Housing Officer

CIH International Housing Group; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay & generous pension

28 days holidays plus bank holidays

Flexible working options available

Investment in learning and development

Benefits

Job summary

Riverside is seeking a Housing Officer in Liverpool to maximise tenancy sustainability through targeted support and proactive account management. The role emphasizes customer care, strong stakeholder relationships and effective communication.

You will work in a hybrid pattern, with focus on delivering high-quality services, managing a portfolio, and supporting residents towards independent, sustainable living. Interview in person on 24th August.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivering a high-quality customer service function, preferably in housing.
• Effective stakeholder management, both internally and external to the organisation.
• Customer focused with excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to work at all levels within the business.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to work under pressure, deliver to strict deadlines and manage conflicting priorities.

Responsibilities

• Pro-actively manage, maintain and improve designated social housing neighbourhoods; dealing with tenancy conditions and service failures.
• Accountable for maximising income collection, working in partnership with Shared Service colleagues.
• Signpost for advice and carry out home visits during arrears pursuance process.
• Represent the Group in Court for cases and keep stakeholders updated on outcomes.
• Act as an "Account Manager" for customers and properties to ensure sustainable tenancies.
• Maintain budgets and ensure financial controls are robust and effective.
• Provide quality assurance for all communal areas in your patch and resolve issues using procedures.
• Promote utilisation of online self-service to drive financial efficiencies.

Skills

Customer service

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Working under pressure

Problem solving

Initiative

IT proficiency

Team player

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Housing Officer

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £35,370.88 per annum (£38,923.44 is achieved after 12 months successful performance in the role) Per Annum

Working Hours: 35 hours per week, full time

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday, Hybrid

Location: Liverpool City Reg Hub, Walton

Please note that whilst we will accept applications on the basis of any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK, we will be surrendering the Riverside Sponsorship licence, so for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to apply for any further sponsorships whether on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.

The difference you will make as a Housing Officer

You will maximise the economic viability, social sustainability and self-sufficiency of the tenancies in their patch through targeted support, services and action, establishing and maintaining strong relationships with customers, acting as an 'Account Manager', advocating for the customer to ensure that other teams are providing services to the expected level. Delivered through flexible, self-led and resourceful processes that enables the front-line worker to put customer first.

The interview for this role will be in person on Monday 24th August.

About you

We are looking for someone with

• Proven track record of delivering a high quality customer service function, preferably in the housing sector.
• Effective stakeholder management, both internally and external to the organisation.
• Customer focused with excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to work at all levels within the business.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to work under pressure, deliver to strict deadlines and manage conflicting priorities.

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.

Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.

Role Profile

• Pro-actively manage, maintain and improve designated social housing neighbourhoods; dealing with all aspects of tenancy conditions, including service failures, creating, promoting and adopting a culture of customer care in accordance with agreed processes, standards, timescales and targets.
• Accountable for maximising and increasing income collection, working in partnership with
• Shared Service colleagues to ensure good payment practices are established from tenancy start, support customers with benefit claims, signposting for advice and carrying out home visits during arrears pursuance process.
• Represent the Group in Court for all cases brought against customers in your designated area, ensuring cases are progressed effectively and efficiently and relevant stakeholders are kept up to date with developments and outcomes.
• As an "Account Manager" for the customer and property, be responsible for identifying issues which can be resolved with early intervention, be responsible for liaising with internal & external stakeholders to ensure services and actions are effective and efficient to build lasting, satisfactory and sustainable tenancies.
• Accountable for 'patch profitability', minimising void rent loss, identify cash leakage, working in partnership with Shared Service colleagues to carry out inspections, property viewings and managing tenancy sign ups and new tenancy visits.
• Manage a delegated discretionary budget, making decisions regarding the allocation of your budget, ensuring Group financial controls are adhered to robustly and effectively.
• Provide quality assurance for all communal areas in your patch, escalating contracted service failures to the relevant contract owner for resolution, and resolving other issues using the relevant procedure.
• Commission, direct and influence other teams as appropriate to resolve low level anti-social behaviour issues, hate crimes, domestic abuse and issues impacting community cohesion, escalating complex cases to the Community Safety Team as appropriate.
• Maximise the use of mobile technology to ensure the provision of an efficient and proactive customer service to customers.
• Champion and promote usage of the online self-service facility, to contribute to ongoing financial efficiencies across the Group by reducing the demand on front line resources.
• Work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders to deliver customer involvement objectives and stakeholder management within a specified area, attending community meetings where relevant to the Group and its customers.
• Build effective and strong relationships with customers, identify customer's needs and aspirations, provide targeted support and use of customer intelligence to drive tenancy sustainability.
• Provide clear, supportive and accurate social housing advice to customers, colleagues and other stakeholders, including signposting where appropriate, to ensure awareness of the service and the effective progression and resolution of cases.
• Act as an advocate for customers, both internally and externally where appropriate to ensure their expectations are maintained and they are receiving the appropriate levels of service.
• Work with customers to minimise and resolve issues and complaints, liaising with the Customer Complaints Team to resolve escalated complaints as required.
• Promote opportunities for customers to engage with and be involved in key decision making through our customer involvement function, to ensure the delivery of a service that meets their needs.
• Work with regional colleagues, providing local intelligence on neighbourhood level issues to contribute to the regional planning process.
• Ensure internal business processes are followed in line with the Group's policy, procedures and statutory requirements.
• Maintain accurate records using appropriate systems, ensuring the integrity and quality of Social Housing service data, to enable regular analysis to be carried out and reporting to be completed as required.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of processes and procedures.
• Accountable for organising your own work, priorities and objectives to meet the organisational goals, with the focus being "self-led" with customers need and requirements at the forefront to improve the areas for which you are responsible for.
• Respond flexibly to any necessary changes in work priorities and undertake other duties when required to support the effective operation of the service.
• Build relationships with local stakeholders in order to foster partnership working to deliver shared neighbourhood improvement.
• Ensure that all data protection requirements 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.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Full Driving licence and access to a car
• Proven track record of delivering a high-quality customer service function, preferably in the housing sector.
• Effective stakeholder management, both internally and external to the organisation.
• Customer focused with excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to work at all levels within the business.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to work under pressure, deliver to strict deadlines and manage conflicting priorities.
• Proven track record of successfully solving difficult problems.
• Proven track record of demonstrating initiative to proven activities.
• Ability to remain calm in a pressurised environment.
• Proficient use of a range of IT packages including Microsoft Office.
• Excellent team player who can work flexibly to meet business requirements.

Desirable

• Experience of agile/flexible working.
• Experience of forecasting and managing a budget.
• Experience of setting work priorities and arrangements, being self-led and working with minimal supervision.

About Us

Riverside is one of the UK's leading not-for-profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing around 75,000 homes from Irvine to Kent. We are a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods dates back over 90 years. We have plans to build over 15,000 affordable homes over the next decade.

Our Values and Behaviours

Creating an Inclusive Environment