Private Sector Housing Officer

Private Sector Housing Officer

Salary: Grade 8 (£28,340- £34,006 per annum)

Hours: Full time, 37 per week 

Basis: Permanent 

Place of Work: Dereham

Would you like a job where what you do:

• makes a difference to some of the most vulnerable people in your community?
• improves the quality and range of housing and tackles the growing issue of homelessness?
• uses your qualifications and experience to enable and support customers in finding the right solutions to their housing issues.

We are seeking someone to work as part of a team of Private Sector Housing Officers, providing expert advice and interventions to customers on a range of housing standards issues and housing grants provision.

A bit about us:

At Breckland Council we are modernising local government. We lead change rather than follow it and add the best value we can to our communities. We achieve this by developing our employees to their full potential, providing them with the relevant knowledge, equipment and authority to carry out their duties.

Our employees enjoy excellent conditions of service including a local government pension scheme, free car parking and flexible working for a large percentage of our staff, as well as the possibility of 'job sharing'.

About you:

You help others as much as you can, often exceeding their expectations, with a professional, confident, and ‘can-do’ attitude’  You are composed and self-assured.  You are an exceptional communicator, listening intently to what people are telling you and making your explanations easy to understand.  You work well to set guidelines, understanding and applying rules and Legislation.  You take ownership of your decisions and hold yourself accountable for what you have promised to do.

You are exceptionally well organised. You know what you are doing, why you are doing it and why things are important, allowing you to squeeze as much as you can into every minute of the day

You are confident working alone outside of the office and, when required, outside of usual working hours. Although you plan your work out in advance, you regularly re-prioritise to manage changing demands.

You deal sensitively with situations that may be challenging but require clear and logical decisions to be made. You keep going no matter how difficult things get, and use setbacks as a springboard for greater success. You have an inner composure whatever the situation and are exceptionally well-organised, ensuring that everything you do is accurate and error free.

You are focused on providing the best possible service for our residents.

OK, I'm interested... But is it really the job for me?

As a Private Sector Housing Officer, you will:

• Investigate housing complaints in privately rented and owned property.
• Undertake housing condition inspections using the Housing Health & Safety Rating System pursuant to the Housing Act 2004 and make the necessary decisions on the action to be taken.
• Take the necessary enforcement action required to resolve complaints, including generating detailed schedules of work, statutory notices, undertaking works in default and preparing criminal cases for prosecution.
• Carry out inspections of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in response to complaints and to ensure compliance with existing licence conditions
• Work on bringing empty properties back into use.  
• Build and maintain relationships with key partners, including contractors, Environmental Health, private landlords, housing associations, statutory bodies, and third and voluntary sector organisations.
• Have a detailed knowledge and experience of housing legislation, HHSRS and the provision of various grants including property adaptations.

Please see the job description and person specification for more a comprehensive list of duties and for the qualities needed.

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role please contact Gill Duffy (Housing Manager) by emailing gill.duffy@breckland.gov.uk

Closing date – 9am, Monday 12^th April 2021

Please be aware that if you are selected for this role there will be a requirement to undertake a DBS check as part of pre-employment checks.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities employer, recognising the benefits of sustaining a workforce which reflects the diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from anyone who feels they meet the requirements of our vacancies - these are listed as essential requirements on the person specification.