HAT_Head of Housing Services

Grade scale: CO 41 – 43 £127,213 - £131,995
Reports to: Executive Director, Housing and Technical Resources

Purpose of the job

Responsible for the provision of a comprehensive housing management service.

In addition to having responsibility for the development and implementation of the Local Housing Strategy, the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, the South Lanarkshire Council Affordable Housing Programme, the Homelessness Strategy and the Tenant Participation Strategy, the postholder will ensure that the outputs and outcomes of these key strategic documents are closely aligned to wider social and economic development opportunities set out in the Corporate Plan and the Community Plan.

Key tasks and responsibilities

To ensure continuous improvement of service delivery through effective operational management and deployment of resources.

Lead the strategic development, review and monitoring of housing policy in consultation with key stakeholders including the Housing Services Management team and the Executive Director of Housing and Technical Resources.

Responsible for housing management functions, income collection and arrears recovery, anti-social behaviour and community safety, homelessness and general housing policy and practice.

Will be involved in housing-led regeneration including the affordable housing supply programme, stock condition surveys and contribute to the transition to net zero.

To embed Place-based principles in policy and strategy development, focusing on prevention and community sustainment considering proportionate universalism.

Ensuring effective delivery of operational housing and homelessness services, continuous improvement, leading through periods of change and partnership working.

To maximise engagement and ensure effective tenant participation and scrutiny in the delivery of services.

To represent Housing Services, internally and externally at meetings or Committee, as appropriate.

Effectively manage Housing Services budgets including the Housing Revenue Account and General Services, operate within approved budget levels and strive for efficiencies.

Person specification

Safer recruitment checks

In line with statutory requirements and safer recruitment obligations, we carry out a number of pre-employment checks:

• Asylum and Immigration: right to work in the UK.
• Reference check: external candidates require 2 references, one of which must be from their present or most recent employer; Internal candidates require 1 reference from their current line manager.
• Candidate Disclosure Scotland check (where applicable.)

Behaviour framework

The council’s behaviour framework is a set of core behaviours that defines the Council’s expectations of how employees approach work and deliver the key tasks for the role. The expected behaviours for this role are:

Efficient

• Drives service improvement and innovation by communicating vision and a sense of purpose across area of responsibility.
• Achieves efficiency savings taking account of council objectives and workforce planning requirements whilst improving outcomes for the communities of South Lanarkshire Council.
• Develop services which have a positive impact on the physical environment of South Lanarkshire Council ensuring sustainability of resources.
• Adopt a non-bureaucratic approach to service delivery and encourage others to seek simple solutions to achieve objectives.
• Adopt a project management approach when reviewing services and delivering change.

Flexible

• Plans for the variability of service demand and resource availability ensuring the system has the resilience and capacity to cope with uncertainty.
• Leads creative approaches in designing services and developing new ways of working which achieve efficiency and improvement.
• Views and presents change as an opportunity to modernise and ‘future proof’ services.
• Drives change by persuading and influencing others.
• Understands the impact on change on others and becomes a focal point of support and guidance in times of uncertainty.
• Takes responsibility for change and coaches other to do the same.
• Communicates facts to dispel rumours.

Performing

• Focus on strategic long-term outcomes, anticipate changes in working practices and effectively manage transitions.
• Works to achieve a vision of customer focus, improvement and excellence within the council, as well as with partners and other stakeholders.
• Gives teams defined structures and clear direction, enabling a strong sense of ownership and personal responsibility for the delivery of outcomes and objectives.
• Health, safety and wellbeing are at the heart of approach and ensure that these principles are understood in the application of your strategic responsibilities.

Working with others

• Spends time building relationships with partners.
• Facilitates elected member involvement and consults with representative groups when formulating strategies.
• Inspires a ‘one team’ culture.
• Builds networks, locally regionally and nationally to help provide support and expertise by shaping and driving forward agendas and addressing concerns.
• Role models inclusive leadership; respecting colleagues, partners and customers and treating people according to their needs.
• Engages with communities, internal and external partners ensuring the full range of views are taken into account.
• Understands the importance of communication, evaluates its effectiveness and takes steps to improve; leading and encouraging open communication at all levels in the organisation.
• Understand respectful challenge and makes own case whilst recognising the concerns of others.

Leading

• Visible and accessible to employees within your service/area of responsibility.
• Role model for inspirational leadership.
• Builds commitment and engagement to improve team cohesion and outputs.
• Demonstrates sensitivity and good judgement in decision making and relationships.
• Is able to take difficult decisions in complex and challenging situations for the best interests of the service and the council.
• Evaluates resources, options and consequences in decision making.
• Communicates positive messages about the organisation, acting in its best interests and being an ambassador for South Lanarkshire Council.
• Understands the power and authority that comes with the senior manager role and adapts behaviour to ensure interactions with others are positive and empowering.