Voids Officer

London Borough of Waltham Forest; New Addington; Sur place; GBP 32 000 - 42 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The London Borough of Waltham Forest is seeking an enthusiastic Voids Officer (Downsizing & Mutual Exchange) to join the Central Voids Team on a 12-month fixed-term basis. You will support tenants looking to downsize or move, conduct home visits, assess housing needs, and guide residents through Mutual Exchange processes.

You'll engage with tenants, manage a caseload, and work with Allocations, Tenancy Management and Repairs teams to maximise housing mobility and meet KPI targets.

Qualifications

• Experience of working within a housing, lettings, allocations, tenancy management, voids, housing options or customer service environment.
• Experience of managing customer cases and delivering positive outcomes within challenging timescales.
• Strong customer service skills with the ability to build trust and engage effectively with a diverse range of residents.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience of working with vulnerable residents and understanding the barriers they may face when moving home.
• Good organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet performance targets.
• The ability to work independently whilst also contributing positively to team objectives.
• Strong IT skills, including experience of using housing management systems and Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience of maintaining accurate records, analysing information and producing reports.
• An understanding of housing management, allocations, lettings, downsizing or Mutual Exchange processes would be advantageous.

Responsabilités

• Proactively identify and engage with tenants who are under-occupying their homes and may benefit from downsizing.
• Manage a caseload of downsizing and Mutual Exchange applications from initial enquiry through to successful move completion.
• Undertake home visits and housing needs assessments to understand tenants' circumstances and housing requirements.
• Provide practical, personalised support to residents throughout the moving process, including bidding, viewings, sign-ups, removals and utility transfers.
• Support and facilitate Mutual Exchange opportunities for residents in our council stock wanting to downsize, including supporting tenants to register on HomeSwapper and identify suitable matches.
• Ensure Mutual Exchange applications are processed efficiently and within statutory timescales.
• Work closely with Allocations, Tenancy Management and Repairs teams to maximise housing mobility and minimise delays.
• Support the allocation of suitable void properties to downsizing households and help maximise use of available housing stock.
• Maintain accurate records, monitor performance data and contribute to the achievement of pilot outcomes and service KPIs.
• Provide high-quality advice, guidance and customer service to residents, partners and stakeholders.
• Contribute to reducing overcrowding, releasing larger family homes and supporting the Council's wider housing objectives.

Connaissances

Customer service

Communication

Organisation

Negotiation

Housing management systems

MS Office

Formation

GCSE English & Maths or housing qualification

Outils

HomeSwapper

Description du poste

We are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Voids Officer (Downsizing & Mutual Exchange) to join our Central Voids Team on a 12-month fixed-term basis. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new pilot programme designed to tackle under-occupation, reduce overcrowding and help make better use of the Council's housing stock. Working at the heart of our Voids Service, you will provide intensive, end-to-end support to tenants who are looking to downsize or move through Mutual Exchange, helping them navigate what can often be a complex and emotional process. You will proactively engage with tenants, carry out home visits, identify suitable housing options and provide practical support throughout the moving journey. By helping residents move into homes that better meet their needs, you will play a key role in freeing up larger family homes, reducing reliance on temporary accommodation and improving housing outcomes for local residents. This role is ideal for someone with a strong customer-focus, excellent organisational skills and a passion for helping residents achieve positive housing outcomes. You will work closely with colleagues across Voids, Allocations, and Tenancy Management and services to deliver ambitious targets and measurable results. This is a fixed-term appointment for 12 months and forms part of a pilot programme focused on increasing downsizing and Mutual Exchange activity across the borough.

• Proactively identify and engage with tenants who are under-occupying their homes and may benefit from downsizing.
• Manage a caseload of downsizing and Mutual Exchange applications from initial enquiry through to successful move completion.
• Undertake home visits and housing needs assessments to understand tenants' circumstances and housing requirements.
• Provide practical, personalised support to residents throughout the moving process, including bidding, viewings, sign-ups, removals and utility transfers.
• Support and facilitate Mutual Exchange opportunities for residents in our council stock wanting to downsize, including supporting tenants to register on HomeSwapper and identify suitable matches.
• Ensure Mutual Exchange applications are processed efficiently and within statutory timescales.
• Work closely with Allocations, Tenancy Management and Repairs teams to maximise housing mobility and minimise delays.
• Support the allocation of suitable void properties to downsizing households and help maximise use of available housing stock.
• Maintain accurate records, monitor performance data and contribute to the achievement of pilot outcomes and service KPIs.
• Provide high-quality advice, guidance and customer service to residents, partners and stakeholders.
• Contribute to reducing overcrowding, releasing larger family homes and supporting the Council's wider housing objectives., The London Borough of Waltham Forest only advertises vacancies via our official website and approved recruitment platforms (e.g. Jobsgopublic).

We will never ask for payment or request sensitive personal or financial information as part of our recruitment process. If you are contacted by a third party claiming to represent the Council, please verify the vacancy via our official careers website before sharing any information. If you have concerns about a job advert or communication, please report it to

• Experience of working within a housing, lettings, allocations, tenancy management, voids, housing options or customer service environment.
• Experience of managing customer cases and delivering positive outcomes within challenging timescales.
• Strong customer service skills with the ability to build trust and engage effectively with a diverse range of residents.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience of working with vulnerable residents and understanding the barriers they may face when moving home.
• Good organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet performance targets.
• The ability to work independently whilst also contributing positively to team objectives.
• Strong IT skills, including experience of using housing management systems and Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience of maintaining accurate records, analysing information and producing reports.
• An understanding of housing management, allocations, lettings, downsizing or Mutual Exchange processes would be advantageous.
• GCSE English and Mathematics (or equivalent) and/or relevant housing-related qualification., Satisfactory employment references and CIFAS identity checks;
• Satisfactory declaration of interest;

As a public authority, we must ensure that members of staff in public-facing roles are able to speak fluent English. This means that they must have a command of spoken English, with confidence and accuracy, sufficient for the effective performance of their role. This requirement does not refer to any particular English language qualifications, regional or international accents, dialects, speech impediments or the tone of conversations. It does not require staff to speak only in English.

Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work. We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents. London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the employers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace.

• This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment.

Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives:

• Promoting equality of opportunity
• Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage
• Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels.
• Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all.

Respecting Diversity is a core Council value.