Post Title: Housing Compliance Support Officer
MAIN PURPOSE
To provide focused clerical support to the Compliance & Strategy Team in order to ensure the team properly fulfils its legal duties with regards to: statutory and other reviews; SARS; and, complaints and ombudsman enquiries.
To be responsible for managing the Subject Access Service for the housing department: working independently to identify and properly assess all new SARs, and to ensure they are dealt with within legal guidelines and statutory timeframes.
To manage the production of files for solicitors, legal reviews & legal action, and for SARs by extracting data from electronic document management systems with an emphasis on accuracy and the ability to identify whether the data collated is a complete record. To be able to redact sensitive information in files in line with legal guidelines laid down in GDPR legislation.
To take on research for complex complaints and reviews as directed by the Reviews Manager.
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
- SARS: be responsible for identifying a monitoring all new SARs and to be responsible for their production, completion and issue within strict legal timeframes. Maintaining accurate records of the progress of SARs until their completion on specialist software.
- To be responsible for all communication with SAR requesters, reply to all their enquiries and asking requesters for necessary information as directed by the legislation.
- To produce files for SARs, using electronic records. Files to be compliant with the GDPR guidelines and legislation, ensuring the information provided is a complete record, is presented correctly and to redact sensitive information following legal guidelines.
- To produce files for reviews contractors solicitors and county court, within strict legal timeframes, from electronic records and with a focus on accuracy. To have the ability to identify where gaps are missing in information gathered from electronic records, and to undertake the necessary enquiries/research to gather missing information.
- To identify statutory reviews and other review requests from clients and to provide the correct statutory acknowledgements in line with the legislation described in the housing act, and within the legal timeframe. To carry out all necessary administration of reviews (to include the creation of electronic records, researching and gathering relevant information for referral to reviews contractors and filing)
- To be able to carry out research for team members for complex complaints and reviews by interrogating electronic client files and making enquiries of officers within the housing division.
- To maintain accurate electronic records, using excel and word and other IT systems, and to complete all electronic filing for team members, to ensure accurate and timely recording of all complaints, reviews, client contact and departmental work.
- To receive telephone and email enquiries from members of the public and various internal/external callers including external reviews contractors, solicitors, police, local authorities, housing associations and other officers and agencies, and to be able to provide clear, detailed advice, or take detailed accurate messages in order to make necessary enquiries.
- To effectively and promptly respond to enquiries from clients specifically regarding statutory reviews and complaints & ombudsman enquiries, and generally regarding the Housing Needs Service. To provide comprehensive, innovative, advice and assistance to help people contacting the team to resolve their housing problems, operating with a sharp customer service focus, being sensitive to, and able to deal with, clients at a time of crisis with their housing.
- To be able to provide email and spoken replies using grammatically correct clear plain English.
- To always work with a customer service focus and with the aim of providing the best possible service to customers.
Undertake any other admin tasks as directed by team members and commensurate with the level of the post as required to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the Department.
CONTACTS AND RELATIONSHIPS
(customer focus, both internal and external)
To be able to foster good relationships with other officers in the department, clients and their advocates, and external agencies contacting the service.
To work closely with the other Housing Division Teams to achieve the Divisions aims and targets.
SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Sharp focus on public service
- Ability to provide high quality, responsive and sensitive service within a pressurised and high-profile environment to both customers and colleagues alike.
- Ability organise, prioritise and deal effectively with a heavy workload, under pressure, ensuring targets are met.
- Have a flexible approach, to work well in a team and across the sections within housing, as well as carrying out independent work as necessary.
- Ability to communicate and correspond with a wide range of clients using plain, clear language.
- Computer literate and the ability to use word and excel and to navigate a range of electronic software packages including One Trust
- Ability to understand and make prompt assessment of complex situations in line with policy and guidance with minimal supervision.
- Demonstrates an eye for detail, and an ability to stick to routine tasks and follow set guidelines and procedures.
- Ability to acquire quickly an understanding of procedures and to develop a basic understanding of legislation, policy and practice relating to housing associations, lettings, allocations and homelessness.
KNOWLEDGE
- Good basic understanding of a Local Authoritys role in meeting housing need in its area, and relevant housing legislation
- Appreciation of the problems faced by people in housing need.
- IT literate with the ability to learn and accurately use It systems delivering a housing service
EXPERIENCE
- Experience of and commitment to working within a busy multi-disciplinary environment
- Experience of working with members of the public on the telephone or in person
- Experience of a housing and/or customer focused service
QUALIFICATIONS
- Education to GCSE standard and suitable experience.
- An excellent standard of spoken and written English
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Be able to attend meetings away from the office.
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