Overview
You will play an integral role in improving property standards and conditions, protecting the rights of tenants and supporting landlords to meet their legal responsibilities. This role will lead on housing enforcement action including our new investigator powers and duties under the Renters' Rights Act. You will lead investigations, carry out inspections, conduct HHSRS assessments, manage formal enforcement work and prepare legal case files. Working closely with Legal services and the wider housing service, you will make sure actions follow national legislation and council policies. The two councils have a shared Chief Executive and a joint senior management team. Whilst they retain their own political structures and distinct identities, the joint management structure allows us to maximise the opportunity to deliver a wide range of good value services to our customers and communities, and operate and develop shared services, collaborative working and partnership arrangements with each other, with other councils and with key stakeholders.
We are looking for a dedicated and experienced Property Standards and Enforcement Officer to join our expanding Private Sector Housing team. This role sits within our joint Housing service across Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils.
Responsibilities
* Lead investigations, carry out inspections, conduct HHSRS assessments, manage formal enforcement work and prepare legal case files.
* Work closely with Legal services and the wider housing service to ensure actions follow national legislation and council policies.
* Collaborate within the joint Housing service across Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils.
* Lead on housing enforcement action including powers and duties under the Renters' Rights Act.
Qualifications
* Hold a relevant degree in Environmental Health or equivalent or be able to demonstrate an equivalent level of relevant experience in the private sector housing field.
* Hold a HHSRS competency/practitioners' qualification.
* Have at least 3 years' experience of working within a local housing authority or housing related field or similar.
* Be experienced in inspecting and licensing HMOs, investigating complaints about property conditions, assessing properties in accordance with HHSRS and carrying out inspections under the Housing Act 2004.
* Have good knowledge of the Housing Act 2004 and other relevant housing legislation and understand national and local housing priorities.
* Be able to prepare schedule of works, draft and serve statutory housing enforcement notices, produce witness statements, legal case files to attend court and tribunals to give evidence.
* Have experience of serving enforcement notices and attending Tribunals/Magistrates Court.
* Have experience of serving Civil Penalties.
* Have a strong customer focus and be able to adapt their behaviour to communicate with the customer in a way that suits the customer's needs.
* Good computer literacy and be able to use Microsoft programmes, such as Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, Sharepoint.
* Have the necessary skills to manage and maintain a case load and keep detailed and accurate records to ensure a clear audit trail.
* Be able to undertake visits to residential premises including some unhygienic and poor physical condition/s, in rural locations and occasional working outside normal working hours.
* A full driving licence and use of a car is essential. You will also need to be able to travel through the Wychavon and Malvern Hills districts.
* Ideally hold professional membership to CIH and/or CIEH.
Benefits
* Excellent pension scheme with employer contributions
* Agile Working
* Generous annual leave entitlement with options to purchase additional annual leave
* Committed training programme and development opportunities
* Onsite nursery with 20% staff discount
* Discounted Gym and swim membership
* Health and Wellbeing support and a Free Employee Assistance scheme including access to counselling services
* Cycle to Work scheme
* Employee Discounts with a range of companies including EE and the Kaarp discount scheme
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