Senior Home Ownership and Leasehold Officer

Grade 8- £41,586 to £45, 576pa

At the London Borough of Havering we pride ourselves on delivering the highest quality services to our residents, shared owners and leaseholders.

At Havering, residents, shared owners and leaseholders are at the heart of everything we do. It is imperative that applicants are committed to Havering’s ICARE values and committed to our vision of becoming a national top quartile service across a range of measures.

The Senior Home Ownership and Leasehold Officer role, is a key position and will work to ensure we meet all of our statutory timelines and targets. 

Reporting to the Home Ownership Manager, and working as part of the Home Ownership Team.  The Senior Home Ownership and Leasehold Officer will have operational responsibility for a team of staff, in all aspects of leasehold management for the Borough’s leasehold stock and shared ownership units, including collation of data for service charge estimate and actuals and raising of relevant invoices.

Responsibility for rent increase letters, for shared ownership properties and ground rent notices as required under relevant legislation.

 To effectively manage all service functions for leasehold management for Havering Council leaseholders/homeowners.

Ensure that section 20 notices are served correctly, and the recovery of all major works and service charge debts.

To assist the Home Ownership Manager with the sales and stair-casing of Shared Ownership properties also known as LCHO (Low Cost Home Ownership).

A key objective will be to create a dynamic, innovative, agile service that uses data, technology and business intelligence to set the operational direction and drive ambitious, achievable, challenging targets for all service functions. Working seamlessly with a range internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance. To manage a service that delivers top in class service, and provide values for money to service users

In return we offer a competitive salary, with an organisation that is committed to getting the best out of its people, with a strong focus on training and development, and a culture that will enable you and your service to flourish

Why choose Havering?

On joining Havering, you will find our supportive, approachable and visible leadership who are happy to share their skills and experience to guide you wherever you need it. We are proud to be a forward-thinking organisation that embraces new ways of working to the benefit of our employees and residents alike.

More reasons to choose Havering:

•         A competitive salary     £41,586 to £45, 576    Grade 8 spinal points 35 – 39

•         An agile, modern and efficient council in London’s eastern most Borough.

•         26 days’ annual leave, rising to 29 days after 5 years’ service

•         Access to our Employee Assistance Programme

•         Generous Local Government Pension scheme

You will be part of a creative, professional and supportive management team, whose ethos is about working together to achieve success.

About the Job

In this role the responsibility will of course be to have overall operational responsibility for all aspects of leasehold management for the Borough’s leasehold stock and shared ownership units,

It will also has responsibility and ownership of a range of key deliverables which will include:

• Managing a multi-disciplinary  staff team
• Ensuring achievement against all service plans, targets, budgets and resources.
• Ensure the team respond to all customer enquiries and complaints within agreed service standards and where necessary, contact customers to clarify issues raised.
• Regularly review and update internal procedures and guidelines in response to legislative and statutory changes in order for Home Ownership to ensure a consistent and fit for purpose service to all customers is maintained.
• To be aware of the marketing and sales of Shared Ownership properties in line with the GLA Capital Funding Guidelines, acquire and maintain comprehensive knowledge of all current legislation, Codes of Conduct, etc. including stair-casing.
• To ensure all stair casing complies with legislation, council rules and guidelines.
• Managing the effective delivery of all property sales, and issuing of service charge Estimates and Actuals in accordance with legislation and Council rules and guidelines.
• To ensure that correct checks are undertaken to minimise the incidents of fraud within the service area’s and therefore protecting the council funding, resources and residential stock.
• To assist with the calculation, verification, analysis and confirmation of all service charge estimates and actuals.
• To assist with the setting, calculation of all service charges and shared ownership rents to ensure the accurate recovery of revenue due is achieved.
• In conjunction with the Home Ownership Manager, ensure effective performance management practices are implemented within the Home Ownership team to ensure a high quality customer service, including; setting and monitoring service standards and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s); reviewing staff training needs; undertaking purposeful annual staff appraisals; closely monitoring sickness absence and time keeping in line with the Council’s policies and procedures; and, assisting with disciplinary issues within the team.

About You

The successful candidate will need extensive experience, of heading up all of the service areas

You must be able to evidence the following in your application:

A minimum of 2 years’ experience of working in a large local authority, social housing and or complex political organisation.

A minimum of 2 years’ experience and extensive knowledge gained from working within the field of Home Ownership, Leasehold Management, Section 20, service charge calculations, setting and recovery of major works and service charges,  Sales and Marketing and stair casing.

 A minimum of 1 years exper