Community Housing Officer

Job Title: Community Housing Officer

Location: Dudley

Contract: Temporary (3 months)

Job Purpose:

• To deliver a community focused tenancy and estates management service, highly visible to tenants, residents and other stakeholders.
• To directly manage tenancies in a specified patch within a defined geographical area, working closely with other Housing and Communities teams, other Council Departments and other agencies to provide responsive services to customers create attractive, well maintained, safer estates.
• To support individual households to maintain their tenancies in a suitable and effective manner through the direct delivery of service and the commissioning of work through other teams / services.

Specific Accountabilities

• To manage tenancies and the estate environment in a designated housing area (patch) and to be the main front-line contact for tenants and residents for housing and estate management matters.
• To provide contact, advice, and guidance to customers within the framework of the tenancy agreement in line with policies and procedures and its enforcement, ensuring customer enquiries are dealt with promptly and efficiently, to deal with compliments and complaints and to undertake any investigations and corrective actions as appropriate
• To take a pro-active approach towards tenancy compliance, keeping residents safe, estate management, ensuring regular home reviews, estate walkabouts and estate inspections are carried out. Effectively manage all aspects of tenancy conditions, administration and enforcement having due regard to the needs of our tenants and other occupiers, the law and Dudley MBC policies and procedures.
• To identify, monitor and take necessary enforcement action against breaches of tenancy conditions including anti-social behaviour in accordance with legislation, policy, procedure, and guidelines. To respond to and manage reports of nuisance, harassment, or antisocial behaviour in a timely manner, commissioning the Community Safety (ASB) Team to assist with complex cases and where legal remedies are required.
• To manage vulnerable customers and complex casework, where higher levels of need are required to help sustain tenancies, commission other services such as our Community Safety (ASB) Team and Housing Support Teams and relevant agencies to offer appropriate services and where necessary legal enforcement.
• To undertake communal inspections in flatted blocks as required, and to monitor hazards and maintain high standards on housing estates, reporting any incidents of vandalism and/or damage to ensure speedy remedy. Proactively manage estates including identification and remedy of untidy gardens and tree maintenance.
• Arrange and lead on estate walkabouts and patch inspections along with residents and other stakeholders where appropriate. Identify health and safety concerns including reporting repairs to buildings, over-grown trees and shrubs and communal areas. Health and safety is a key priority for employees and it is everyone's responsibility to report repairs when they see them.
• To deliver a Home-Review programme, and actively follow up on all cases of compliance non-access cases on a timely basis to minimise risk to residents.
• To contribute to the improvement of housing services by working effectively with colleagues across teams, partnership organisations and external agencies to enhance the functionality, attractiveness, safety and sustainability of estates and homes. Play an active role in co-producing and commissioning planned enhancements to our services and to the built environment.
• To be a key contact in the community, well known to stakeholders, and actively engaged with community champions, Tenants & Residents Associations, local members, PCSOs and other key stakeholders.
• To provide elected members and MPs with information to carry out their democratic and/or governance responsibilities
• To encourage tenants to be actively involved in the upkeep of their area, to be involved in the local community and empower residents to influence the decision-making process. Forge relationships with involved customers, encouraging greater levels of customer involvement targeting new tenants.
• To be visible and responsive in the neighbourhood, arranging planned activities including community events and activities, facilitating joint working with other teams encouraging tenants to be actively involved in the upkeep of their area.
• To provide multi-channel access to tenants to discuss their needs using digital channels and face to face surgeries the CHO will be the first point of contact for residents and local members.
• To be vigilant to identifying safeguarding and support needs, and to engage with all applicable services to prevent harm and sustain tenancies.
• To actively work with households and other agencies at times of crisis such as relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, bereavement or decline in health to support housing need at critical times when customers are vulnerable. To use emotional intelligence in providing a sensitive and appropriate service.
• To work in partnership with colleagues from all teams, to meet the needs of our tenants through a multi-disciplinary hybrid neighbourhood service model. Work jointly with other teams to enhance the reputation of the Housing Service and to create well planned, sustainable, safe, and attractive communal environments within our buildings and across the whole estate.
• To line-manage the Community Housing Assistants in their role to provide support for the work of the Community Housing Officers. To develop the Community Housing Assistants in their knowledge and skills to enhance the effectiveness in their role and support career progression.

Connect2Dudleyis a trading style of Dudley & Kent Commercial Services LTD - A joint venture between Dudley Metropolitan Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Dudley is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.