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JOB APPLICATION

PACK

Job Title: Woking PFI Neighbourhood Manager Directorate: Housing Department: Housing Management Location: Woking

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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, giving all relevant information and in particular setting out the ways in which you meet the criteria to be assessed through the application form. The criterion 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: 0208 607 0600 Email: recruitment@tvha.co.uk Web: www.tvha.co.uk/careers

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CONTENTS

About TVHA………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

Our Competency Framework………………………………………………………………………………………5 Equal Opportunities…………………………………………………………………....................................6 Job Advert…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 Job Description…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Person Specification………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 Guidance Notes for Applicants………………………………………………………………………………….13 Personal Statement Example...…………………………………………………..................................15

Guide to Competency Based Interviews…………………………………………………………………….16 Preparing for Competency Based Interviews……………………………………………………………..17 Appendix 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19

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ABOUT TVHA

We are a medium-sized housing association based in Twickenham, South West London.

We own, manage or take care of loans for over 14,500 homes in London, Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire and Sussex. These include traditional rented housing, shared ownership, key worker and student accommodation.

In order to generate a profit to help fund our social purpose, we also have a market rent business called “Fizzy” and a joint venture to build housing for sale.

OUR CORPORATE VALUES Our vision and mission are what drives us. We could make it big and complicated, but it’s really pretty straightforward. Our Vision “For everyone to have the chance to build their lives from a base of a good home” We believe that a good, safe, secure home is a critical foundation for successful people, families and communities. Without one, it’s difficult to do well at school, hold down a job, or raise a family. Our Mission “To provide good quality affordable homes and invest in communities” The housing crisis is particularly acute in London & the South. We build good quality, new homes and manage them well. And we grow the social capital of the communities we work in. Stepping Up! They are five key values that we live by. Sometimes it’s straight forward to live by them. Sometimes it’s harder, it challenges us. But they’re our guiding light. It’s how we Step Up. Think forward—Question how we do things. Think ahead. Innovate. Think We—Lets work together to achieve our goals. Think Openly—Lets be transparent and true to our world. Think with Compassion—Offer your time and support. Act with empathy and understanding. Think 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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EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Equality & Diversity On fairness, openness, and welcoming of difference We want everyone to look forward to coming to work every day, so we encourage fairness, openness and welcoming of difference. We aim to treat everyone fairly. We won’t have any harassment or discrimination. We’re strong supporters of equality and diversity, and we employ people on merit and qualifications, according to how well they suit the role. We believe that no one should ever be treated badly because of their race, colour, ethnic or national origin, or because of their religion or faith, gender, sexuality, partnership status, age or disability. We do our best to make our workplace and facilities accessible for people with disabilities. We think we’ve got it right, but if you find something that’s not accessible, please let us know so we can fix it.

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JOB ADVERT

WOKING PFI NEIGHBOURHOOD MANAGER

Location: Woking

Salary: £32,640 rising to £36,267 pa after probation

Benefits: Car Allowance, Health Cash Plan, Pension

Contract type: Permanent, Full Time

Hours: 37 hours per week

Closing date: 12 May 2014, Midnight

Interview date: 19 / 21 May 2014

Working with Woking Borough Council and Kier Partnership Homes, TVH is creating Kingsmoor Park – a new neighbourhood in the heart of Woking that will provide 224 homes for social rent and 147 homes for private sale. We want the residents of Kingsmoor Park to enjoy not just high-quality new homes but also exceptional neighbourhood management … that’s where you come in. As Neighbourhood Manager, you will be the main point of contact for all residents. You will be on-site, five days a week, making sure that Kingsmoor Park is well maintained and that our services are delivered to the highest standard. You will be proactive in responding to resident and contractor queries dealing with everything from maintenance issues to all tenancy related matters and void management. There is a challenging set of performance objectives and regular reporting requirements. To do the job well you will need property management experience gained in the social housing sector and solid knowledge of housing legislation and case law. You will have a real commitment to delivering a great service and enjoy dealing with residents face-to-face. Above all you have the energy and drive to give the residents of Kingsmoor Park an exceptional place to live.

To apply please visit www.tvha.co.uk/careers

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JOB DESCRIPTION Job title: Woking PFI Neighbourhood Manager Directorate: Housing Department: Housing Management Location: Woking Responsible To: Area Housing Manager

Family tree (clearly showing the responsibilities for and to particular managers)

Main purpose of the job Provide an onsite management presence delivering a proactive approach to estate management and customer service Responsibility for the day to day running of the development and to coordinate a prompt response to all resident enquiries at Kingsmoor Park, Woking To ensure delivery of all the primary housing management functions for the social rent properties and work with the Repairs contractor to deliver the required standards Ensure the PFI Output Specification is delivered and all performance and standards are met

Senior / Housing

Officers (x2) (x6)

Area Housing Manager

Deputy Housing Director

Neighbourhood

Manager -

Woking Neighbourhood

Administrator

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Liaise with the Area Housing Manager & PFI Manager to ensure all reports and performance measures are produced on time Co-ordinate and monitor performance of the Estate Management Contract servicing all 371 properties To manage the Neighbourhoods Assistant and monitor performance To support Woking Borough Council to verify potential nominations for first-lets

Main contacts which the postholder has within the organisation Housing Management, Moves and Advice Team, Repairs Team , Property & Asset Management Department,

Revenues Team, Home Ownership Team (rent setting, service charges) for Non-PFI resident enquiries,

Resident and Community Involvement Team, Development Team, Finance, ICT and Policy & Performance

Contacts outside the organisation PFI Manager Repairs, Servicing, Compliancy, Cyclical and Planned Contractors, Property & Asset Management

Consultants, Woking Borough Council (all departments including Housing, Environmental Health, Social

Services and Benefits Section) , Kier Partnership Homes, Local Residents/Resident Associations , Local

Partnership Agencies including Police, Support Agencies , Multi-agency Forums , County Court , Solicitors

Budgetary responsibilities specifically attached to post To monitor and record budget spend and provide exception reports when requested To approve Invoice and Purchase Orders to an agreed limit

Main duties and responsibilities Provide a full-time on-site presence Monday to Friday. When required to provide late night opening and attendance at events on a weekend To manage an efficient on-site office and to be the main contact for residents at Kingsmoor Park To log and respond to all enquiries in line with the performance standards, ensuring a clear audit trail for performance reporting To supervise and manage the performance of an Neighbourhoods Administrator To ensure all complaints are responded to in line with agreed timescales and to co-ordinate cross departmental/organisational responses when required Ensure the scheme is safe, secure and well maintained including all Health and Safety requirements

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To monitor the quality of estate services delivered on site and to conduct weekly estate inspections of all communal areas To report all repairs and monitor the progress of outstanding maintenance issues on site, escalating this with the Repairs Contractor when required To escalate issues regarding poor performance or non-compliance by Contractors providing services to Kingsmoor Park To post-inspect a regular sample of repair orders To manage all resident communications and system processes relating to tenancy management queries including anti social behaviour and income collection. To proactively manage complaints of anti social behaviour and tenancy fraud and to make prompt referrals to support agencies and problem solving groups as appropriate When necessary to progress Arrears and ASB cases through to court stage and to work with TVH retained solicitors to gain possession. Carry out home visits as and when requested by the resident and also as part of the requirement to monitor probationary tenancies Manage the letting arrangement of voids, to include verification checks for first-lets, interviewing potential nominations, carrying out property viewings and competing sign-up paperwork. To work closely with the Moves Team for all first-lets, re-lets and to progress resident requests for Assignment, Succession, Mutual Exchange, Transfer and Termination of Tenancy. To work in conjunction with the Community Access Officer to deliver resident involvement and community investment activity at Kingsmoor Park Annually to read all gas and electricity meter readings and to carry out a Resident Satisfaction Survey Prepare performance reports when requested and in a prescribed format To build and maintain excellent relationships with all Partners and Stakeholders 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: Woking PFI Neighbourhood Manager

Directorate: Housing

Knowledge, Experience & Skills Essential A working knowledge of Housing Legislation and Case Law Staff performance management and supervision Significant experience of working in a Housing and Property Management field Knowledge and experience of managing a variety of Housing and Tenancy management issues and letting properties within the social housing sector Working in a performance driven environment Production of regular performance reports for dissemination to key partners and stakeholders Confident and proficient user of Civica systems, Microsoft Office & other IT packages Experience of providing high levels of customer service to customers from different backgrounds Desirable Professional Housing related qualification Experience of verifying housing applicants Understanding of key issues facing diverse groups Experience of managing leasehold related enquiries and communications Experience of working independently and managing an on-site based office Technical Uses knowledge of housing legislation to ensure effective and legally compliant management of tenancies and void progression Uses systems and databases to record and track progress of all tenancy management issues, ensuring targets and KPIs are met Uses exception reporting to identify and minimise risks of non-compliance and performance failures Uses knowledge and experience to accurately diagnose repairs and post-inspect repair work Uses knowledge and experience to solve problems, working with other agencies where necessary to do so

Qualifications Educated to A Level standard or equivalent

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Core Competencies 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 Initiative and Innovation (Leader) Develops and implements initiatives at a local level Working Together (Professional) Involves others to work towards shared goals and objectives 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 and Safety Full driving licence and access to a car for work Willingness to visit customers in their homes Willingness to attend evening/weekend events where necessary Delivering our 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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GUIDANCE NOTES FOR APPLICANTS Introduction These notes aim to help you complete your job application form. Please read carefully before you start completing the application form. Completing your Application We will use the information you provide in your application to decide whether or not you meet the essential requirements listed in the person specification. Please note that if you don’t give examples through your application how you meet the criteria, your application will not be taken to the next stage. The following sections below outline the contents of the job description and person specification and will be useful when completing your application. Thames Valley Housing has set out the performance and behaviour expectations for each role within the organisation. The job description sets out the family tree, main purpose of the job, contacts and key tasks for the role. The person specification contains the following:

1) KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS This is broken up as “Essential & Desirable” These are knowledge and outcomes required to perform effectively within the role and you are required to provide details of relevant experience for this role.

2) QUALIFICATIONS

These are the qualifications which are essential or desirable for the job.

3) COMPETENCIES These are a set of behaviours an individual must posses in order to perform to the optimum level within that role.

4) OTHER

Depending on the role, there may be other criteria that the job holder needs to demonstrate e.g. if a job involves travelling, you will need to have a full drivers licence.

Short-listing The people short-listing will use information from your application and personal statement to determine whether you will be short-listed for assessments/interviews for this role. They will focus mainly on the essential criteria listed in the person specification. You should therefore show through your application form and your personal statement how you meet the essential criteria.

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Assessments/Interviews If your application is short-listed, you will be required to undergo some testing from a range of

Ability Tests

Written Exercise

Job related tests

Psychometric tests

IT tests References We will need two good references.

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.

Driving 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. (Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act.) 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 do let us know what you think about the process.

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PERSONAL STATEMENT [To download a Word version click here] Name of applicant: [Text here]

Role applying for: [Text here]

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

Tell us about the knowledge and work experience that you’ve had – everything that makes you believe you are the right person for the job

[Text here]

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

How do your skills match what we’re looking for?

[Text here]

COMPETENCIES

Please give real life examples of how you have demonstrated the competencies in bold listed on the Person Specification (Please refer to appendix 1 and useful examples)

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A GUIDE TO COMEPTENCY BASED INTERVIEWS At Thames Valley Housing competency-based interviews are a key part of candidate selection. Here is a brief guide to what such interviews involve, along with some advice on how best to approach them. Introduction Competency-based interviews are based on the idea that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. Accordingly, the interviewer’s goal is to obtain specific examples of when and how you demonstrated particular behaviours. Interview questions are carefully designed to probe specific skill, competencies and characteristics which are relevant to job success for the position in question. All candidates are asked the same questions and notes are taken in order to evaluate candidates. The word competency is widely used in business and personnel psychology and refers to the behaviours that are necessary to achieve organisational goals. A competency is also something you can measure and lists of competencies form a common language for describing how people perform in different situations. Every job can be described in terms of key competencies and these are described in the person specification attached to each job description. This means that competencies can be used for all forms of assessment, including appraisals, training needs analysis and selection. Whilst each interview may vary in terms of the questions asked/competencies reviewed, there are general themes that are usually covered. It is well worth preparing for this type of interview by, for example, being familiar with some of the possible questions and how you would answer them. At TVH we have eight core competencies and two managerial competencies. These have been developed in association with our corporate values* to support the organisation’s vision and goals. These core competencies, together with the knowledge and technical skills required to fulfil the role, are detailed in the person specification. These will form the basis of the questions you will be asked.

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PREPARING FOR COMPETENCY BASED INTERVIEWS Competency-focused, well structured answers are extremely powerful and will impress the interviewer(s). Below are some hints and tips which you might find useful:

To prepare for competency-based interviews, first review the job description and person specification

carefully and identify the skills and traits likely to be assessed. Next, identify the situations and

experiences that you will refer to in the interview to demonstrate these skills and traits. (You may

have already included some of your examples in the supporting statement that you submitted during

the application process. That’s fine. You may be required to expand on these examples in your

interview.)

The STAR model will provide a structure to your answers:

Situation - describe a situation or problem you have encountered; Task - what was required of you in terms of aims/objectives/challenges? Action - what did you do (as opposed to your colleagues/team-mates/manager)? Result - what happened/what was the outcome of your actions?

You will be asked to provide specific examples with lots of detail. When using this format it is useful to

give the panel a little bit of Situation and Task but the bulk of your example should consist of your

Action - what you did and said in this situation.

Remember to include good examples of where you have demonstrated any of the REACH values in

your past experiences.

Apply your common sense - if you have applied for a customer-facing role, then it is most likely that

you will be asked to describe situations where you have interacted with a customer and delivered

good customer service. Similarly, if you have applied for a technical role, you will most likely be

assessed on your ability to analyse and solve problems.

Think back over your past experiences and situations you have been involved in that might

demonstrate to an interview panel the behaviours they are looking for. The examples might be from

work, college, sports, volunteer roles or other groups or teams you may have been part of. Try to think

of your most recent experiences so you can remember lots of detail about what you did in that

situation (i.e. try to use examples that are no older than 2 years).

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You might find it useful to have a go at being interviewed with the help of a friend or family member.

Don’t try to rehearse or memorise your answers, simply familiarise yourself with your previous

experiences in a structured way to help you remember what you did in these situations.

Tips for the interview

Be yourself - act naturally;

Try to relax and ask for water if you need it;

Don’t be afraid to take time to gather your thoughts and think of your best example to fit the question

before speaking;

It’s OK to ask questions - remember it is a two-way conversation;

It’s also OK to ask the panel to repeat a question, or clarify your understanding for what you are being

asked;

If you are unsure about whether your example is what the panel was looking for, at the end of your

response check with the panel that you have answered their questions;

The panel will be busy taking notes during the interview and may not be able to maintain eye contact

with you throughout the interview. Don’t let that distract you or put you off. It’s their job to get

everything down so they have an accurate record you have said in the interview - it does not mean you

are giving bad examples.

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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

Leader Leads the organisations to deliver high performance

Expert Is a role model for effective leadership

Appendix 1

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Name Definition Level Descriptors

realise their full potential Professional Supports team development

Vocational Gives basic direction and instruction

Appendix 1

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