NEWHAM COMMUNITY RENEWAL PROGRAMME LTD JOB DESCRIPTION Department: Housing Job title: Team Leader Working Hours: Full time 37.5 hours Rate of pay: £33,500 to £38,500 dependent on qualifications, skills, and experience. Reports to: Housing Service Manager Responsible for: Housing Support Workers/Concierge Location: Newham About the Renewal Programme The Renewal Programme is a well-established and respected local charity based in the London Borough of Newham. We support those who are facing multiple challenges – they might be a carer, migrant or refugee without access to public funds, suffering with homelessness, experiencing poverty, or unable to communicate in English. We empower people to reach their full potential through offering advocacy, education, temporary accommodation and a wide range of positive activities. We support over 3000 people a year and have been working with Newham communities for over 50 years. Our vision Our vision is of vibrant and integrated Newham communities where everyone has access to suitable jobs, homes, health and education. Our mission Our mission is to stand alongside those who struggle by inspiring hope and offering opportunities for connection, growth and progress. Our values DIGNITY - Treating everyone with kindness and respect. INCLUSION - A community where everyone belongs. COLLABORATION - Working together to achieve more. EMPOWERMENT - Co-creating opportunities for positive change. NEWHAM COMMUNITY RENEWAL PROGRAMME LTD Main purpose of job You will work with colleagues to provide effective, high-quality support and resettlement services to vulnerable, single, homeless people housed by The Renewal Programme. Our goal is to promote independent living for our residents, and your main responsibility will be to ensure the smooth and safe running of our overall housing service. You will play a crucial role in delivering an excellent service to all our housing residents. You will be responsible for assessing them comprehensively, identifying their needs, and ensuring the appropriate support to enable them to make positive changes and move forward in their lives. You will be proactive in making sure that residents have active move on plans and receive necessary support to successfully move on. You will also be responsible for ensuring that rental income is maximized, and all residents are supported in meeting their tenancy/license obligations to sustain their tenancies/license agreements as they prepare for independent living. Your expertise and leadership skills will be essential in motivating and supporting our team in achieving the best possible outcomes for our residents. You will work closely with the team to ensure that all our services are delivered to the highest possible standards and in line with the needs of our residents, stakeholders, and funders. A proactive approach to safeguarding and incident management will ensure a safe and progressive environment for all residents. Responsibilities and Duties: Development of the Service / Community Relationships • To assist the Housing Service Manager in the development of the Service, ensuring best practice and innovative services are available to service users. • To work in close conjunction with the other agencies to improve the services and opportunities for service users. • To promote the Service through participation in inter-agency forums and attendance at other functions as directed by the Housing Service Manager. • To foster and sustain good relationships with the local community, partner agencies, and relevant external organisations. Staff Management • Deputise for the Housing Service Manager when required. • Provide line management supervision to designated team, as agreed with the Housing Service Manager. • Ensure that all allocated staff have appropriate personal development plans and are appropriately supported to deliver these plans. • To ensure that high standards of professional performance are maintained by staff always working in the service through adherence to the policy and procedural framework/processes. • To ensure that disciplinarians and grievances are effectively managed, including the undertaking of investigations, and the conducting of disciplinary interviews as directed by the Housing Service Manager. • To participate and contribute to the development of an annual plan for the Service which reflects the objectives set by senior/executive management board. Operational Management • To ensure that regular staff meetings take place and are fully recorded. • To ensure that service users and office records are accurately maintained on a timely basis. NEWHAM COMMUNITY RENEWAL PROGRAMME LTD • To ensure that adequate staff is always on duty that appropriate staff rotas have been prepared • and that arrangements are in place for the use of agency as a last resort. In conjunction with all staff ensure that Renewal Programme Quality Management System is adhered to and maintained at the Service. • To ensure that all the Renewal Programme Policies and Procedures are fully understood by staff and being adhered to within the Service. Service Practice • To assist in the development and maintenance of policies, procedures, and interventions to enable the provision of high-quality services which benefit the service users and the performance of the Service. • To ensure that all Service Users have an allocated Support Worker, and that Support Plans and Risk Assessments are in place for all service users and are monitored quarterly as minimum. • To ensure that professional awareness of best practice and service innovation is maintained and shared with all Service staff. • To encourage Service User involvement and initiatives within the Service as well as within the wider organisational level initiatives and services • Ensure absolute adherence to Renewal Programme Confidentiality Policy and all other associated policies and procedures. Financial management and Administration • Ensure housing claims on behalf of service users for housing costs and other welfare benefits are completed on admission and assist them in the maintenance of their claim(s), including arranging /or accompanying to appointments as appropriate. • Ensure service charge and housing benefit payments are entered promptly and efficiently on to the inform system weekly and from HB on a 4-week cycle. • Ensure former tenants are monitored on our Inform system to ensure cases are closed correctly and former arrears reported accurately to the Housing Service Manager. • Ensure Inform weekly cash payments are reconciled against bank statement payments. • Provide tenants with an up to date monthly quarterly rent statement. • Ensure all current arrears are robustly managed under the current Renewal Programme rent arrears policy and ensure appropriate action taken when residents are not adhering to their licence / tenancy agreement obligations to pay their rent charge. • Ensure support to manage rent payments is an integral part of the support offered to residents of The Renewal Programme, by working closely with support staff to ensure all tenants have budget plans, signed direct debits/ agreements to pay rent and other supporting documentation in place to support manage their rent obligations. • Ensure Housing Benefit payments are maximised by ensuring claims are made promptly, and tenants supported to provide necessary supporting documentation within deadlines. • Ensure establishing benefit claims and paying rent charge area top priority, including signed standing orders a condition of move in, signed rent / licence agreement as part of move in process and any other actions that evidence a robust approach to managing arrears. • Provide case work support to support workers to manage their arrears by working closely with them overseeing arrears work, providing clearly weekly, monthly actions to complete, with completion dated, and monitoring progress and identifying incidents where guidance, instructions and suggested actions are not adhered to or followed are addressed in case work NEWHAM COMMUNITY RENEWAL PROGRAMME LTD supervision. • To assist the Housing Service Manager in his/her responsibility for the scheme’s budget and help account for any variances. • Support the Housing Service Manager in the production of an annual budget for the Services. • Help promote effective cost control mechanisms and encourage all staff to take responsibility for achieving financial savings where possible. • Assist in providing on time reporting and submission of information to Central functions, such as training record updates, performance statistics for KSI monitoring and Quality & Performance for commissioners. • Actively support the Housing Service Manager in ensuring all Renewal Programme policies and procedures are appropriately understood, followed, and implemented at the Service. • Generate and submit reports as requested by the Housing Service Manager. Health & Safety and Environment • Promote and encourage best practice in Health & Safety and Environmental issues. • Take responsibility for the personal safety of all people working and/ or visiting the service especially in response to emergency / evacuation situations. • Ensure all the organisations rules/policies regarding Health, Safety and the Environment are strictly adhered to and that safe working practices are always adopted, and risk assessments are both carried out and followed. • Assist/or be responsible for reporting any incidents/accidents occurring at the Service to the Housing Service Manager, Central Services, and the competent Health & Safety person. To conduct initial investigations into the incident/accident and provide appropriate report. • Ensure all RIDDOR incidents are reported in a timely fashion. • Ensure COSHH and Risk assessments records are maintained and available for reference and use. • Assist in the review the Service’s continuity plan and update Housing Service Manager on any significant changes/risks. Tenant/Resident Involvement: • Encourage regular tenant feedback, including constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement. • Develop regular and meaningful opportunities for residents to be involved in the running of the service. • Develop links to increase access to employment and training and volunteering opportunities for residents. Equal Opportunities • • • Ensure consistent and effective implementation of Renewal Programme Equal Opportunities & Diversity policy and procedures. Ensure staff are trained and understand Renewal Programme’s Equal Opportunities & Diversity policy and procedures. Positively promote an environment within the service which respects and values the diversity of both staff and service users. NEWHAM COMMUNITY RENEWAL PROGRAMME LTD Other Responsibilities and Duties as Required • Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position. Person Specification Team Leader • Appropriate professional qualification: NVQ / Diploma level 3 in Health & Social Care or professional equivalent. • Good demonstrable staff management experience • Direct experience of working in supporting services • Experience of working with ethnically diverse groups of service users • Experience of providing commercially viable services and interventions to target client groups. Knowledge • An understanding of the needs of vulnerable individuals who have housing needs, a mental health issue, issues with offending, substance misuse problems or other individual needs such as learning difficulties, physical health issues, domestic violence for example. • Knowledge and practical application of key legislation – Housing and Social Care, Equality and Diversity, Mental Health, Criminal Justice, and H&S • Knowledge of welfare benefits and the rights of service users • Good understanding of staff supervision, appraisal, and development • Experience of successful management of voids rental income and budgets/KPI’s • Understanding of support providers relationships with Commissioners and RSL’s Skills and abilities • Able to influence and form relationships with service users, team members and external agencies. • Ability to assess information quickly and make sound judgements. • Sensitive of both staff and service user’s strengths and weakness to achieve positive outcomes. • An effective communicator –oral and written. • Good planning and organisational skills and able assist in organising workload of others. • Ability to pay attention to detail to ensure the maintenance of accurate records and reports. • Excellent PC’s skills