Neighbourhood Officer x2 (1x permanent, 1x 12 months fixed term contract)
LFHA
Leeds Federated is a housing association with around 4,500 properties across Leeds, Wakefield and North Yorkshire. Our mission is to enable the maximum number of people to access and live sustainably in good value, affordable housing.
The Neighbourhood Officer is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with our customers. Acting as the named point of contact for a patch of homes and the organisation’s main interface with customers, you will provide high quality tenancy management services. Your day-to-day focus will be to work with customers on a range of matters including allocations and lettings, tenancy and estate management issues and anti-social behaviour. In addition, you will provide a service to our customers as part of the call handling team.
Our ideal candidate will:
- Be a strong communicator who can liaise at all levels and negotiate effectively
- Have experience of working in a demanding customer service environment
- Have knowledge and experience of providing housing management and/or care and support services
- Have a flexible and innovative approach
- Have adaptability to work on their own initiative and be an excellent team player
In return:
As well as a competitive salary we can offer you:
- An agile working environment
- 30 days annual leave
- DC pension scheme
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Health cash plan
The closing date for these role is: noon on Wednesday 1st May 2024
Interviews will take place on: Thursday 9th and Friday 10th May 2024
You will need to have a current driving licence and have access to a vehicle for business use, for which an Essential Car User Allowance is payable, based on the emissions of your vehicle.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted regarding an interview.
We reserve the right to close this recruitment if it is deemed that we have received a suitable number of applications. On this basis we would advise that applications are submitted as soon as possible.
Leeds Federated is an equal opportunities employer and promotes diversity in everything we do, and therefore welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
Please follow this link to apply: https://lfha.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/3470980
MAIN PURPOSE:
The Neighbourhood Officer’s role is to develop and maintain relationships with our customers, acting as the named contact for an allocated portfolio of homes and providing tenancy and neighbourhood management services.
The Neighbourhood Officer has a key responsibility in ensuring that our customers receive a high quality service, are kept well informed, and have a relationship with the organisation that is based on trust and mutual respect.
The Neighbourhood Officer works closely with other members of their Area Team to maximise the performance of our assets while achieving high levels of customer satisfaction and tenancy and neighbourhood sustainability.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
1.
- Delivers an excellent standard of customer service and achieves high levels of customer satisfaction
- Acts as the main interface between the organisation and its customers, liaising with colleagues to ensure services are provided effectively
- Provides a professional, helpful and responsive service to customers, achieving high levels of customer satisfaction and building trusting and mutually respectful relationships with customers
- Works in accordance with the Association’s values and ethics, supporting and promoting the organisation’s reputation
- Ensures services are delivered in a way that recognises individual needs
- Works as part of a wider team handling customer enquiries received by telephone, online, in person and through other media
- Participates as required in customer service duty systems, handling customer enquiries to a high standard of quality in accordance with defined procedures
- Takes ownership of all customer enquiries received, and progresses work as far as necessary to resolve
- Takes active steps to work with customers to resolve complaints at an early stage, avoiding the need for formal investigation where this is possible and appropriate.
- Ensures procedures are followed accurately and consistently in the provision of services to customers
- Maintains the confidentiality of customer data in line with GDPR requirements
2. Manages tenancies effectively
- Undertakes the day to day management of tenancies, advising customers on Association services and services available from other agencies
- Assists customers with tenancy related enquiries, including succession, assignment and right to acquire
- Takes confident and decisive action in response to breaches of tenancy conditions
- Manages the investigation of anti-social behaviour in line with procedure and communicates effectively with customers on the progress of cases
- Liaises proactively with customers in arrears, offering support and guidance to help resolve matters at an early stage.
- Complies with the Association’s policies and procedures, service standards, legislation and external regulation
- Refers to and liaises with care and support providers in the best interest of customers
- Identifies and acts upon any safeguarding concerns in line with procedures and guidance
- Identifies where risk assessments may be required in relation to individual customers and completes and documents these in line with procedures
- Takes responsibility for the implementation of residential health and safety procedures
- Maintains accurate records of action on all aspects of tenancy management 3. Delivers a high standard of estate management
- Undertakes regular inspections of internal and external communal areas to ensure compliance with safety standards and to ensure environmental standards are maintained.
- Monitors the delivery of communal services to ensure compliance with the agreed specification, and takes action in response to any identified deficiencies
- Identifies and acts upon any health and safety concerns
- Liaises with customers to facilitate the delivery of planned and cyclical maintenance, development and other local asset management activity
- Ensures service costs are accurately reflected within service charge calculations, that consultation takes place with residents and that accurate records are maintained
4 Ensures empty properties are re-let sustainably and that customers are guided and supported through the moving in and moving out processes
- Ensures that empty homes are re-let sustainably and without undue delay
- Processes lettings shortlists, contacts and selects new tenants in accordance with the lettings policy
- Provides accompanied viewings for prospective tenants
- Carries out the sign up procedure with new customers
- Ensures that new customers are supported through the moving in process, liaising with colleagues to resolve any problems quickly
- Ensures that new tenants have completed relevant checks in relation to their income to ensure that new tenancies are financially sustainable
- Advises and assists customers with transfers, mutual exchanges and housing applications
- Supports customers through the tenancy termination and moving out process
5 Collaborates with Area Team colleagues to maximise the performance of assets and ensure tenancy and neighbourhood sustainability
- Demonstrates a consistent level of commercial awareness and a commitment to the principles of Value for Money
- Uses data and professional curiosity to identify and act on potential problems before they become serious, to avoid unnecessary costs
- Works with Area Team colleagues to seek maximum Value for Money, focussing on the performance of the Association’s assets over the long term
- Manages delegated budgets effectively, identifying and explaining variances at an early stage
- Takes proactive steps to minimise tenancy turnover and abandonments
- Engages with customers to facilitate access for health and safety checks and for other works, to reduce or avoid abortive costs
- Works in partnership with the Income Services Team to minimise rent and service charge debt, and maximise the collection of rent and other charges
6. Enables customers to engage with the organisation and influence how services and improvements are provided and delivered to consistently high standards
- Invites and encourages customer involvement in service delivery through a variety of channels
- Attends local meetings as required to represent the Association
- Contributes as required to the gathering of customer satisfaction and opinion data
- Uses customer feedback to influence and shape service delivery
- Closes the ‘feedback loop’, ensuring customers recognise that their input and feedback is valued
7. To contribute to the effective running of the Customer Service Team and to participate in a culture of continuous improvement. To include offering support, guidance, encouragement and imparting knowledge to apprentices.
- Works with colleagues to support and encourage high levels of performance
- Makes recommendations for change to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of services
- Participates in service reviews and other service development activity and works to implement recommendations.
- Contributes to policy formulation
- Completes allocated project work as required
- Provides regular reports on own performance, identifying and investigating opportunities for improvement
- Takes an active role in own personal and professional development, evidencing learning and improvement
8. Corporate Role
- To consistently meet the organisation’s strengths in your day to day work
- To work within the organisation’s Health and Safety policies and procedures taking personal responsibility for your own wellbeing
- To work within the VfM policy and consider wider business sense in all aspects of your role
- Provide and maintain excellent standards of customer care in accordance with the organisation’s Customer Service and Equality and Diversity policies
- To work within the culture and values of the organisation and promote the reputation of Leeds Federated at external events and meetings
- To be responsible for your own learning and development, participate actively in identified training and engage with the performance management system
- Communicate effectively and work productively with all colleagues
- Work within the Risk Management Framework Policy ensuring that you are aware of, and support the operation of internal controls relevant to your area of responsibility.
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