Housing Improvement & Assistance Programme Manager

Lewisham Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 57,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Local Government Pension scheme

Flexible working

Season ticket and bicycle loans

Staff discounts

Job summary

Lewisham Council is seeking a skilled manager to lead the Disabled Facilities Grants and home improvements service in London. You will oversee a team, regulate empty homes back into use, and drive service improvements with a new IT system while ensuring timeliness and value for money.

You will work hybrid, balancing office and home days, and contribute to shaping strategic delivery of grants with strong governance and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Experience in administration of grants and adaptations and understanding of grants legislation/guidance.
• Proven track record in performance management and ensuring referrals meet statutory/guidance timescales with quality and consistency.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and case management skills.
• Understanding of empty homes legislation and options for bringing them back into use.

Responsibilities

• Manage a busy disabled facilities grants (DFG) and home improvements service with up to 9 direct reports.
• Regulate and bring empty homes back into use, with line management of the council's empty homes officer.
• Support the Head of Service in restructuring the DFG team to optimise delivery and implement a new IT system.
• Oversee the allocation and spend of the annual DFG budget to ensure value for money and statutory timing.

Skills

Grant administration

Performance management

Team leadership

Communication

Project management

Education

HNC/HND in construction or surveying

Tools

HHSRS assessments

Grant management systems

Job description

Job Description

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK's first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Introduction

Do you have detailed knowledge and experience in the delivery of disabled facility grants and home improvement loans? Do you have experience and knowledge of regulating and bringing empty homes back into use? Do you have experience in performance management? Are you skilled in leading and motivating a team?

What's the role?

Managing a busy disabled facilities grants (DFG) and home improvements service with up to 9 direct reports. The role also includes regulating and bringing empty homes back into use, with direct line management of the councils empty homes officer. You will support the Head of Service restructuring the DFG team to optimise and improve service delivery, implement a new IT system and deliver DFGs and home improvement loans within statutory and guidance timescales. In addition, you will oversee the allocation of the annual DFG budget, ensuring it is fully utilised and that all spending achieves value for money.

What's in it for you?

Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

What we're looking for

You will have experience in the administration of grants and adaptations, with an excellent understanding of relevant grants legislation and guidance. You will be experienced in performance management and will be able to ensure that DFG/discretionary grant referrals are completed within statutory/guidance timescales with quality and consistency. You will have excellent communication, interpersonal and case management skills. You will also have an understanding and working knowledge of empty homes legislation, including the options available to local authorities to bring them back into use.

Location

The job is primarily based in Lawrence House, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU, but we operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.

Special conditions

• HNC/HND in construction, surveying or similar is desirable (or willing to work towards)
• Certificate of competency in performing HHSRS assessments and hazard identification is desirable (or willing to work towards)
• Trusted Assessor Level 4 Certificate is desirable (or willing to work towards)
• The job is subject to a basic DBS check

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don't accept CVs.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact [e-mail]

Salary

£57,495 to £59,574 per annum (P06)

N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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