Private Sector Housing Team Leader

Full Vacancy Description

Job Title:                  Team Leader Licensing & Enforcement

Job Purpose

The Licensing & Enforcement Team’s focus is on delivering high quality, robust and transparent decision making within tight time frames to ensure that the Council's Private Sector Housing (PSH) service is recognised as delivering an excellent landlord licensing experience for all our customers.

The Team Leader will lead a team of specialist private sector housing enforcement and licensing professionals, ensuring that the functions of the team are undertaken in an effective and efficient manner, identifying priorities, allocating workload, monitoring performance, reviewing and signing off notices and licences, as well as monitoring and reporting on collection/achievement of income on a regular basis.

The Team Leader will act as a professional specialist/expert and will be the highest level of Private Sector Housing (PSH) licensing specialist reporting to the Team Manager. The Team Leader will provide professional advice for the Council, Members and others, creating and applying best practice and delivering successful outcomes.

As a lead specialist, the Team Leader will attend court as an expert witness which could result in successful prosecutions of unlicensed landlords and the likelihood of significant civil penalties being awarded to the Borough.

The Team Leader will also deputise for the Team Manager (PSH) in his/her absence, playing a key role in delivering the Council’s strategic priorities relating to improving property conditions and housing standards in the private rented sector and taking a

lead role in the delivery of a high quality, licensing services for our customers, utilising effectively IT and team members to ensure that corporate and national targets are met and exceeded.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

To lead the Licensing and Enforcement Team, undertaking all line management responsibilities and being overall responsible for the service delivery of the team, including achievement of performance indicators.

Responsible to the Team Manager (PSH) for taking the lead on and personal responsibility for the full range of property licensing case work including negotiation of licensing agreements for single dwellings and Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) within designated wards and proactively identifying potential licensable properties.

Proactively support the Team Manager (PSH) in ensuring key performance indicators, targets and customer service standards are fully up-to-date using service wide electronic recording and monitoring systems and that proactive action is taken to ensure that those performance indicators, targets and standards are met.

Deputise for the Team Manager (PSH) as required.

To provide the Team Manager (PSH) and the Head of Service with reports, information, advice or guidance as required.

Ensure that all delegated reports, and correspondence are well written, accurate setting out coherent and robust recommendations based on relevant housing policies and other material considerations.

Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, taking a proactive approach to relevant changes in legislation. Actively promoting awareness of changes in legislation, regulation, and case law relevant to the role to staff, recommending revised procedures and practices, and managing the implementation of those revision.

Take a lead in implementing identified agreed projects to deliver organisational objectives, continual improvements and efficiencies in ensuring a high-quality customer focused service.

Provide advice and guidance to Enforcement Officers on complex or high-risk issues particularly where precedent is less readily available, including that of new legislation and initiatives relating to technical, operational, and contractual aspects of property licensing with licensed landlords & managing agents in relation to relevant legislation and good practice guidance.

To support Enforcement Officers in offering advice and guidance to landlords and letting agents, supporting them on how to effectively deal with occupier challenging behaviour as part of the promotion of improvement of housing conditions and management of through a range of mediums including in the Council’s Landlord Forum.

Where property standards have not been met, support officer in taking the necessary action to improve the property through the issuing of formal notices, statutory letters and other appropriate means and methods.

To guide staff in recommending remedial courses of action to landlords making recommendations and finding creative solutions to improve standards of properties within the context of current and future service requirements in order to continually deliver high quality, customer focused property licensing services to customers and managers.

To support Enforcement Officers in providing advice and information to occupiers in relation to their rights and responsibilities and promote good practice when dealing with antisocial behaviour and other issues that impact on the well-being of the areas.

Initiate, participate in and take the lead on matters relating to compliance and enforcement matters taking responsibility for effective negotiation and conflict resolution to ensure high quality innovative outcomes that reflect Council-wide objectives and policies.

The oversee investigations of complex and high-risk applications and correspondence, ensuring it is effectively and efficiently carried out to identifiable deadlines in a manner which is successful in meeting corporate targets and objectives.

Coach and facilitate more junior members of the team and assist in training so that team members are able to be self-reliant in dealing with technical and people issues.

Acting on intelligence data received to proactively identify and issue licences, including conducting inspections and investigations of suspected and actual licensable properties engaging with reluctant landlords and ensuring they are aware of their legal responsibilities under the Housing Act 2004, using the HHSRS guidance to identify breaches.

To review licensing applications received, Ensure that the electronic copy of the licensing application, any pre-application advice and correspondence and that all electronic and paper copies of own case work and that of the team are up-to-date before issuing a licence, taking into consideration the status and suitability of property.

Take the lead on and personal responsibility for the preparation of evidence in respect of complex licensing and/ or enforcement appeals, presenting information and evidence to Members, colleagues, other local authorities or at internal and/or external meetings, public Enquiries, Hearings, in Court, Ombudsman enquiries and tribunals. and in writing in a clear and concise manner taking a project management role including briefing and commissioning Counsel and specialist advice as necessary.

To use initiative and problem-solving skills to investigate complaints received by the team regarding performance; decisions and other matters, including speaking to the case officer and preparing a response to members of the public, Councillors, MPs, and Senior Council Officials withing agreed Council deadlines. Respond on behalf of the Head of Environmental Health to complex enquiries and complaints from councillors; members of the public; businesses; community groups and developers as and when required.

Demonstrate an ability to build and develop strong working relationships both inside and outside the service in order to deliver departmental and corporate objectives and to mitigate risk and to be an ambassador for the Licensing & Enforcement Team in these interactions.

Participate in Licensing and Enforcement training for Councillors and colleagues as required.

Generic Responsibilities

To contribute to the continuous improvement of the services of the Borough through the attendance and participation of working groups and benchmark activities.

To comply with relevant Codes of Practice, including the Code of Conduct and policies concerning data protection and health and safety.

To adhere to security controls and requirements, procedures and local risk assessments to maintain confidentiality, integrity, availability and legal compliance of information and systems.

To promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, maintaining an awareness of the equality, and diversity policies and work to create a safe, supportive and welcoming environment where all people are treated with dignity and their identify and culture are valued and respected.

To carry out any other duties appropriate to the grading of the post as required by senior management.

Additional Information

To assist as required with the management of budgets, including ensuring that all necessary processes and procedures are carried out in a timely and effective manner.

To provide supervision as required to assigned staff and take responsibility for the allocation and checking of work by staff.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Clear knowledge and understanding of licensing and enforcement in private sector housing or similar regulatory compliance processes and the role of local government.

Sound knowledge of HHSRS and enforcement powers under Housing Act 2004 and other relevant legislation and ability to apply that knowledge to delivering a high quality and responsive service.

Knowledge of licensing application processes and the interfaces with database and case management systems. Understanding of performance information systems and their role in service monitoring and continuous improvement

Knowledge and understanding of effective customer relations and customer care practices.

Experience of carrying out enforcement related investigations and preparing cases for legal action.

Experience of licensing and enforcement powers under relevant legislation.

Demonstrable ability to deliver improvement in housing conditions and reduce disrepair and HHSRS non-compliance in the private sector or similar regulatory compliance processes.

Experiencing in coping with changing priorities and demands in a political environment and an ability to work in a co-operative and constructive manner with other teams and Council Members and other agencies in partnership.

Experience of managing team members

Experience of working with elected Members

Skills and Aptitude

Is able to work on own initiative, utilising case management systems to manage, maintain and monitor own workload and that of any allocated team members and agency staff within agreed timeframes to ensure that key performance indicators, targets and customer service standards are met and that a high quality of work and decision making is maintained.

Is able to assist in identifying need for change and to introduce and manage changes designed to improve service delivery.

To work effectively to meet challenging deadlines and manage competing and changing priorities.

Articulate in written and oral communication skills with the ability to present information coherently and concisely in particular reference to report and letter writing, public speaking, presentation skills and communicating with elected Members; the public; planning agents; and others.

To carry out inspections/investigations, review the information gathered and to take appropriate follow up action in accordance with legislation, guidance, procedures, and policy.

Can influence others, negotiate effectively, de-escalate confrontation, and manage situations where there is disagreement or conflict.

Can review complex information and assess against criteria for decision making or reporting requirements.

Has a clear understanding of, and commitment to, customer care and equal opportunity issues

Education & Qualifications

Hold a UK Degree or Diploma in Environmental Health, or equivalent in a relevant discipline or extensive relevant practical experience.

Membership of a relevant professional body such as Chartered Institute of Environmental Health or Chartered Institute of Housing (Certified Practitioner status) or equivalent; or eligibility to achieve such membership and a commitment to attain it within 6 months of appointment.

Evidence of continued professional development.

Other Requirements

Have the use of a car for work and possess a valid driver’s licence.

Prepared and able to work outside normal office hours as required in the interests of the service.

Able to comply with the Council’s Equal Opportunities and Customer Care policies.