The posting
Role Purpose:
To deliver a high quality customer focused repairs and maintenance service to act as essential technical support to the Repairs and Operations Service and across Property Services. This is a lead support function to the Repairs and Operations Managers, North and South, will oversee a range of technical surveying functions. These will include pre and post-condition inspections of works, with focus on quality and cost, including but not limited to checks on asbestos management, CDM regulations and void specification brief(s).
It will be expected to the workload would be prioritize in line with the needs of the business and residents. To undertake and monitor proactively the client responsibilities for all contracts within the posts remit. To provide specialist and professional reports, writing specifications, managing disrepair cases, insurance cases, undertaking estate inspections and quality assurance inspections. To overseer the delegated Revenue and Capital budgets for the Repair and Maintenance and one off projects. To support the Repairs & Operations Service and across Property Management in an effort to reduce compensation costs associated to legal disrepair.
Example outcomes or objectives that this role will deliver:
Assist the Repairs & Operations Team Leader(s) to undertake effective contract administration of repair and maintenance contracts.
To monitor Repairs and Operations services delivered by DLO / contractors to LBC housing stock including: undertaking quality assurance measures and inspections, specifying and authorising works and payments / variations monitoring contractors performance and budgets
Co-ordinate and integrate the input from specialist associated disciplines on multi- disciplinary repairs and to verify the adequacy and competency of those inputs in order to deliver complex repairs or programmes of work.
Monitor the DLO and works contractors to ensure compliance requirements, ensuring works delivery demonstrates conformity with safety requirements and fulfils its obligations under current safety regulations.
Ensure appropriate specifications of works are prepared and approved for one off projects.
Provide professional and technical advice and reports on all matters within the functionality of the service and undertake the role of an expert witness at hearings, adjudications and legal proceedings etc.
Produce reports for Committees and internal and external stakeholders as required.
Ensure appropriate consultation with planners, leaseholders and other stakeholders to ensure statutory compliance.
Ensure management of LBC legal disrepair cases in accordance with legal disrepair protocol.
Ensure effective communication with internal and external solicitors, housing management colleagues and other stakeholders to resolve claims as quickly and efficiently as possible to minimise costs incurred through works, legal costs and compensation.
Manage other professionals who are commissioned to undertake property inspections where there is structural damage / movement.
Instruct specialist consultants or LBC structural engineers where appropriate; specify remedial materials / works.
Liaise with housing management colleagues to arrange for decants of tenants where required.
Ensure that inspections in relation to minor adaptations works are undertaken if required.
Ensure accurate information is provided to Leasehold Services to enable statutory Section 20 consultation notices to be issued and all queries resolved and ensure accurate cost data is provided to Leasehold Services for annual service charge billing and all queries of final invoices investigated and responded to.
Ensure that all duties in respect of CDM are fully met and ensure that partners are competent to carry out their responsibilities under CDM legislation
Plan, organise, and implement the delivery of effective Quality Assurance systems/procedures/processes to cover all functions managed by the team.
Ensure good record keeping and maintenance of data, records and information, raising orders, processing invoices, booking appointments, servicing meetings, dealing with correspondence, liaison with contractors and suppliers
Represent the Directorate at Council, Committee, Forum and external meetings on matters relating to the service area.
Maintain own up to date knowledge of legislation and best practice relating to the functionality of this post and ensure that it is translated into action.
Build and maintain effective and productive working relationships with service managers and colleagues
Contribute to the development of policy, practice, procedures and service planning for Repairs and Operations and participate in projects, working groups, service developments, audits and reviews as directed.
Ensure that key operational risks are identified and reviewed on a regular basis and controls are put in place to mitigate and reduce the risks.
Carry out other duties commensurate with your grade and directed by the Team Leaders
Supporting Service Performance and Budgets
Monitor contractors performance when required to ensure that services meet performance, contractual compliance, quality and budgetary targets and take corrective action if they fall below standards. Proactively monitor all delegated budgets and income streams so that they are accurate, up to date and monitored including ensuring all spend is committed when ordered and take corrective action when spend is forecasted or actually over/under spent.
Provide information as required to colleagues to support budgetary and performance monitoring, Health and Safety reporting, statutory and regulatory returns, audits and self-assessments
Prioritise and deal with all customer complaints and members enquiries in accordance with the Councils timescales and standards and aim to resolve them to the customers satisfaction.
Analyse complaints and demonstrate how they have improved services.
Involve residents in monitoring and reviewing services and consult them about new strategies, standards and contracts to ensure that their needs, priorities and aspirations are understood and incorporated into continuous and service improvements leading to increased resident satisfaction.
To use the Councils office-based and mobile IT services for the input, access and transmission of information using the appropriate level of information security and classification through the use of electronic mail, diaries, word-processing, spreadsheets and databases as well as any specific job-related applications as required to carry out the duties of the post.
To ensure the Councils data quality and information rights compliance by supporting the administration of information, application systems, technology and staff so that the business unit complies with the Councils Information Management related policies.
To ensure adequate guidance is available to business unit staff through the production and maintenance of documented procedures and processes supported by relevant training.
Provide training to staff on legal and complex issues
During audits, to be able to demonstrate compliance with policies by the production of satisfactory supporting evidence.
To be fully familiar with the Councils Safety Policy and Codes of Practice and guidance relating to their area of work and ensure that all duties and responsibilities are discharged in accordance with them.
Technical Knowledge and Experience:
Qualifications:
Essential:
Minimum of BTEC, HNC/HND in a relevant area e.g. building maintenance, surveying or construction. Desirable:
MRICS qualified
Extensive experience in delivering complex/disrepairs service for social housing.
Understanding of disrepair legislation, Including a sound knowledge of:
o The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
o Defective premises Act 1972
Detailed Knowledge and understanding of pre and post inspection processes, building pathology and repairs techniques
Detailed Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities in relation to construction and Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations.
Knowledge and understanding of key developments and contract issues in construction industry best practice, including partnering and framework agreements
Knowledge of current housing and social policy issues and legislation
Ability to project-manage complex programmes of work.
Knowledge of procurement and tendering requirements in a local authority.
Experience of monitoring repairs and maintenance works within a social housing environment.
Significant experience and demonstrable skills in undertaking complex building surveying activity
Knowledge of contract administration and demonstrable skills to undertake contract administration duties and manage financially complex contracts
Knowledge of Local Authority Health and Safety in relation to maintenance of assets.
Knowledge of different forms of contracts e.g. JCT, NEC, PPC and MTC
Knowledge of legal requirements to deal with disrepair claims.
Knowledge of statutory requirements relating to leaseholder consultation requirements
Experience of writing tender specifications
Significant experience in financial management and administration of revenue and capital budgets
Detailed knowledge of issues involved in performance management of contractors with a proven track record in improving performance and meeting KPI targets
Experience of working within a team, working towards organisational goals and objectives.
Excellent communications skills both written and oral and the ability to write letters and complex, concise reports
Ability to use a wide range of IT packages and repair database
Ability to work outside normal hours where necessary to deal with emergencies
