Job description

Department:Accommodation & Hospitality Services

Location:Eastbourne/Hastings

Job title:Accommodation Coordinator

Post number:

Grade:5

Responsible to:Accommodation Manager

Main areas of

responsibility:

  1. To work with the university’s accommodation partner(s) in Eastbourne to provide a professional, efficient and customer focused service to students living in the hall(s) of residence and university managed accommodation.
  1. To be responsible for the day to day operation of the accommodation office in Eastbourne, planning and delivery of services, and contributing to the general work of the accommodation office.
  1. To ensure that visits to, and follow-up action in university managed and registered private sector properties are carried out to maintain the portfolio’s ongoing safety and suitability for student letting in line with university and local authority standards, statutory regulations and other relevant guidelines.

Specific duties:

  1. To work with the university’s accommodation partner(s) in Eastbourne to provide a professional, efficient and customer focused service to students living in the hall(s) of residence and university managed accommodation

1.1To develop and maintain good working relations with the accommodation partner(s) managing the hall of residence on behalf of the university.

1.2To set up and maintain regular meetings with the accommodation provider to ensure formal communication about issues in the halls.

1.3To provide advice and guidance in respect of the management of the building, service delivery and the relationship with students.

1.4To monitor the partner(s) compliance with the operating agreement and Codes of Standards, such as the Universities UK Code, addressing any initial non-compliance and referring serious breaches to the Residential Services Manager or senior member of the department.

1.5To ensure that maintenance issues, planned and reactive, are carried out in line with university procedures, the facilities agreement and good practice as defined in the Universities UK Code or other similar codes.

1.6To ensure that day-to-day Health & Safety and Fire Safety practices and checks are carried out and recorded as required by the Health & Safety policies within the university referring serious issues to the department’s Health & Safety Officer.

1.7To provide regular reports to senior managers about the partner(s) performance and management of halls.

1.8To review the facilities agreement as required, proposing and agreeing changes with the operator and senior managers within the university.

1.9To work closely with local housing stakeholders to raise the standards of student housing provision in the area and to influence and jointly develop local housing strategies and plans.

  1. To be responsible for the day to day operation of the accommodation office in Eastbourne, planning and delivery of services, and contributing to the general work of the accommodation office.

2.1To attend regular team meetings with accommodation staff and other meetings as required.

2.2To contribute to the development of accommodation office policies, guidelines, publications, procedures, and to keep up to date with legislation and regulations related to accommodation provision in higher education and the private sector.

2.3To ensure that all correspondence and complaints received are responded to and monitored according to the department’s complaints procedure.

2.4To supervise the timely and proper allocation and reallocation of halls’ rooms and university managed properties in order to maximise income and accommodation use giving consideration to student needs, such as medical needs.

2.5To prepare for and organise arrangements to ensure that halls and managed property are ready for term time and vacation lettings.

2.6To carry out checks of student and guest rooms for possible damage to university property and ensuring that invoices are processed where required.

2.7To maintain necessary records to cover safety, incidents, discipline, and the well-being of students and accommodation staff.

2.8To attend and investigate incidents and breaches of student accommodation contracts and take action to resolve the situation and prevent future breaches, including interviewing students, recording statements and advising relevant colleagues about actions.

2.9To advise the Assistant Head (Accommodation Services) about incidents that may require formal disciplinary action to be taken.

2.10To attend formal student disciplinary hearings when required, providing written/and or verbal evidence to the disciplinary panel.

2.11To represent the accommodation office and the department and to give presentations at regular university events, such as inductions, and open days.

2.12To liaise with colleagues within the department, university and partner colleges and the Students’ Union on a range of issues related to accommodation and to ensure access to accommodation advice and assistance for students.

2.13To monitor and manage delegated budget areas liaising with departmental and university finance colleagues as required.

2.14To assist in the end of year accounting procedures, ensuring the return of all forms and information by the required deadlines.

2.15To keep senior accommodation & Hospitality Services staff regularly updated on all aspects of the accommodation office work and to produce regular written reports of the same including relevant statistical information.

  1. To ensure that visits to and follow-up action in university managed and registered private sector properties are carried out to maintain the portfolio’s ongoing safety and suitability for student letting in line with university and local authority standards, statutory regulations and other relevant guidelines.

3.1To carry out visits to university managed and private sector accommodation and ensure any defects or repairs are reported and remedied by owners within agreed timescales.

3.2To assess and keep under review reports for each property address ensuring that accurate records are maintained.

3.3To investigate and address breaches of the university’s Code of Standards.

3.4To market the service to new owners and developers, and advise new and existing owners, about the university’s requirements and all statutory requirements and to assist them with their queries related to student accommodation.

Selection Criteria:

The criteria below indicate the qualities that are needed to do the job well. Candidates for the post will be selected according to the extent to which they satisfy them, and the evidence of potential for developing the rest further. Most of the criteria must normally be met in order to qualify for selection

  • Knowledge/qualifications:Knowledge of students’ needs in higher education, typically represented by a degree or experience of working with students in higher education; Full or part housing qualification, such as the Institute of Housing. Good understanding of Landlord and Tenant Law, and Housing legislation relevant to student accommodation, recent experience of volume property management in the public or private sector. Knowledge about the role of local authorities; an understanding of government and university welfare provision; working knowledge of databases and word processing packages; competent numeracy skills.
  • Communication: clear, concise, timely and appropriate oral and written communication, persuasive.
  • Sensitivity: listens well and understands others’ needs and perspectives.
  • Self motivation: meets objectives on own initiative; committed to continuous self development.
  • Teamwork: experience of working with teams, has credibility and influence; can negotiate and motivate, flexible; co-operative; helpful; self-aware; collaborates well.
  • Organisation: systematic; efficient; meets agreed priorities.
  • Response to change: investigative; adaptable; prepared.
  • Analysis, creativity & problem solving: considers other implications and perspectives; solves problems and develops plans successfully.
  • Technical skill: good keyboard skills.
  • Physical: able to use display screen equipment extensively, according to health and safety guidelines.

The job description sets out the duties of the post at the time it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.

SW v5 5/10/10