At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage tenancies and estates, providing support and guidance to tenants in your area.
- Company: Join Connect2Dudley, a dynamic partnership focused on community housing and support.
- Benefits: Enjoy a temporary role with opportunities for career development and community engagement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in your community while gaining valuable experience in housing management.
- Qualifications: No specific qualifications required; just a passion for helping others and strong communication skills.
- Other info: This is a temporary position for 3 months, perfect for students looking for meaningful work.
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 and 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.
Community Housing Officer employer: Connect2Dudley
Contact Detail:
Connect2Dudley Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Community Housing Officer
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the local community and its specific needs. Understanding the demographics, challenges, and strengths of Dudley will help you connect better with tenants and stakeholders, making you a more appealing candidate.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your experience in tenancy management and community engagement during interviews. Be prepared to discuss specific examples where you've successfully managed tenancies or improved community relations, as this will demonstrate your capability for the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Network with local organisations and community groups before applying. Building relationships with these entities can provide valuable insights into the role and may even lead to recommendations that strengthen your application.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss how you would handle challenging situations, such as anti-social behaviour or complex casework. Having a clear strategy and examples ready will show your problem-solving skills and readiness for the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Community Housing Officer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Before applying, make sure you fully understand the responsibilities of a Community Housing Officer. Familiarise yourself with the job description and think about how your skills and experiences align with the specific accountabilities outlined.
Tailor Your CV: Customise your CV to highlight relevant experience in tenancy management, community engagement, and conflict resolution. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to manage tenancies and work with diverse communities effectively.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for community housing and your understanding of the challenges faced by tenants. Mention any relevant qualifications or experiences that make you a strong candidate for this role.
Highlight Soft Skills: Emphasise your soft skills such as communication, empathy, and problem-solving in your application. These are crucial for a Community Housing Officer, as the role involves working closely with vulnerable customers and managing complex situations.
How to prepare for a job interview at Connect2Dudley
✨Know Your Community
Familiarise yourself with the Dudley area and its community dynamics. Understand the specific challenges and needs of the residents, as this will help you demonstrate your commitment to community-focused service during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
As a Community Housing Officer, effective communication is key. Be prepared to discuss examples of how you've successfully managed tenant relationships or resolved conflicts in the past. Highlight your ability to engage with diverse groups and stakeholders.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Abilities
Prepare to discuss scenarios where you've had to address tenancy issues or manage anti-social behaviour. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses and showcase your proactive approach to problem-solving.
✨Emphasise Team Collaboration
This role requires working closely with various teams and agencies. Be ready to share experiences that illustrate your ability to collaborate effectively, whether it's with colleagues, external partners, or community members, to achieve common goals.