Housing Officer

Housing Officer 

Watford, Hertfordshire 

£30,000 - £35,000

37 hours per week

Do you want to make a difference? An exciting opportunity has arisen in our Housing team for someone with great people skills to help us build strong communities.

About the role

As part of our Housing team, you will use your customer service and problem-solving skills to help us deliver high-quality housing services.

The right candidate will need the ability to develop strong relationships with our tenants and be able to confidently communicate and be able to conduct rent analysis accordingly. At 

Watford Community Housing, one of our corporate objectives is to keep our rent arrears figure within 3%; we are therefore looking for someone with strong skills in this area.

In this role you will need to:

• have a high standard of customer service that is responsive to our customers’ needs.    
• be responsible for ensuring tenancies are managed appropriately according to the circumstances of the household
• make referrals and signpost for support as necessary
• help to reduce debt owed in rent by actively working on your arrears cases weekly and taking court action where necessary
• manage cases of anti-social behaviour within your allocated housing patch by working in partnership with other teams and agencies as required

What are we looking for?

You will have previous experience of working as a Housing Officer and be confident in a customer-facing position. You will need to be able to demonstrate both excellent customer service and problem-solving skills and be highly numerate to conduct rent analysis. You will also have a proven track record in building strong relationships.

Essential:

• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Good IT skills with the ability to use Housing Management software
• Ability to input data into systems accurately
• Proven debt management experience
• Experience of dealing with people in difficult, often stressful, situations
• Experience of tenancy and neighbourhood management
• Knowledge of relevant Housing legislation
• Due to the nature of the role, you will need to have a full driving licence and access to a car with business insurance.

Desirable:

• Good level of general education or relevant experience
• CIH recognised qualification
• Upholds the CIH professionalism standards and demonstrates a commitment to champion the role housing professionals play in making a difference to the residents and communities they work with

What can we offer you?

You will be working close to Watford Junction station and within walking distance of the shops and cafes in Watford town centre.

We know that people are our most valuable assets, so we offer a range of benefits including 28 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, an employer pension contribution of up to 11%, development opportunities, Life assurance 4x of annual salary and access to a comprehensive employee rewards scheme.

About us

We are a housing association with homes across South-West Hertfordshire. We aim to make a real difference by delivering better homes and supporting our communities, because we know that good homes give people the chance to lead more fulfilling lives.

We own and manage more than 6,800 homes and associated assets in South-West Hertfordshire. Our business is evolving rapidly as we find new ways to deliver great homes, improved services and much-needed new homes. We also have a one-star accreditation from Best Companies, putting us in the top 25 housing associations to work for.

When applying for a role with Watford Community Housing, please consider our values: 

• Professional – We are honest, open and respectful. People trust us to keep our promises. 
• Collaborative – We work together as one team and build lasting partnerships to get results. 
• Forward-thinking – We have a can-do attitude and embrace opportunities to improve and innovate. 

The closing date is 26 January 2024 (but please note we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a large response). Interviews will take place in the week 29 January 2024 commencing.