Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We’re looking for a Housing & Income Officer to join our Landlord Services team based locally at our services in Bracknell, Windsor and Maidenhead.
£32,000.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.
Want to feel in control of your career? You’ll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren’t token gestures - we’ve thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
Look Ahead manages a number of young people services in Bracknell and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
Look Ahead is looking for a highly motivated and committed Housing & Income Officer for an initial 6-month placement to work alongside our support workers and deliver a good quality intensive housing management service to our customers.
The successful applicant will be responsible for all aspects of housing management within the service. This will include rent arrears management, occupancy agreement management, ASB management, void management and some compliance and repair reporting responsibilities. This is not an exclusive list.
You will be based at our local offices in Bracknell, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. You will have significant daily contact with our customers and staff.
The successful candidate needs to be able to meet challenging targets for arrears and voids, have excellent problem-solving skills and be prepared to “go the extra mile”.
The role is based on site at two of our young people's schemes- visiting customers in their homes and having a presence in the community. This role covers Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead region.
This role is a Fixed Term Contract, lasting 6-9 months.
This role requires a valid Right to Work for the UK as Look Ahead are not a sponsoring organisation.
What you’ll do:
• Sign up new customers to the appropriate occupancy agreement and ensure housing benefit claims submitted and maintained correctly.
• Be responsible for monitoring and updating all relevant information on Look Ahead`s housing management database including inputting all new customers and ending occupancy agreements in a timely way.
• Proactively monitor rent accounts and take timely and effective action to deal with increasing rent and service charge arrears.
• Ensure all customers are supported to have the most appropriate payment method (rent payment cards, direct debit etc.) for their individual circumstances to ensure easy payment of their rent and/or arrears.
• Lead on making back-dated claims for housing benefit and appealing over-payment deductions.
• Ensure that all customers are kept informed of their rent account status regularly and that action plans are agreed with customers to address any arrears or other rent related issues promptly.
• Issuing arrears warning letters, monitor payment agreements and escalate arrears enforcement action.
• Serve accurate notices for possession, complete court paperwork and represent Look Ahead in court cases in the county court.
• Requesting rent adjustments and repayment of housing benefit over-payments
• Ensure that there are effective and on-going liaison processes in place with key agencies such as the housing benefit service, Department of Work and Pensions and local police.
• Develop and promote financial inclusion initiatives in the service such as advertising credit unions and local debt management advice services.
• Act as the lead role for void management in services – ensure void inspection forms are completed, void reporting systems are maintained and that there is effective liaison with the organisation’s void team and contractors. Ensure that void turnaround times are in line with Key Performance Indicators and post inspections are completed and reported.
• Support local staff to ensure occupancy levels at the service are as high as possible and escalate issues where necessary.
• Lead on ASB enforcement across the portfolio ensuring early intervention techniques are utilised. Ensure timely and appropriate actions is taken against perpetrators including issuing warnings and serving notices where appropriate.
• Maintaining systems and spreadsheets associated with all housing management functions and producing reports and data where requested.
• Act as the lead role for reporting repairs in the service both in communal areas (internal and external areas) as well as in customer rooms. Ensure all works are post inspected and reported. Liaise with contractors to ensure access is granted.
• Act as the lead officer in completing all required compliance tasks within the service including call point and fire alarm checks, fire door checks, fire evacuation drills, health and safety inspections, carrying out living standard checks. This list is not exhaustive.
• Make sure all compliance records are maintained to a good standard and that KPIs are being met. Liaise with the scheme manager regarding underperformance against compliance targets.
• Participate in team meetings, 1:1 meetings with the manager and undertake any training required for the post.
• Undertaking any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Team Leader/Manager
• Adhere to all the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care & Support, those specific to the project including any statutory requirements.
This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead
About you:
• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement.
• Approachable and open behaviour. Can work independently and as part of a team.
• Prefers working as part of a group or team.
• Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement.
• Exercises decisions and discretion in a non-judgmental manner.
• Is assertive and will challenge others.
• Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised.
• Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments.
• Demonstrates significant confidence and high levels of self-esteem.
• Is respectful, articulate, and sensitive in style of communication.
• Is passionate and enthusiastic about his/her career and job experiences.
• Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can-do attitude.
• Committed and passionate about improving the life chances of vulnerable customers.
• Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviour.
What you’ll bring:
Essential:
- Experience of monitoring rent accounts and managing rent arrears
- Experience of using computerised rent systems to monitor arrears and record information.
- Ability to track and manage void properties and ASB cases.
- Knowledge of managing ASB and lettings and be able to explain good practice in this area.
- Extensive knowledge of welfare benefits, especially housing benefit.
- Experience of liaising with housing benefit departments, the DWP and other external agencies.
- Confidence in interpreting rent accounts and using IT packages to run and create reports, identify priorities, and update records.
Desirable:
- 1-2 years’ experience in housing management.
About us:
Look Ahead is a dynamic, leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. As an organisation we deliver over 110 services, providing support to around 7000 customers each year. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.
If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
1. Background
The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) promotes evidence-informed equitable, inclusive and sustainable development. We support the generation and effective use of high-quality evidence to inform decision-making and improve the lives of people living in poverty in low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs). We provide guidance and support to produce impact evaluations and associated formative evaluations; systematic reviews and syntheses, evidence gap maps and support for using that evidence in decision-making and capacity development. Our work encompasses a wide range of topics, sectors and themes, including but not limited to health, nutrition, education, agriculture, governance, microfinance, climate change, humanitarian interventions, and social protection. 3ie is registered as a non-governmental organization in the United States. It has offices in New Delhi, London and Washington, DC.
The Contracts and Compliance Officer will support 3ie’s efforts in contract, compliance, safeguarding and risk management guidance and oversight with an emphasis on providing direct billable compliance support to the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre (RCC). The Officer will work closely with various teams across the organization including project, business development, finance, and senior management teams to develop and implement compliance processes, tools, resources, and best practices, provide quality control, and build staff capacity in compliance and risk management. The Contracts and Compliance Officer will report directly to the Cost and Pricing Controller with informal reporting to the RCC Sr. Programme Manager.
2. Key Responsibilities
2.1 FCDO RCC Contracting, Compliance and Risk Management
- Draft, review, and negotiate contracts and grants for sub awardees delivering work under the RCC.
- Support strategies and systems to respond to FCDO and/or RCC project team requests for new research commissions, project related questions, and general advisory services providing information and interpretation on a broad range of topics including contract and subcontracting regulations, compliance procedures, management, and risk mitigation.
- Provide safeguarding leadership, including implementation of best practices for the RCC, review of downstream partner policies and practices, audit of safeguarding procedures, etc.
- Identify and propose mitigation strategies for RCC operational, financial, and other compliance gaps that pose risk to the project and/or 3ie.
- Review and provide guidance on proposed amendments to the RCC accountable grant agreement and daft RCC related subcontracts, sub-grants, amendments, services agreements, and independent contractor agreements.
- Draft and/or support development of approval requests and other donor correspondence related to procurement, grant, consultant, or other contractual actions.
2.2 Organizational Compliance and Risk Management
- Serve as the primary resource and subject matter expert on FCDO contracts, risk, and compliance to ensure quality control and guidance in order to maintain consistent approaches and implement best practices across 3ie’s FCDO portfolio.
- Stay updated on changes in FCDO and other donor rules, regulations, and industry wide compliance best practices.
- Support the development and implementation of 3ie internal policies and procedures to enhance contract and grant compliance. This includes but is not limited to reviewing, analyzing, and making recommendations to current policies, processes, and internal controls to ensure effective and efficient identification and mitigation of noncompliance and risks.
- Recommend improvements to the corporate authorities structure, file/recordkeeping processes, as well as support senior management in organizational risk management.
- Support the development and maintenance of a repository of contract and grant compliance best practices, innovative approaches, guidance documents, and tools.
- Contribute to increasing staff awareness and capacity of donor regulations, 3ie policies, tools, templates, and procedures through formal and ad hoc trainings and development of guidance materials
- Conduct internal compliance audits.
- Assist with ad hoc compliance related tasks as required.
2.3 Business Development
- Review tenders, assist with development of questions and/or responses to tends, and provide ad hoc proposal development needs ensuring consistency with corporate policies and strategies, relevant regulations, and FCDO requirements.
- Support review and negotiation process for new FCDO awards.
3. Qualifications and Skills
- Undergraduate degree in relevant field
- 3-5 years (Officer) or 5+ years (Sr. Officer) of experience in direct contract administration or compliance, preferably with FCDO and/or a mix of bilateral (USAID, GIZ, NORAD), multilateral (UN, World Bank), and foundations (BMGF, GAVI) in the international development context
- Strong knowledge and understanding of FCDO and/or other bilateral and multilateral rules, regulations, and policies required
- Experience with a wide variety of grants, contracts, and subcontract types and methodologies (commercial contracts, accountable grants, framework agreements, hybrid agreements/contracts)
- Experience managing payment by results or performance-based contracts.
- Experience developing and delivering participatory trainings on compliance, regulations, and policies
- Demonstrated experience in conducting internal compliance audits preferred
- Experience with various business development processes including cost and pricing, recruitment, contract negotiations, and/or writing preferred
4. Eligibility
We will recruit one or more individuals, preferably with the right to work in the UK.
3ie is an equal-opportunity employer committed to equality and diversity. We do not discriminate based on sex, age, religion, ethnicity, caste, sexual orientation or for being differently abled. We particularly encourage ethnic minorities and differently abled persons to apply.
5. Terms of Employment
Candidates should be available to start work as soon as possible. 3ie offers competitive remuneration based on location, experience and qualifications.
Our policies and procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse. We follow a zero-tolerance policy for any form of bullying or harassment in the workplace.
6. How to apply
Your application package must include the following*:
- A cover letter, highlighting your experience relevant to the terms of reference. It is mandatory to include information about your work authorization for the US/UK/ India, else it will be considered as incomplete;
- Curriculum vitae along with names and contact information for at least three professional references.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
*Incomplete applications will not be considered
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.