August 2017
Dear Applicant
Post of Customer Services Administrator
Please find enclosed Application Pack for the above post.
The closing date for the return of completed applications will be 12 noon on Monday 18 September 2017. Please complete the application form provided and do not include a C.V.
If you have any queries or would like further information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours faithfully
Sandra McPhee
Corporate Services Officer
Encl.
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE:Customer Services Administrator
GRADE:Employers in Voluntary Housing Grade 4
RESPONSIBLE TO:Customer Services Team Leader
ACCOUNTABLE TO:Director through the Customer Services Team Leader and Customer Services Manager
RESPONSIBLE FOR:No staff supervision or management
DATE:July 2017
JOB PURPOSE
General
The purpose of all staff employed by the Cadder Housing Association is to promote and serve the Vision, Values and Aims of the organisation. The Association is the main service provider in Cadder and we require all staff to excel and be highly motivated to make a positive contribution to the Association’s overarching aim to ‘Make Cadder Better’. The post holder must be dynamic, committed and flexible in their work, as well as being able to communicate and liaise effectively with all departments and staff members to produce the best possible service to our tenants, other customers and key stakeholders.
Specific
The specific purpose of the post of Customer Services Administrator is primarily to undertake administrative tasks in the delivery of the housing management service to assist Customer Services’ staff to ensure tenants comply with the terms of their tenancy agreement and provide a high quality housing management service to our tenants and other customers. The delivery of core housing management services for the benefit of customers and the Association’s Business Plan in line with policies, procedures, legislation and good practice.
Performance
The Customer Services Administrator must comply with the Association policies and procedures, as well as legislative, regulatory and good practice requirements in the provision of housing management duties. The post holder will be required to undertake any duties commensurate with their role and grade to ensure the provision of effective and efficient services to our stakeholders in the delivery of the housing service.
Objective 1
To implement the Association’s policies and procedures on the collection of rent and factoring monies, including the provision of benefits, money and debt advice services.
Tasks and Responsibilities
The Customer Services Administrator will: -
Recover rent arrears up to £250.
Recover factoring arrears – Management Fee up to £200
Process rent and housing benefit payments
Set up Direct Debits
Process payments through Allpay’s Callpay facility
Process housing benefit award / notification letters on SDM and confirm same to tenants in writing
Assist tenants with housing benefit issues and complete housing benefit applications in paper form or online.
Ensure required rent and factoring account entries are recorded on SDM
End and create new tenant and factoring accounts on SDM / manage account adjustments
Actively promote support services to assist tenants’ and owners’ ability to pay rent / factoring charges
Make fair and affordable repayment arrangements with tenants and owners in arrears and confirm in writing
Ensure that cases with rent and factoring arrears are effectively monitored and pursued and due processes are followed (current and former)
Pursue collection of monies owed by owner occupiers in respect of property improvement works
Ensure tenants are fully aware of their rent obligations at sign-up stage
Provide assistance and promote available schemes to tenants to help mitigate the impact the Welfare Reform Act
Liaise with other agencies as required
Maintain required registers
Manage tenants’ rent accounts and owners’ factoring accounts in credit and undertake the necessary checks to process a refund of overpayments.
Objective 2
Undertake administration of the allocations process to ensure voids re-let times are minimised, thus attend to the housing needs of applicants on our housing list and contributing to the financial viability and sustainability of the Association.
Tasks and Responsibilities
The Customer Services Administrator will: -
Allocations
Assist applicants to complete housing application forms
Process forms through the Glasgow Housing Register.
Acknowledge housing application forms within 5 working days
Assess and point housing applications with agreed timescales
Process and input new housing applications onto SDM within 10 working days and provide written confirmation / advice to applicants in relation to their housing application
Maintain required registers
Update applicant details on SDM
Pursue tenancy references and any other relevant information
Manage suspension register and processes
Assist in home verification visits
Prepare SDM applicant reports to facilitate void property selections
Assist with review of housing applications
Complete missives and associated documents with new tenants
Provide guidance and advice in relation to the Association’s Allocations policy
Process new tenants on SDM together with updating relevant register as required together with scanning and saving documents into new tenant file
Liaise with Homeless Casework Team in relation to S5 referrals. Manage register and operational processes
Process ad-hoc applications (assignation, joint tenancy, permission to reside, etc) for Customer Services’ staff to make a decision
Promote HomeSwapper scheme to tenants
Assist in the promotion and marketing of the Association’s housing list to ensure sufficient supply of applicants to meet current and future demand
Void Management
Promote end of tenancy reward scheme
Process termination of tenancy notifications and manage void processes through registers and SDM
Contact outgoing and prospective tenants to arrange viewings
Contact customers in respect of housing offers and confirm in writing
Assist with end of tenancy inspections
Objective 3
Ensure Cadder Residents have pride and peaceful enjoyment of their homes and the local environment through effective estate management measures
Tasks and Responsibilities
The Customer Services Administrator will: -
Estate Management
Assist Customer Services’ staff with property inspections to ensure effective upkeep of the Cadder area
Issue letter and communicate with tenants and owners regarding minor estate management issues e.g. dog fouling, etc
Liaise with external organisations in relation to estate matters
Maintain relevant registers
Process any complaints concerning estate management services in line with the Association’s complaints procedure
Attend to any other general estate management issues
Respond to estate management issues identified by estate caretakers during weekly stair cleaning programme
Neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour
Support the Customer Services Co-ordinator in attending to Category ‘C’ complaints
Maintain relevant registers / files
Liaise with other organisations, such as Police Scotland, CSG
Objective 4
Provide high quality service to factored owners.
Tasks and Responsibilities
The Customer Services Administrator will: -
Attend to owners’ enquiries about common repair issues, management account or related matters.
Objective 5
Provide high quality customer service and contribute to tenant / resident participation.
Tasks and Responsibilities
The Customer Services Administrator will: -
Provide a courteous and professional service to tenants, owners and other customers across all functions
Assist Customer Services staff to undertake periodic house visits to our tenants’ homes to promote our services and identify any support and assistance to enable the tenant to sustain their tenancy.
Undertake the Duty Officer’s role to provide advice and assistance on housing, factored and general customer service enquires to tenants and other customers visiting the Association’s office
Attend to phone calls, e-mails and text messages in relation to housing, factored and general customer service enquires from tenants and other customers.
Provide assistance with tenant participation / consultation exercises
Liaise with other agencies when required to deliver customer care
Consider and value customers’ views / comments
Ensure that complaints received are managed in accordance with the Association’s Complaints Policy
Provide assistance to engagements with Cadder Community Council, Tenants’ Panel (through Scottish Housing Charter) and any other tenant / resident groups.
Objective 6
Other duties in keeping with the role of Customer Services Administrator and the Association’s work.
The Customer Services Administrator will: -
Positively contribute as to the achievement of organisational and sectional aims and goals.
Participate in promotional, marketing and community events relating to the Association’s work.
Attend meetings at evenings or weekends, as required in relation to your role and the Association’s work
Ensure a commitment to their own professional and personal development to meet the needs of the role and the Association
Ensure a commitment to the Association’s equal opportunity policy and codes of practice.
Carry out any other tasks commensurate with your role as directed by the Customer Services Officer, Customer Services Team Leader, Customer Services Manager, Director or Management Committee
Signed as accepted by……………………………………………………
Full name (printed)…………………………………………………………
Date………………………………………………………………………………..
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Customer Services Administrator
Essential Criteria / Desirable CriteriaEducation & Qualifications / Educated to National 5 grade or equivalent / English and Mathematics at National 5 Level
A professional or equivalent qualification of the Chartered Institute of Housing
Experience / At least two year’s recent experience of carrying out Customer services duties
Experience of customer engagement
Experience of working in a target driven environment
Experience of working with Micro-soft applications and housing management systems. / Experience of working in the social housing sector
Experience with SDM housing software (Housing management modules)
Skills, Abilities & Personal Attributes / Committed to continuous improvement, customer service excellence.
Organisational Skills
Communication Skills
Proficient in the use of I.T
Positive outlook
Pleasant manner
Flexible approach to work
Customer engagement skills
Problem solving skills
Team player
Customer Focussed
Ability to plan and prioritise work to meet personal targets and organisational goals.
Good time management to meet challenging deadlines
Knowledge / Use of database systems
Microsoft Applications:
-Excel
-Word
Housing benefit knowledge / completion of claims
Knowledge of allocations and void practices
Knowledge of arrears recovery processes / SDM software
Knowledge of estate management practices
Other requirements / Awareness of equality issues and commitment to meet the Association’s policy and codes of practice.
Commitment to continuous improvement
Standard Disclosure
Applications for Employment
1.0Introduction
1.1Cadder Housing Association is a Registered Social Landlord and a Registered Scottish Charity and was formed in 1994. We evolved through two housing stock transfers in 1994 and 1998 from Scottish Homes and now own 640 properties and provide a factoring service to 408 owner occupiers in the area.
1.2Cadder has a healthy mix of tenement and main door properties in the area, although these are manly three and four apartment properties.
1.3Cadder has high levels of deprivation where most of the area is within the worst 10% most deprived areas in Scotland based on the Scottish Indices of Multiple Deprivation.
1.4Cadder has been transformed in recent years through the Community Energy Saving Project (C.E.S.P) in partnership with British Gas. The C.E.S.P delivered significant energy improvements to our tenants’ homes, which include an insulated render system, new double glazing windows, new ‘A’ rated boilers and central heating systems, all at a cost of circa £8million, of which the Association’s contribution was £5.1million. These improvements have made our tenants’ home warm and comfortable, whilst reducing their energy costs.
1.5The Association’s housing stock is in very good condition and improving through our major repairs programme, which is support by our compliance with Scottish Housing Quality Standard and 97% compliance with the new Energy Efficiency Standards in Social Housing (E.E.S.S.H). The Association aims to achieve EESSH by summer 2018 against a target date of March 2020.
1.6The Association has an in house Trade & Estate Team to attend to the upkeep and maintenance of the Cadder environment and our properties. In 2013 we extended the Trade & Estates Team to include key trades associated with the repairs service and our aim to commence a programme of new kitchens and bathrooms to all our tenants’ homes. In April 2017 we achieved a major milestone in our major repairs programme, when we completed our 500th installation.The bathroom and kitchen programme will be completed in March 2019 and 2021-22, respectively.
1.7The trade team are responsible for repairing empty houses, as well as 80% of the reactive repair works, where other more specialist works are undertaken by external contractor’s e.g. roofing, gas, out of hours, glazing, etc. A major improvement to our empty houses was the installation of new kitchens and bathrooms. We have now put in place the resources to install new kitchen and bathrooms to our tenants’ homes through our D.L.O over the next 4 and 6 years, respectively.
1.8Cadder has embraced employability providing employment opportunities in estate caretaking, painting and clerical and administrations positions to long term unemployed people through Glasgow. Our Training Academy started in 2005 and we have provided more than 500 work and training placements and 60 apprenticeships during this period. In a recent study of our estate caretaking and employability initiative, it was stated that, ‘Cadder was punching above its weight in its contribution to the local employment agenda’.
1.9The Association completed the development of a state of the art community facility in May 2016 at a cost of £3.2million. The new Cadder Community Centre provides a facility for local residents’ needs and aspirations for services, activities and events. The Centre has the venue for the Glasgow West of Scotland Forum’s Regeneration conferences in 2016 and 2017, where the quality and community space had been praised by many delegates from housing association in attendance.
1.10The Association is continuing its regeneration agenda with a new build housing development, where we will build 50 new homes on the site of the former St Agnes Primary School. McTaggart Construction Ltd are the contractor for this development, which will transform the gateway to Cadder and this land that has lain barren since the school was demolished in 2010.
1.11The Association has undertaken a Master Plan study, which will inform the regeneration priorities for Cadder in the period 2015-2030. This study highlighted improvements to further regenerate Cadder for existing tenants and future generations new housing and shop units, car parking, recreational amenities, backcourt regeneration improvements and traffic calming measures.
2.0Post of Customer Services Administrator
2.1The post of Customer Services Administrator is a key post in the newly created Customer Services Team, where the successful candidate will provide administrative support to Customer Service staff to ensure the provision of a high quality and efficient housing management and customer services to our tenants and other customers.
A key aim will be to positively engage with our tenants and owner-occupiers in relation to their tenancy, factoring accounts or our general service. The Customer Services Administrator will have responsibility to maximise income and mitigate arrears for tenants’ rents and owner-occupiers’ factoring accounts, respectively. The Customer Services Administrator will administer the allocation and void management processes, as well as undertake general estate management duties.
2.2The successful candidate should have good customer service experience, preferably having worked in the social housing sector. You should have experience of debt recovery and be able to handle a diverse workload and plan and prioritise key tasks to meet challenging deadlines. You should be educated to National 5 level or equivalent, preferably with qualifications in English and Maths. You should have good I.T skills preferably having used the SDM housing software system. We would expect you to have excellent administrative skills, be customer focused, have excellent communication and interpersonal skills; and be highly motivated and committed to excel in the role.
2.3The post will be based in our office at 20 Fara Street, Cadder, Glasgow, G23 5AE. The hours of work are 35 hours per week and there is flexi-time working arrangement.
2.4Cadder Housing Association is a full member of the Employer in Voluntary Housing (EVH) and operated salary scales and conditions of service, which have been agreed by EVH on behalf of member organisations and the Unite Union.
2.5The terms and conditions for the Customer Services Administratorare as listed:
- The salary for this post is EVH Grade 4 (£19,827to £22,421).
- 40 days leave per annum (15 days are public holidays);
- Contributory salary pension scheme is currently available ; and
- Flexi-time working is in place.
3.0Recruitment Process
3.1We hope that the information provided to you for the post of Customer Services Administrator and details about our Association will now encourage you to now apply for this post.
3.2You should provide the following information to apply for this post:
i)Completed Application Form
ii)Completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
You should not provide your C.V with your application
3.3Your application can be e-mailed to or it can be posted to the Association. If posting it is your responsibility to ensure you allow sufficient time for it to arrive at the Association’s office, as applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
3.4If you are invited for interview for this post we will arrange to view and copy your qualifications. References will only be requested if you are offered the position. One of your references should be your present or most recent employer. If you have not been employed or have been out of employment for a long time, you may wish to give the name of someone who knows you sufficiently well to confirm the information you have given and to comment on your ability to do the job.