Job Advert

Leasehold Officer

£23,339 - £26,729 per annum

37 hours per week

Do you have the knowledge, experience and drive to provide an excellent Leasehold & Shared Ownership service?

Bron Afon have developed a Leasehold & Shared Housing Service over the past 6 years, to improve specialist advice and guidance to our 980 leasehold customers and to the business. Our Leasehold Officers ensure we fulfil our statutory duties and legislative requirements by maintaining the wealth of knowledge required and sharing this with colleagues and customers. We want to continually develop the service to ensure we provide excellence for our customers.

Want to know more about the role and want an informal chat please contact Simon McCracken, Leasehold Manageron 01633 620183.

For permanent members of staff, an expression of interest is required (maximum 2 sides of A4).For an application pack please visit our website at email or contact Human Resources on 01633 620096 and leave a message. CVs will not be accepted.

Closing Date: 12 noon, 21 October 2016

Interview Date:8 November 2016

Job Description and Person Specification

Job title: Leasehold Officer

Responsible to: Leasehold Manager

Grade: 6 (SCP 25-29)

Location: LlantarnamIndustrial Park, Cwmbran, South Wales, NP44 3AB

Contract type: Full time and permanent

COMMUNITY HOUSING AND SUPPORT VISION

You will contribute to the delivery the Community Housing and Support service vision which is to:

  • Have tenancy and community sustainability at the heart of the service
  • Better understand the need and demand of our tenants and customers
  • Provide accessible and tailored support for those who need it
  • Be a service that is fit for the demands of Welfare Reform
  • Provide seamless and accessible excellent customer service
  • Make more efficient use of resources and strive to maximise income

Job Purpose

1.

1.1 Ensure the delivery and continuous improvement of best value services for leaseholders, effectively fulfilling BronAfon’s statutory duties under Right to Buy, Right to Acquire and leasehold legislation.

1.2Undertake all aspects of service charge debt recovery, including the pursuance of cases through the legal system where alternative solutions have been exhausted, generating regular reports and maximising the use of IT systems.

1.3Provide specialist advice and guidance to colleagues, leaseholders and the general public on matters relating to leasehold management and wider home ownership issues, ensuring that all parties are aware of their obligations and responsibilities.

1.4Ensure the delivery of services required for Right to Acquire/Right to Buy applications and Shared Ownership schemes.

1.5Play a supporting role in shaping and driving organisational and cultural change to deliver BronAfon’s mission and values, actively involving and engaging leaseholders in developing and improving a focused and inclusive service.

Key Responsibilities

2. Implementing the Bron Afon Community Mutual Model

2.1Support others to deliver an excellent Community Housing Service, through effective community involvement and positive partnership working across all sectors and within local communities.

2.2Work efficiently and effectively across Bron Afon to ensure that excellent working relationships are developed and maintained between all individuals, teams and service areas.

2.3Support the learning and development of others and personally engage in appropriate training and development opportunities.

2.4Assist in the promotion of participation from leaseholders. Represent the organisation at the Leasehold Forum and similar events, to include meetings held during evenings and weekends.

3.Leasehold Management Services

3.1Deliver and develop an excellent leasehold service charge debt recovery service, actively managing, monitoring and progressing cases in accordance with procedures and represent the organisation at the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal and County Court.

3.2Provide an accurate, specialist advice service covering lease terms and legislation, investigating suspected breaches/disputes and where appropriate taking action.

3.3Ensure that income from leaseholders is recovered correctly and in accordance with any relevant legislation, by preparing service charge invoices, statements and other documentation comparing actual costs against those which Bron Afon is legally entitled to recover under the statutory provisions of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 and the terms of the lease.

3.4Participate in processing Right to Acquire/Right to Buy applications in accordance with current legislation and statutory time limits, including the determination of applicant eligibility, calculation of discount entitlement and preparation of S125 Notices.

3.5Deliver a Shared Ownership management service to cover lease terms and legislation, investigate suspected breaches/disputes and where appropriate taking action.

3.6Support the Housing Solutions Manager in reviewing and updating all policies and procedures taking into account best practice and any legislative changes, ensuring that full engagement and involvement takes place with all relevant stakeholders.

3.7Lead on statutory leasehold consultations, working closely with other teams and service areas. Respond to Section 20 Notices and invoices in accordance with the requirements of the Commonhold & Leasehold Reform Act 2002 and individual lease terms.

3.8Deliver a housing management service for any alternative housing solutions developed by the Housing Solutions Team.

3.9 Deliver the information required to monitor personal and team performance.

4.Strategic financial management and control

4.1Deliver improvements in line with key performance indicators recognising and supporting continuous improvement.

4.2Produce accurate and timely information or feedback which can be used to inform and support service development or improvement.

4.3Prepare and scrutinise service charge billing and major works billing information.

4.4Assess leaseholders requiring Deferred Credit Agreements, agree the best option and prepare the documentation.

5. Governance, Regulation and Conduct

5.1Lead by personal example, demonstrating the highest personal standards of integrity, conduct and values consistent withBronAfon’s vision and values.

5.2Effectively maximise the use of all premises and ICT provision maintaining compliance with all data protection and data analysis requirements.

5.3Ensure that all business is conducted in accordance with BronAfon’s standing orders and financial regulations.

5.4Promote and uphold BronAfon’s Code of Conduct, Equality and Diversity Policy and other policies and procedures, taking particular responsibility for Health and Safety within reception, the main office and across Service Areas.

6.Other duties

6.1Carry out such other duties and responsibilities consistent with the level of responsibility of the post and accept that this job description will be the subject of regular review.

Person Specification –Leasehold Officer

Criteria / Evidence required / Selection methodology
A / I / P
Qualifications, knowledge and understanding / A good understanding of how to respond positively to clients with differing needs / X / X
An awareness and understanding of legislation covering leasehold management and the Right to Buy scheme / X / X / X
Experience / Experience of supporting and dealing with leaseholders and members of the public, with evidence of successfully managing and handling conflict / X / X
Experience of working within policies and guidelines and adapting processes to improve effectiveness and efficiency / X / X
Experience of using computers to record and review data.
(Microsoft Excel is an essential tool used in this service, a good level of experience will be required) / X / X
Skills and Abilities / Accurate data entry skills to enable accounts to be updated promptly and efficiently, or the ability to acquire skills easily with support and training / X / X
Ability to assess and support/meet individual needs and signpost to other organisations and agencies where appropriate / X / X
Positive problem solving approach with the ability to work in what can be challenging or emotive situations / X / X
Ability to assess and negotiate a realistic payment plan balancing the individual and business needs / X / X
Ability to explain complex or contentious issues in ways that are easily understood, tailoring responses to individual needs / X / X
Well developed organisational skills, able to plan and prioritise own workload / X / X
Ability to diffuse conflict and deal with aggressive and difficult customers / X / X / X
Excellent negotiating and influencing skills which achieve results / X / X
High standard of numeracy and literacy; the ability to use plain English effectively / X / X
Ability to network and build collaborative working relationships with colleagues and support agencies on behalf of clients / X / X
Ability to work on own initiative, develop new ways of working and make informed decisions / X / X
Personal qualities / An individual who can assess different situations considering all options and who likes helping people to find solutions / X / X / X
Able to effectively handle pressure and conflicting demands / X / X
Non-judgmental with respect for others’ views and life choices / X / X
Flexibility in responding to changing demands and conditions / X
Proactive approach with the ability to use constructive challenge to improve performance / X
Additional requirements / As this post requires making visits to clients in their own homes and attend court the ability to travel throughout Torfaen and neighbouring districts is essential. / X
Ability to work flexibly, working evenings or weekends on occasion / X
The ability to speak Welsh is a desirable criterion for this post / X
  • A=application
  • I= interview
  • p=probation