Housing Management Officer in East London

We are Hestia. We make a difference. 

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. We provide a range of services, including Domestic Abuse support, Modern Slavery assistance, Mental Health & Complex Needs care, and Criminal Justice. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence.

The service you will work in….

Hestia's Housing Services Department is a team of staff who assist with accommodation services, with targeted support to persons with mental health needs. Each role has a small patch from 50-140 units within a geographical area. The size of the the patch to manage allows us more time to offer further services for the assessment and service user finance management.  

A day in this role looks like….

As a Housing Management Officer at Hestia, you will play a crucial role in our Housing Services. Your contributions will directly influence the lives of our service users, guiding them towards a path of empowerment and independence.

A day will never look the same and some of the things you can expect to do/be responsible for are:

• Manage an allocated patch of properties for housing management functions.
• To ensure the housing management functions of health and safety of the property, maintenance and voids control, are kept according to policy.
• Management of service users rent/charges collection, arrears avoidance control, debt management.
• Under the direction of your line Manager, liaise with partner Registered Providers, ensuring adherence to Management Agreements.
• Agreement sign ups and exit meetings with service users.
• Management of service users DWP, Revenue and Benefits.
• Working with the Rents team to ensure new service users have their rent accounts established.
• Supporting new service users to apply for welfare benefits, including housing benefit and establish personal charge payments.
• Undertaking any necessary legal action, including leading on the pre action protocol.
• Providing weekly/monthly/quarterly performance reports to your line Manager.
• Undertake daily/weekly/monthly building health and safety.
• Oversee and follow up on any repairs reported by staff and service users.
• Ensure that any repairs are actioned within the relevant timescales, keeping service users and support staff aware of progress and maintain records.
• Working in partnership with support workers, Local Authorities and referrers.
• Maintain the safety and security of the building, including leading on the completion of property risk assessments.
• Work with the support workers to develop a psychologically informed environment.
• Develop supportive and positive relationships with service users and colleagues.

Why Hestia?

Joining Hestia means more than just a job; it's an opportunity to be part of something bigger. We offer a supportive, inclusive and resolution driven work environment where your contributions are recognised and valued. As a member of our team, you will have the chance to grow both personally and professionally while making a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

We are looking for candidates who bring a combination of passion, expertise, and dedication to the table. To excel in this role, you should possess:

• An in-depth understanding of all aspects of housing management.
• DWP, revenue and benefits legislation knowledge.
• Rent collection and arrears recovery management, plus an understanding of the pre action protocol.
• An understanding of civil options available to ensure the safety of the building.
• Knowledge and experience of move on options for people living in supported accommodation.
• Computer literate with the ability to use electronic recording systems to accurately record data.
• A strong sense of accountability.
• An ability to lone and self-manage their own time.
• A high standard of written and spoken English.
• Numerate with the ability to analyse and present financial data to a range of audiences.
• Strong IT skills.
• Ability to achieve objective through working in partnership with internal and external stakeholders.
• Able to work sensitively with service users.
• Able to visit accommodation sites to carry out service user meetings.
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health issues, drug and alcohol dependency and young persons support. 

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.