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JOB APPLICATION PACK

Job Title: Resident Information Officer Directorate: Housing Department: Residents and Communities Location: Twickenham

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Dear Candidate Thank you for your interest in working for Thames Valley Housing. In this pack you find the Job Description and Person Specification for the role you are applying for. We encourage you to read the guidance notes and fill in the application form carefully. The criteria set out in the person specification contains all the competencies for this role and will be assessed at different stages of the selection process. Please see the guidance notes for further information on this. Thames Valley Housing is a user of the government’s “two ticks” disability symbol, which recognises organisations that are positive towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the short-listing criteria are guaranteed an interview. I hope that you find the job description interesting and decide to apply. I wish you success and we look forward to receiving your application form. Thames Valley Housing Recruitment Tel: 0300 456 2929 Email: recruitment@tvha.co.uk Web: www.tvha.co.uk/careers

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CONTENTS Guidance Notes for Applicants………………………………………………………………………………….4 Job Advert…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6 Job Description…………………………………………………………………………………………………………7 Person Specification…………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Our Competency Framework……………………………………………………………………………………12

Appendix 1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

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GUIDANCE NOTES FOR APPLICANTS Before you complete your application Please read the job application pack before you apply online for the position - this contains all the information you need to decide whether the job is right for you. Read through the job description and person specification – they are the best places to find out exactly what experience, skills and competencies you need to be successful in the role. The person specification highlights the competencies we want to asses as part of our recruitment process. Our competency framework is at the back of this pack. You’ll need to prepare a CV – we ask you to upload your CV as a Word document as part of our online application form. Completing your application When you’re ready to apply, click ‘Apply here’ at the bottom of the job advert for the position you’re interested in and complete the online form. We’ll ask you about your skills and competencies – as well as your CV, we’ll also ask you to upload a personal statement or answer some questions online about how your skills and experience match the essential criteria and competencies in the person specification. You’ll need two good references - we will ask for contact details for your references in the online application, but we won’t contact them until the offer stage. Your references should be: Your current employer. If you are unemployed, this will be your most recent employer. This will be someone senior to you who can assess your work for us, not a colleague or friend at work. A previous employer or someone with a senior role who can vouch for you. We’ll ask you for some personal information to help us monitor diversity and equality – the only people who will see this information are the HR team who will use it for equal opportunities monitoring purposes. It will be treated in the strictest confidence and does not form part of the selection process. What happens next? Assessments/Interviews Our Recruitment team will contact you a few days after the application closing date if your application has been short-listed. We will invite you to a competency-based interview, and ask you to complete some tests. These could be ability tests, written exercises, job-related tests, psychometric tests or IT tests. We will also let you know if you have not been shortlisted this time. Driving

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If the job needs you to drive, we will need to see your driving license. DBS check For some jobs we will need to carry out a Disclosure & Barring Service check. We’ll say so in the job description if that’s the case. Eligibility to work in the UK It’s against the law for us to take on people who do not have the right to work here. If we offer you a job, we will ask you to prove this to us. We’ll send you a list of documents you can use for this. Data Protection By law, we have to let you know that we keep the personal information about you that you put in a job application. When you sign and send an application in, we take this to mean that you are giving us permission to keep it, and to use it to get in touch with you, if we find a job we think would suit you in the following six months. Your Views We’re happy to hear from you. We want to improve our recruitment, so please complete the Recruitment Survey. https://tvhahr.wufoo.eu/forms/recruitment-what-was-your-experience/ Getting in touch If you have any questions or problems at any stage of your application, please do get in touch with our recruitment team on recruitment@tvha.co.uk.

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JOB ADVERT

RESIDENT INFORMATION OFFICER Location: Twickenham Contract type: Permanent – full time Salary: £22,000 rising to £24,500 on successful completion of probation Hours: 35 hours per week Closing date: 31 August 2017 Interview Dates: 5 or 6 September 2017 About Thames Valley Housing We are a medium-sized housing association based in Twickenham, South West London. We own and manage over 15,000 homes in London, Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire and Sussex. These include traditional rented housing, shared ownership, key worker and student accommodation. Our vision is for everyone to have the chance to build their lives from a base of a good home. Our mission is to provide good quality affordable homes and invest in communities. We love to build. Not just housing and communities, but skills and careers too. About the role We are currently looking for someone to join our Resident Involvement Team. The team play an important part in resident engagement, helping and supporting tenants and leaseholders to contribute to shaping and improving their services. You will be collecting their feedback, recording and analysing the results and providing reports and information. You will be responsible for a wide range of financial transactions and processes as well as providing a comprehensive administration service to the entire Resident and Communities team. About you You’ll have excellent IT skills and outstanding attention to detail, be able to learn quickly and have a passion for working with people as well as being able to deliver first class customer service. Good administration and planning skills and a desire to learn more about Social Housing. If you want an opportunity to develop your experience, this is the job for you. Application process: Please view the job application pack for the full job description and apply online submitting a personal statement addressing: A) How your knowledge, experience & skills meet the essential and desirable requirements B) How you meet the technical and core competencies highlighted in red in the person specification *You will rise to the full salary on successful completion of your 6 month probationary period This role may be subject to a DBS check

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JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title: Resident Information Officer Directorate: Housing Department: Residents and Communities Location: Twickenham Responsible to: Senior Resident Feedback Officer Family tree (clearly showing the responsibilities for and to particular managers)

Main purpose of the job To support the Resident and Communities team in delivering all objectives and projects To provide general comprehensive administrative support for the whole team. Organise and manage a range of resident feedback surveys , record , collate and assist with the analysis and reporting of results To process monitor and maintain all team financial transactions including recording spend against budget breakdown. Principal accountabilities expected of the post holder Designing, organising and delivering regular residents surveys by post, email and text and phone ; record results using survey software and other formats and provide analysis and reports as required on a regular basis to deadlines.

Head of Residents and Communities

Training and Employment

Manager

Senior Resident Feedback Officer

Resident Events and Communication

Officer

Resident Information Officer

Community Partnerships

Manager

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Coding invoices, raising cheques, raising and receipting POs and invoices, tracking payments and invoices, and keeping records of spend against budget breakdown, forecast cost centres and budget headings. Liaise with TVH Finance department to solve problems and queries and keep up to date with any new processes including helping and training team members when required. Co-ordinate the administration of resident expenses, incentives and grants including purchasing supplies and vouchers, and dealing with staff requests. Produce an Annual Expense Statement for each resident to an agreed deadline. Manage the team petty cash float and accountable procedures to the TVH Finance Department Load profiling data onto the Housing Management System for all new residents. Assist with organising and attend key annual and one off events, including invitations, replies, catering, transport, production of packs and information. Organise and assist with mail merges, mail outs and other team communications. Assist in reviewing team documents and policies Maintain team equipment requests and records Attend meetings and take minutes Attend occasional meetings and events outside of normal core hours for which Time off in lieu (TOIL) will be due. Produce various team monthly performance reports Deal with resident and staff queries. Other To carry out other duties as may be reasonably assigned from time to time by the line manager for this post, such duties to be compatible with the level of this job description.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION Role: Resident Information Officer Directorate: Housing

Knowledge, Experience & Skills

Essential Attention to detail Experience of data input and analysis Good communication skills (written and spoken) Experience of processing financial transactions Excellent IT skills, especially Excel Customer focus and desire to work with members of the public Ability to plan and organise work (both personal and team) Willingness to learn new skills Good standard of general education, including GCSEs in English and maths (or equivalent). Degree level desirable. Desirable Previous experience of working with members of the public Previous experience of market research or customer surveys Ability to communicate to different audiences.

Competencies (Highlighted in Red assessed by personal statement and at interview) Core (refer to Competency Framework guidelines to determine appropriate definition)

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Applied Thinking (Vocational) Solves basic problems within clearly laid out policies and procedures Results Focused (Vocational) Takes responsibility for achieving individual objectives and contributing to team targets Planning and Organising (Vocational) Contributes to the team/project objectives by effectively setting own work plan and prioritising key tasks Working Together (Vocational) Works Co-operatively with other members of the team and direct customers Initiative and Innovation (Vocational) Addresses current opportunities by improving and adapting existing approaches Managing Relationships (Vocational) Builds rapport with colleagues and direct customers/suppliers Continuous Improvement (Vocational) Drives self to deliver results and aspirations Customer Driven (Vocational) Delivers a high quality service OTHER Commitment to Equal Opportunities and Health & Safety LIVING AND DELIVERING THE CORPORATE VALUES

Think Forward – Question how we do things. Think Ahead. Innovate Think We – Let’s work together to achieve our shared goals. Think Openly – Let’s be transparent and true to our word. Think With Compassion – Offer your time and support. Act with empathy and understanding. Think With Energy – Be passionate about delivering great customer service and making things happen

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OUR COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

What are Competencies and how are they used? A competency is an ability, skill, knowledge or trait that is needed for the successful performance of a job. It is often defined in terms of behaviours. Overall, competencies are a set of behaviours that an individual must possess in order to perform to the optimum level within that role. When used properly, and in conjunction with other working practices and procedures, competencies can ensure fairness, openness and equality in the way we recruit staff, select people for training, identify clear development paths and promote people. The Competency Framework contains a total of ten competencies and it is considered that to carry out a role at a particular level an individual should possess those competencies that are ‘Core’ for that level. The depth of which these core competencies are required will vary according to each role. Core competencies are far broader in their application and apply to all jobs within TVH. This document details the core competencies which TVH recognises as necessary. The person specification highlights the competencies we want to assess as part of our recruitment process, but the following areas are important all of the time.

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Name Definition Level Descriptors

1 Applied Thinking Makes use of relevant information to resolve problems, identify opportunities and reach appropriate solutions.

Leader Identifies new business opportunities by evaluating company performance from a range of information

Expert Sets Directorate/Departmental priorities by developing solutions to support the business plan

Professional Recommends improvements to processes and services at a team level by analysing patterns and trends from information

Vocational Solves basic problems within clearly laid out policies and procedures

2 Results Focused – “Getting things done”

Achieves successful delivery of tasks and objectives by effectively managing others or taking direct action.

Leader Sets the performance framework for the organisation to meet corporate goals, achieve results and champions improvements

Expert Sets the performance framework for the Directorate/Department to meet objectives, KPIs and continuously seeks improvements in delivery

Professional Uses Directorate/Department objectives to identify team KPIs to drive service delivery and meet goals

Vocational Takes responsibility for achieving individual objectives and contributing to team targets

3 Planning and Organising Plans and organises work and activities to meet objectives whilst achieving quality and value for money.

Leader Structures the business plan to deliver key objectives while allocating appropriate resources

Expert Develops project plans and identifies departmental activities and resources required to meet organisational goals

Professional Delivers the project plan/departmental objectives to plan and budget

Vocational Contributes to the team/project objectives by effectively setting own work plan and prioritising key tasks

4 Initiative and Innovation Takes a creative approach to work by formulating new ideas or adapting existing ideas in a new or unexpected way to create opportunities.

Leader Develops ways of capturing innovation and creativity across the organisation and delivers through others

Expert Plans and implements new ideas in the long to medium term and takes the lead in delivering change within Directorate

Professional Develops and implements initiatives at a local level

Vocational Addresses current opportunities by improving and adapting existing approaches

Appendix 1

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Name Definition Level Descriptors

5 Working Together Works co-operatively and flexibly across cultures and organisational boundaries to achieve shared goals

Leader Creates a positive team working environment

Expert Builds the team to deliver a high quality service

Professional Involves others to work towards shared goals and objectives

Vocational Works co-operatively with other members of the team and direct customers

6 Managing Relationships (Influencing, persuading and negotiating)

Builds and maintains relationships to achieve positive outcomes for the Association

Leader Extends networks and uses indirect influence to build external relationships to achieve long term strategic organisational goals

Expert Maintains networks and plans impact

Professional Builds positive and reciprocal relationships that benefit the Association

Vocational Builds rapport with colleagues and direct customers/suppliers

7 Continuous Improvement (Striving for Excellence)

Looks for opportunities to improve (self, products and/or services)

Leader Creates a continuous improvement environment

Expert Drives Departmental activity to continuously improve systems and processes

Professional Delivers improvements at a team level

Vocational Drives self to deliver results and aspirations

8 Customer Driven Provides an excellent service to all customers

Leader Develops the strategy to meet the long term interests and aspirations of customers

Expert Champions and promotes the delivery of quality service to all customers

Professional Plans and organises delivery of customer service

Vocational Delivers a high quality service

9 Commercial Awareness Understands relationship of operational issues to wider business context

Leader Defines and develops TVH’s commercial objectives to maximise the organisation’s financial wellbeing

Expert Delivers the commercial objectives

Professional Understands the purpose and content of the Corporate business plan

Vocational Demonstrates awareness of commercial aspects of the business

10 Leadership (Developing and Managing People)

Inspires and motivates others to develop confidence and capability to realise their full potential

Leader Leads the organisations to deliver high performance

Expert Is a role model for effective leadership

Professional Supports team development

Vocational Gives basic direction and instruction

Appendix 1

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