stakeholders are treated with respect and dignity
• Ability to manage, plan and take responsibility for your own caseload
• Organise work effectively by prioritising, planning and excellent time management
• Establish productive partnerships with a range of key stakeholders
• Good computer literacy including the ability to use Windows applications and word processing and database packages. This also includes the ability to use the internet and to draft and send e-mails.

The successful candidate will need to be committed to:

• PBHA’s Equality and Diversity policy
• Co-operative team working.
• Have the flexibility to accommodate work responsibilities that occasionally extend beyond normal working hours at short notice.

PBHA offers in return:

• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising to 30 days with service
• Company pension scheme with employer matching up to 5% of contributions
• Agile working
• Eye care vouchers
• Cycle to work scheme
• Enhanced company sick pay