Job details
Salary: £25,180 to £27,659 per annum (including allowances) pro rata
Location: Civic Centre, Gravesend
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Part time
Hours: 18.5 hours per week
Closing Date: 9 May 2025
The Role
This is an exciting time to join the Housing Service at Gravesham as it embarks on a programme of change, aspiring to provide the best possible service for our tenants. The Housing Assistant role is integral to delivering exceptional frontline services.
Are you passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives? Do you thrive in a role where every day is different, and every challenge brings an opportunity to create positive change? If so, we want YOU to join our amazing housing service!
As a Housing Assistant, you will play a vital role in our communities by fostering relationships with tenants, resolving issues, and supporting them to flourish in their homes. Each day presents unique challenges, all aimed at ensuring our neighbourhoods remain places tenants are proud to call home, with your efforts making a significant impact daily.
As a Housing Assistant, you will be responsible for the delivery of excellent housing management, tenant and leasehold support, and work alongside the Independent Living Officers. You will assist in the administration to ensure of the timely turnaround of void properties, ensuring that properties are prepared, completed and made available for new residents, ensuring payments are made on time and maintain accurate records. You will be responsible for ensuring
Responsibilities
- To investigate and respond to all service requests and queries.
- Assist tenants and leaseholders with their queries, by telephone, in person, email, web-based methods and via any other forms of correspondence
- Assist tenants and leaseholders with their queries, by telephone, in person, email, web-based methods and via any other forms of correspondence.
- Liaising with residents moving in and out of council owned accommodation including carrying out accompanied viewings and pre termination inspections and updating the council’s IT systems.
- Assist with the commencement, monitoring and actioning of all housing management cases required.
- To assist with tenancy visits, viewings and signups.
- To assist with estate inspections and any follow up action required because of the estate inspection.
- To answer straightforward correspondence and draft responses on behalf of the housing services. To ensure all correspondence is responded to within the correct timescales.
- To draft general correspondence and support in the investigation of complaints, member’s enquiries, Ombudsman enquires and FOI’s.
- To assist with any leaseholder enquiries and RTB requests.
- Assist with case work and events designed to engage tenants, ranging from assisting with surveys, tenant / leaseholder groups through to special projects and one-off events.
- To be responsible for timely and accurate research, preparation, analysis and submission of information/data as requested by the Housing Management Team.
- Contribute to the successful delivery of housing KPI’s within the remit of the Housing Assistant role
- Identifying vulnerable residents, identifying their support needs, liaising with and signposting to appropriate external agencies
- To ensure that all Gravesham Borough Council policies and procedures that relate to the post are adhered to.
- To make recommendations for service improvements and assist in implementing agreed initiatives
- To assist the Neighbourhood Officers, carry out Tenancy Audits to council properties.
Essential qualifications/experience
- Experience with working with the public.
- Able to communicate confidently and effectively with people at all levels.
- Able to influence, negotiate and implement practical solutions to problems.
- Ability to compile reports and deal with written correspondence.
- Ability to work under pressure, prioritise workloads and work to deadlines.
- Ability to use computer systems including word processing, spreadsheets or other IT systems for monitoring of work.
- Able to make decisions balancing the needs of individuals with those of the wider community and the Council’s priorities.
- Ability to work with challenging young people, adults and families.
- Able to work on own or as part of a team.
- Ability to think on feet and use sound judgement to resolve complex issues.
- Good understanding of race and ethnicity issues.
- General understanding of day-to-day repairs and maintenance.
- Motivated and enthusiastic.
Working for Gravesham
We are committed to delivering to the community and working with us means you are part of delivering the level of growth and improvement our community needs and deserves. A range of services have been provided to over 106,000 people and 4,000 businesses.
The Borough of Gravesham, situated in the north west corner of Kent, covers 25,000 acres of the most varied countryside in south east England. Bordered by the River Thames to the north, it is at the heart of Thames Gateway and has a significant role to play in the regeneration of a major government growth area.
Read more information about working for us.
Benefits
- A minimum of 23 Days Annual Leave plus bank holidays.
- Membership to Local Government Pension Scheme - Local Government Pension Scheme
- Career development, training opportunities and access to e-learning
- Access to eye care vouchers and VDU Glasses
- External Occupational Health service
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Access to EAP Services 24/7
- Hybrid Working
- Free parking
Important Information
Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job description.
Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.
How to apply
Please send your CV and covering letter to recruitment@gravesham.gov.uk by 9 May 2025.
Previous applicants need not apply.
If you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted.
All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email, if you require documentation in different format such as braille or large print, please contact the Human Resources Team on 01474 337374.