Job Title : Housing Officer
Contract Type : Fixed term contract (12 months)
Salary : £22,898 (£23,974 is achieved after 12 months successful performance in the role)
Working Hours : 37.5 hours per week.
Working Pattern : Monday - Friday
Location : Birmingham / Townsend Gardens - accommodation for homeless women aged 18 - 25 years.

For your application to be considered please attach a current CV and cover letter.

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.

Why Riverside?

At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.

We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 28 days holidays plus bank holidays.
• Flexible working options available
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

The difference you will make as Housing Officer

The role holder will be responsible for providing a customer focused housing service provision across young people's schemes. You will be required to deliver a day-to-day housing management service across schemes, be a contact for enquires from customers and monitor service performance. Ideally in this role you will provide practical support and information to clients when entering the service and throughout their involvement with the service, e.g., assisting clients in the completion of occupancy agreements and welfare benefit claims and liaison with benefit agencies.

About you

We are looking for someone with experience of working with Vulnerable Client Groups and experience of Housing Management duties. You’ll also need experience of liaison with Agencies/ Partner Organisations. Although it is not essential but having a knowledge of current benefit system will be an advantage.

Role Profile
Role requires you to:

• Ensure occupancy targets are met, through lettings and refurbishments of properties.
• Meet rent collection and arrears targets.
• Provide practical support and information to clients when entering the service and throughout their involvement with the service, e.g., assisting clients in the completion of occupancy agreements and welfare benefit claims and liaison with benefit agencies.
• Adhere and assist in the management of the schemes allocations procedure.
• Monitor and meet relevant health and safety standards in properties.
• Carrying out day-to-day administration duties.
• Assisting in the monitoring of service contracts.
• Monitoring the delivery of reactive repairs across the properties within schemes in the cluster is of a high standard and cost effective.
• Monitoring the schemes meet planned maintenance programmes and that on-site delivery is well managed and in line with customer requirements.
• Delivering high standards of housing management and ensuring that the service is meeting best practice.
• Promote and encourage a high level of client involvement, consultation and communication.
• Delivering a high standard reception service across all services/ properties.
• Undertaking day-to-day housing management duties, including the maintenance of high standards of cleanliness within services, preparation of rooms and site inspections.
• Monitoring and reducing issues of anti-social behaviour within services.
• Clearly communicating tenant responsibilities and tenancy compliance.
• Working with colleagues to maintain good links with the local neighbourhood.
• Effectively using appropriate IT systems, including housing management systems, and maintaining professional and timely records.
• To understand your role in the organisation and to be accountable for your contribution to maximise profitability.
• To understand how your job contributes to the overall purpose of the organisation and be accountable for delivering it in the most efficient way
• To understand that your efforts will be customer led and be accountable for positive and tangible outcomes.
• To understand that Care and Support are a nationally focused organisation and to be accountable for adhering to the agreed corporate policies and procedures.
• Working as part of a multi-disciplinary staff team and meeting the requirements of a rota system, ensuring cover is available across all services.
• Actively involved in team meetings and attending regular supervisions.
• Working in line with company policies and procedures and the requirements of funders and stakeholders to ensure effective service delivery.
• Working as part of a team to ensure a high standard housing management service is delivered to customers and partners.
• Working in partnership with other key agencies, both in the statutory and voluntary sectors.
• Using appropriate IT systems and maintain professional and timely records.
• Ability to interpret effectively financial information relating to rents, charges and contracts.
• Ability to produce accurate and timely reports.
• Attending appropriate training and development opportunities as required.
• To provide a high quality, customer-orientated service championing “Riverside Service Style” practices.
• Constantly review work outputs, setting improvement targets and appraising individual performance.
• Participate in the work of the Divisional team, encouraging innovation.
• Undertake personal development and training as necessary to keep up to date with legal, political, financial and other developments in the fields of housing and customer service.
• To ensure compliance with Riverside’s Equality and Diversity policy, in respect of employment and service delivery.
• Ensure that all data is compliant with legislation and policies relating to data quality.
• To actively promote Riverside locally.
• Any other relevant duties as required by the designated manager.
• To ensure compliance with Riverside’s safeguarding policies and procedures in every aspect of service deliver

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Experience of working with Vulnerable Client Groups.
• Experience of Housing Management duties.
• Experience of Liaison with Agencies/ Partner Organisations.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of Psychological or Trauma Informed approaches to support.
• Experience of working in challenging environments with the ability to plan, prioritise and organise tasks to achieve results.
• Knowledge of current benefit systems.
• Experience of working in a care and support environment.