Home Ownership Officer Liverpool, United Kingdom Posted on 03/18/2024 Be the First to Apply - The Riverside Group

Description

Job Title: Home Ownership Officer
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £32, £35,267.82 is achieved after 12 months successful performance in the role)
Working Hours: 35 hrs per week
Working Pattern: Monday-Saturday
Location: Liverpool,Hybrid

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

The difference you will make as a Home Ownership Officer.

You will provide a customer focussed account management service to shared ownership and leasehold customers (including commercial properties) within a specified geographical region, ensuring the contractual obligations as defined in individual leases and tenancy agreements are carried out in line with legislative requirements and compliance and Group standards.

Ensuring service charge financial activity is carried out effectively including budget planning, the service charge setting consultation process and reviews of scheme expenditure.

You will act as advocate for customers, both internally and externally where appropriate to ensure their expectations are maintained and they are receiving the appropriate levels of service.

Managing Caretakers within a specified geographical region to ensure the delivery of an effective service to Home Ownership customers on behalf of the Group.

About you

We are looking for someone with:

• Up to date knowledge of leasehold legislation, regulations, and standards, including Section 20 requirements.
• CIOH partial/fully qualified or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to work under pressure delivering to strict deadlines and manage conflicting priorities.
• Results driven with strong analytical skills, including the ability to critically analyse complex information, and experience of providing meaningful management information.
• Customer focused with excellent communication skills both written and verbal with the confidence to interact with employees at all levels.
  
  

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

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.

Role Profile

• Undertake the role of Account Manager for shared ownership and leasehold customers (including commercial properties) within a specified geographical region, advocating for the customer and ensuring services provided by the Group are delivered efficiently and in line with cost, quality and compliance standards.
• Lead, motivate and engage with site based Caretaker's, to ensure the delivery of a high-quality service to support the Home Ownership strategy and objectives.
• Contribute to the regional and neighbourhood planning process, providing local knowledge and insight to ensure delivery plans reflect assigned scheme priorities.
• Promote customer engagement, both formally and informally, to provide mechanisms for customers to provide feedback on services received.
• Drive the reduction of interaction demand through proactive customer engagement and promotion of self-service, providing ongoing customer support as required.
• Support the Group Compliance function to ensure our buildings are safe, ensuring that Fire Management Actions are progressed to completion. Proactively engaging with customers to inform them of their role and provide customers with relevant information.
• Responsible for engaging with customer to ensure access is provided to their home to undertake Asset Services inspections or repairs and undertake enforcement actions where there are breaches of the lease or tenancy.
• Undertake customer engagement and consultation activities to support the Section 20 process, resolving queries and issues as appropriate.
• Contribute to the setting of service charge budgets for assigned schemes including splitting of service charges as appropriate, providing first line support for customer queries including calculation breakdowns. Attend customer/resident budget meetings, as required.
• Ensure the service charge setting consultation process is carried out effectively and in line with Group standards and statutory requirements.
• Manage scheme income and expenditure in line with set budgets, applying discretion for expenditure as required.
• Maintain knowledge of leasehold legislation and technical aspects of all varieties of lease agreements to ensure escalated and complex queries are resolved effectively.
• Take appropriate action to enforce the terms of the tenancy or lease, including resolution of low level anti-social behaviour and unauthorised sub-letting.
• Support the Home Ownership Business Management function with the co-ordination of court cases and First Tier Tribunals including providing the required information to support mediation and legal challenges.
• Represent the Group in Court for all cases brought against customers in your regional area, ensuring cases are progressed effectively and efficiently and relevant stakeholders are kept up to date with developments and outcomes.
• Accountable for maximising and increasing income collection, working in partnership with Shared Service colleagues to ensure good payment practices are established from start of tenure, supporting customers including signposting for advice and carrying out home visits during the arrears pursuance process.
• Decision maker for court, County Court Judgement (CCJ), repossession, forfeiture and eviction applications, using customer and community insight to ensure appropriate decisions made on behalf of the Group. Attending court, as required.
• Manage escalated customer queries and issues including raising repair requests where necessary, ensuring repairs are carried effectively and to customer satisfaction.
• Manage customer complaints in line with the agreed process, ensuring effective resolution within set timescales.
• Support the sign up of new customers through attending the handover/walkthrough of new properties, ensuring ongoing face to face support to customers on behalf of the Group.
• Contribute to the successful delivery of regional projects, including attendance at community events as appropriate.
• Manage the performance and development of your team, providing expertise and coaching as required, ensuring a quality service is provided and under performance is dealt with appropriately.
• Manage internal and external stakeholders effectively, including senior colleagues and third parties, building constructive working relationships to ensure the delivery of the Group's Home Ownership Strategy.
• Accountable for regular reviews of the service, reviewing and analysing performance and customer feedback to ensure continuous improvement. Improvement opportunities identified and realised should be in accordance with change management protocols.
• Work collaboratively with the Home Ownership leadership team to ensure effective delivery of the wider service.
• Ensure that all information security requirements, including data protection, are met in accordance with the Group's policy, procedures and statutory requirements.
• Ensure that health and safety requirements are met in accordance with the Group's policy, procedures and statutory requirements.

Essential

• Up to date knowledge of leasehold legislation, regulations and standards, including Section 20 requirements.
• CIOH partial/fully qualified or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to work under pressure delivering to strict deadlines and manage conflicting priorities.
• Results driven with strong analytical skills, including the ability to critically analyse complex information, and experience of providing meaningful management information.
• Customer focused with excellent communication skills both written and verbal with the confidence to interact with employees at all levels.
• Ability to show initiative and propose solutions to issues identified.
• Commercially aware and results focused with the ability to take ownership of tasks.
• Excellent team player who can work flexibly to meet business requirements.
• Effective stakeholder management, both internally and external to the organisation.
• Ability to remain calm in a pressurised environment.

Desirable

• Management qualification