Principal Surveyor - Req24854

Job title: Principal Housing Surveyor
Salary: PO2 - £37,336.00 to £40,221.00
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: 4th floor East, Merrion House, 110 Merrion Centre, Merrion Way, Leeds, LS2 8BB

Internal vacancy. Applications will only be considered from existing Leeds City Council employees.

As a Principal Housing Surveyor, you’ll thrive on promoting health & wellbeing and the capacity of vulnerable disabled people to live independently, either in their existing homes through the provision of adaptations or to facilitate a move to more suitable housing.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As a Principal Housing Surveyor, you will bring to the role:

• Relevant degree, HNC/HND or equivalent qualification.
• Ability to manage a team and provide visible plus effective leadership which empowers, enables, and develops staff to achieve results.
• Knowledge of services, understanding of needs for disabled people and those in housing need.
• Ability deliver, plus support staff to draft designs using CAD, comprehensive building schedules & specifications and issue these to contractors in order to identify and remove physical barriers within the client’s home & built environment.
• Full driving licence.

About the role

The Health and Housing Service aims to promote the capacity of vulnerable disabled people to live independently, either in their existing homes, through the provision of adaptations, or to facilitate a move to more suitable housing through a priority award for re-housing. As well as managing your own caseload, you’ll manage a team of Surveyors within a service area to process Disabled Facility Grant (DFG) applications in private properties and delivering adaptations in Leeds City Council properties. You’ll will be able to assist some of the most vulnerable people in Leeds and get to see the significant difference you and the team have made to the quality of their lives.
As our next Principal Housing Surveyor, you’ll take a leadership role for the surveying function within the adaptations service. You will contribute to wider service priorities relating to facilitating moves to alternative housing options and minimising delayed hospital discharges.
The role is integral to our Health & Housing team as it supports the both the management team and staff to deliver an effective service that generates value for money and helps achieve wider Council priorities.

What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply
Please complete the online application form.
Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact John Brosnan, Principal Adaptations Manager. Call 0113 37 84542 or email john.brosnan@leeds.gov.uk 
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
 
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job description

Job purpose

The Health and Housing Service aims to promote the capacity of vulnerable disabled people to live independently: either in their existing homes, through the provision of adaptations, or to facilitate a move to more suitable housing through a priority award for re-housing.  The service also leads on partnering work with the health authority to minimise delayed hospital discharges by helping people to secure suitable housing options. 
The post holder will take a leadership role for the surveying function within the adaptations service.  The post holder will manage a pool of surveyors. The post holder will be expected to contribute to wider service priorities, as required, relating to facilitating moves to alternative housing options and minimising delayed hospital discharges.
Responsibilities

• Contribute to the delivery of an effective Health and Housing Service that generates Value for Money and helps achieve wider Council priorities
• To use effective people management skills in order to motivate, develop and performance manage staff within your service area to drive service improvements.
• To contribute to the development and delivery of a Health and Housing Service Plan in line with wider service, divisional, directorate and Council priorities
• To manage, promote and deliver positive solutions to achieving diversity and equality in all aspects of your service delivery, community engagement and human resource areas, focussing on equality of outcome.
• To actively drive continuous improvement initiatives through leading and contributing to cross Council projects, collaborative working with partners and supporting Directorate and Divisional Management Teams.
• Contribute to maintaining effective communications relating to the Health and Housing Service with staff, service users, councillors, trade unions, partners and other stakeholders.
• To work with elected members, service users and community representatives in ways which support open, inclusive, responsive and accountable government.
• Working as a team for Leeds by developing and maintaining good working relationships with internal and external customers, other stakeholders and partners to achieve excellent outcomes for the citizens of Leeds.
• To be accountable for the safety of staff, service users and contractors in accordance with Legislation and the Council Health and Safety Policy.
• To provide appropriate strategic advice relating to the work of the Directorate to Members and council officers so as to manage risk and support them in their respective roles.
• To be actively involved in preparing, managing and controlling budgets and take responsibility where appropriate for assigned budgets.
• Demonstrate a flexible approach to working as required meeting Directorate and Corporate priorities.
• As a leader in the organisation with key people management responsibilities to undertake duties in relation to people management policies.
• To promote the ambitions and values of the Council with staff
• Take a leadership role on the development and delivery of adaptations services for homeowners, private tenants and housing association tenants
• Directly line manage the Senior Housing Surveyor post holders
• Provide ongoing support and advice to officers employed within the Health and Housing Service
• Take a leadership role for delivering high quality staff support through meetings, supervisions and appraisals
• Take a leadership role in quality assuring all elements of the Health and Housing Service including face to face contact with customers, adaptation scheme design, and financial payments. 
• Contribute to developing relationships with Adult Social Care and Children’s Services in respect of adaptation services
• Play an active role in fostering effective partnering arrangements across the public, private and third sector with a strong emphasis on embedding a case conferencing culture
• Contribute to the development and delivery of safeguarding arrangements for vulnerable adults and children using the Health and Housing Service.
• The post holder will be line managed by the Principal Adaptations Manager. The post holder will directly line manages the Senior Housing Surveyor posts. The post holder will have management responsibilities for other officers within the Health and Housing Service below the Senior Housing Surveyor posts.
• The post will be responsible for delivering services city wide and may be required to work from a variety of locations, depending on the work being delivered.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree, HNC/HND or equivalent qualification.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.
SKILLS

• Ability to provide visible and effective leadership which empowers, enables and develops staff to achieve results.
• Ability to identify and implement change programmes, improve service quality and support a culture that drives up standards and performance.
• Ability to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences at all levels, including presenting high level information and reports on complex issues in an appropriate way.
• Ability to lead the development of appropriate systems and procedures to enable effective data capture and analysis to inform service delivery.
• Ability to think creatively and to solve problems in a constructive way.
• Ability to manage operational service teams within a challenging context
• Ability to work to strict deadlines with conflicting priorities and to manage personal work and time effectively
• Ability to access and interpret local/national strategy, communicate to staff and apply where appropriate to service delivery
• Ability to make a contribution to the strategic direction of the Directorate, Division and services/functions.
• Of using CAD or other comparable systems

KNOWLEDGE / QUALIFICATIONS

• Relevant degree, HNC/HND or equivalent qualification
• Understanding of appraisal and evaluation techniques.
  Understanding of housing law and policy
• Understanding of the needs of disabled people and those in housing need
• Knowledge of services for disabled people and those in housing need
• An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Directorate and other key agencies and stakeholders in the city.
• An awareness of key strategic plans including the Vision for Leeds and City Priority Plans and the Council’s planning framework.
• A working knowledge of the Council’s Values and Leadership and Management standards.
• Knowledge of Governance requirements and the Council’s policies and procedures that would apply to the Division and the wider Directorate.
• Knowledge of the Council’s decision-making processes.
• Understanding of Council and partner safeguarding procedures for vulnerable adults and children and how they apply to the service.

EXPERIENCE

• Of working effectively with internal and external partners to contribute to strategic partnerships and programmes and deliver cross sector or cross service projects to achieve positive outcomes.
• Of communicating appropriately with a wide range of people, through a variety of different methods and gaining the commitment of a range of stakeholders/influencing views and behaviour to meet set objectives.
• Of developing services to meet continuously changing needs.
• Of managing the effective deployment and support of human resources. 
• Of leading, coaching and motivating teams and individuals.
• Of managing in a political environment and working on politically sensitive issues.
• Of contributing to managing and controlling budgets and achieving budgetary targets.

Essential Behavioural and other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post.  Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Understanding of change management principles
• Of interpreting and analysing complex information and data.
• Of conducting Equality Impact Assessments.
• Of delivering effective consultation to support service design, delivery and evaluation.

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