OR20486 – Home Moves Plus Officer in Taunton

The Home Moves Plus (HMP) Project was established to make better use of the existing social housing stock in the Taunton and Wellington areas, and to mitigate the impact of Hinkley Point C construction on the housing needs of local people by creating bed spaces in the area through downsizing. The role is responsible for reducing the number of under occupied households within Somerset Councils in-house landlord housing stock, thus freeing up much needed accommodation for those who need it.

Key results areas:

• Accountability: Understand, uphold, and promote the aims of the council's equality, diversity, and inclusion policies; health, safety, and wellbeing of self and others; and organisational values in everything you do.
• Operational Service Delivery: Engage frequently with tenants, their family, and friends, providing solutions to meet their housing needs. Responsible for ensuring relevant documentation is completed, for example: housing register application forms, tenancy agreements, tenancy termination forms, grant/tenant incentive forms and welfare benefit change of circumstances forms. Responsible for updating the housing management system with changes to tenancies. Responsible for determination of value of grants awarded under Somerset Councils Transfer Removal Grant scheme, ensuring all internal financial processes are followed, resulting in tenants receiving their payments. Create and deliver reports including periodic lists of financial incentives awarded to tenants, quarterly reporting on location data, case studies and issues, postcode monitoring, end of year and final reports. Report concerns relating to the safeguarding of children, young people, or vulnerable adults in accordance with agreed procedures.
• Strategic Delivery / Implementation / Coordination: Successful delivery of this project enables Somerset Council to make long-term savings, and the strain on council services is reduced, as the need for ongoing support for local people is decreased, resulting in bedspace creation and targeted support and financial services provided by the project.
• Performance Framework: Ensure KPIs are met around creation of bed spaces and numbers of stakeholders supported. Improve self-service to customers on Homeswapper system.
• Project/Contract Management: Liaise with commissioners on actual service delivery outputs and outcomes against the performance criteria and targets.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with teams inside and outside of the Council, including Village Agents, Sheltered Housing Team, General Needs Housing Team, Lettings Team, Home removal companies, House cleaning companies, Grounds maintenance providers, Utility suppliers, Revenues and Benefits Team, DWP Universal Credit Team, Housing Associations, etc.
• Regulation / Statutory Compliance: Ensure all activities are statutory and regulatory compliant. Adhere to regulatory standards including Tenancy standard, Transparency, influence and accountability standard, Safety and quality standard, Neighbourhood, and community standard; 1985 Housing Act.

Qualifications:

• Essential: Good general standard of education (minimum to GCSE standard or equivalent, including English and Mathematics). Evidence of continuing development of professional skills, e.g. through training, qualification and/or experience.
• Desirable: Be a member of a professional body for housing i.e. the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Essential: Knowledge of the demographics of the housing tenants, the local community and wider sub regional impacts, such as Hinkley Point, in respect of properties for letting and impacts on homelessness. Knowledge of income management work and best practice in a housing organisation context. Detailed and extensive professional and technical knowledge of allocations and lettings policy and practice. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and housing applications.
• Desirable: Experience of working with elected members or in a political environment. Knowledge and understanding of Health & Safety legislation and requirements. Experience of working in a social housing organisation.

Skills:

• Essential: Good customer service and communication skills. Able to value and promote equality and diversity. Able to build successful working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders. Have a flexible approach to changing deadlines.
• Desirable: High degree of problem solving and decision making. Able to identify opportunities for further enabling and self-serve.

If you think this job role is for you, please send your CV to rebeccabentum@carringtonblakerecruitment.com