Job Description

Home Ownership Recovery Officer- Basildon Borough Council

Temporary, Full Time - 36.25hrs per week

\xc2\xa312.05 PAYE / \xc2\xa315.09 Umbrella per hour

Location: Basildon

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be supporting Basildon Council to recruit into their temporary Home Ownership Recovery Officer role.

This role is full-time on a temporary contract until 19/08/24

Exact work location: Office based - Basildon Centre, St Martin Square, Basildon. SS14 1DL

Working hours 36.25 per week - 9.00am - 5.15pm

The Role

To work as part of a small team providing a high quality tenancy, estate management and repairs service to tenants and leaseholders throughout the borough in accordance with service and specification standards.

The Opportunity

As a member of the Tenancy & Estate Management team you will manage estates and deal with a variety of enquiries throughout the borough with regard to tenancy and estate management issues. You will ensure that all physical areas within your area of responsibility are clean, tidy and environmentally safe and that any problems are quickly identified and resolved. You will work in partnership with other departments within Basildon Council as well as external partner and community agencies. You will also be responsible for tenancy matters which involve dealing with successions, lodgers left in occupation, illegal squatters, abandonments, terminations of tenancy, death of a tenant, management moves due to repairs, tenancy reviews, and all other tenancy related issues, to provide a comprehensive tenancy & estate management service across the Basildon Borough.

You will be expected to adopt a very pro-active approach and ensure you take ownership of your area of responsibility and be accountable and aware of all tenancy and estate management related issues. You will be expected to \'make a difference\', to improve the area for residents where possible and build positive relationships with residents and service providers through meetings (sometimes out of hours), out on site and through written and verbal communications.

Accountabilities

• Deal with boundary disputes, fly tipping, graffiti, nuisance and vandalism etc, with a calm and diplomatic approach
• To carry out regular and ad-hoc estate inspections in accordance with agreed. Standards and to identify and raise the necessary works orders required.
• Encourage resident and other community service providers involvement with estate inspections, and encourage new residents to participate.
• To identify areas of improvement/projects on estates and work with internal/external departments and residents to conclusion.
• Help to monitor the cleaning in flat blocks and on sheltered schemes to ensure a satisfactory standard is applied. Complete paperwork for all inspections and ensure all enquiries are responded to.
• Deal with requests to purchase or take over land in line with Council policy.
• Answer correspondence within specified timescales.
• Encourage new and support established residents groups, which may include attending meetings outside office hours
• To work with the Police, Social Services and other voluntary or statutory agencies as required
• To work in partnership with other departments within Basildon Borough Council as well as external partner and community agencies
• Carry out ad-hoc consultation exercises including tenants and leaseholders.
• Represent Basildon Borough Council at community group meetings and other ad-hoc public meetings, sometimes out of hours.
• To liaise with the Rents team to link rent arrears recovery action with action being taken for any breach of tenancy.
• To help sustain tenancies by ensuring the correct agencies are involved and support is in place.
• Investigate and prepare detailed reports that tenancies have been abandoned or sublet.
• Investigate management moves and prepare reports in the case of fire, flood or repair and liaise with the tenant and relevant departments until resolved.
• To prepare and serve Notice of Seeking Possessions or Notice to Quit as required.
• To recommend cases under the guidance of the Principal Tenancy & Estate Officer for Court Action where a breach of tenancy has occurred in accordance with policies and procedures and prepare all necessary reports for the Legal Section to commence possession proceedings.
• To present cases at Court for possession and appeal hearings and act as an expert witness for Basildon Borough Council.
• To provide statistical information as required in order to monitor performance.
• Respond sensitively but effectively to situations where the tenant has become deceased, ensuring the correct action has been taken and the appropriate departments advised.
• Investigate and take appropriate action in circumstances where persons are left in unauthorised occupation of Council owned properties.
• Liaise with the Tenancy & Estate Admin Officer and Voids team to take appropriate action in relation to goods discovered in properties and the swift return of keys, following the termination of tenancies.
• Carry out Tenancy Reviews to help combat housing fraud and follow up investigations where necessary.
• To carry out Post Tenancy and Tenancy Review visits as and when requested and within specified target times.
• To carry out thorough checks and amend details on all IT systems following the Tenancy Review/Post Tenancy visit. To investigate any anomalies or suspicions reported with regard to housing fraud.
• To contribute to new policy and procedures to improve the service area.
• To respond to any enquiries or complaints involving general council or tenancy or estate management services.
• To ensure all Health and safety policies, regulations and procedures are followed.

Other Responsibilities:

• To ensure all Health & Safety policies, regulations and procedures are followed.
• Undertake all the duties within the framework of Equal Opportunities.
• Any other duties appropriate to the post: These other duties must be equivalent to or below the salary and status of the role and, where appropriate, under the Equality Act 2010, due consideration must be given to any employees with a \xe2\x80\x9cprotected characteristic\xe2\x80\x9d.
• You must cooperate in all matters relating to Health and Safety and implement all procedures for your job role. The identification of Health and Safety related risks within the working environment must be highlighted to your management.

The Experience You Will Bring

• A good knowledge and understanding of estate and tenancy management services.
• A good understanding of welfare benefits and landlord and Tenant Law.
• Previous experience with a local Authority or other Social Housing environment desirable.
• Experience of working within a team environment and who can build positive relationships.
• Experience in dealing with members of the public or tenants in a sensitive situation.
• Have knowledge and understanding of the principles of equality and diversity.
• Ability to travel around the Basildon Borough and various locations.
• Team Worker who builds positive relationships.
• Ability to attend out of hours visits and meetings as required.
• Analytical and problem solving skills.
• Good verbal and written communication.

Why choose Basildon Council?

Basildon Borough Council is one of the largest local authorities in the East of England region and serves a population of approximately 172,000 people. The town of Basildon is regarded as a key economic hub with the main areas of employment being engineering, research and development, distribution and financial services. Basildon is also the second biggest economy in the Thames Gateway, outside of Canary Wharf.

Working for Basildon Borough Council means making a practical and positive difference to the lives of people living and working in the Borough and provides a fulfilling career.

Each of our employees - whatever job role they are undertaking - can feel motivated by having a unique opportunity to use their skills to make Basildon a better place to live. Whether it is conserving our countryside, by regenerating our Borough, by housing our residents or by collecting the refuse on time.

Note: ECC are advertising this role on behalf of Basildon Council.

Basildon Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults, and expects all employees, contractors and volunteers to share its commitment to prevent abuse, harm or exploitation.

The Council applies a robust recruitment vetting process. If you are successful you will need to undergo a Pre-employment Vetting Procedure.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email

Essex County Council