About Abbeyfield

About Abbeyfield

At Abbeyfield, we believe that great care starts with great people. We’re committed to providing the highest standards of accommodation to our residents and we’re always keen to hear from people who share our commitment to enhancing the lives of older people in the UK.

The Role

Customer & Tenancy Management & Marketing

Manage provision of tenancy agreements, ensuring a positive accommodation experience in a safe living environment, and reasonable customer expectations are managed and met. Develop and implement local marketing activities to promote the Houses to secure a high reputation in the community, developing relationships with referral agencies and key partners working in social care.

Budget Management

Maximise rental income by ensuring high occupancy levels, and any resident debt is minimised. Control staff costs by effective management of staff budgets, rotas and timesheets.  Control other Housing and property related costs, such as utilities and consumables, in line with budget.

People Management

Manage staff so that they are clear on their responsibilities and are engaged and motivated. Ensure that there are sufficient staff in the right places at the right time to ensure service provision. Develop staff to optimise capability, performance and productivity.

Compliance, Risk Management & Quality Assurance

Ensure that the Houses comply fully with all relevant regulations, internal Abbeyfield policies and processes, and that there is an effective internal audit programme to assure compliance.

About you

Qualifications

1. A relevant Food Hygiene Certificate (e.g. Level 2/3 or equivalent)

Essential

1. Experience working in a sheltered housing, health or social care environment.
2. The ability to manage customer expectations, by balancing the needs of residents with business need
3. Experience managing budgets effectively, particularly securing sustainable income and controlling costs
4.  Strong staff management skills, able to get the best from people.
5. IT literate, proficient in the use of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel)
6. Able to travel between own properties, and to other venues for training/meetings as required.

Desirable

1. An appropriate qualification in the sheltered housing and social care.
2. Understanding of the issues surrounding tenant participation.
3. Understanding of national health and social care strategy for older people.
4. Working knowledge of landlord and tenant obligations.
5. Be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (other than in exceptional circumstances) and intend to have any further booster vaccinations that are made available.

Responsibilities

CUSTOMER, TENANCY MANAGEMENT & MARKETING

• Monitor residents’ compliance with tenancy agreements and take action to resolve non-compliance issues, including initiating possession proceedings where necessary.
• Mediate with regard to resident/neighbour disputes and decide on the appropriate action.  Support and guide all house staff in the day-to-day management of disputes.
• Monitor rent accounts, taking action to minimise rent arrears, engaging welfare benefits advisors as appropriate.
• Take decisions about referrals and allocations so that accommodation is let appropriately to the highest priority applicants and within the target void turnaround timescale.
• Sign up new residents, set up the tenancies and complete core returns.
• Ensure residents remain appropriately housed by annual needs and risk assessments (via ‘My Life Plans’)
• Liaise with other professionals, agencies and volunteers involved in the provision of support to residents that have housing management implications.
• Liaise with sponsors and other agencies with regard to ‘move on’ accommodation.
• Liaise with volunteers and partners about the development and timetabling of social activity programmes to ensure any housing management implications are considered and activities fulfil Abbeyfield values and policies. 
• Develop an annual programme of marketing events across the locality/region that promote the services and mark key dates e.g. Abbeyfield Week.
• Ensure that any Activities run in the communal areas are aligned with the marketing calendar and the diversity calendar and all events are publicised.

2. BUDGET MANAGEMENT

• Ensure financial data and records are accurate and kept up to date, such as staff returns, core returns, spreadsheets recording house/contractor data, copy of the inventory book, incident book, accident book.
• Ensure all monitoring data, returns to funders and regulators are completed accurately and returned on time.
• Ensure all purchases are within allocated budgets, and variances are highlighted and remedial action is agreed.
• Communicate allocated budgets to Housekeepers to ensure all purchases are made within the budgets.

3. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

• Effectively recruit, induct and manage House Staff to ensure a consistent quality service is provided within the budget across the locality/region.  Organise rotas to ensure consistent service delivery and optimise bank staff.
• Ensure staff are clear about their role and responsibilities, performance meets expectations at all times, and that staff take responsibility for having an up-to-date DBS.
• Conduct regular 1:1 meetings and periodic appraisals with direct reports, and proactively address any performance issues to ensure the quality-of-service provision is not compromised.
• Identify any skills gap or training requirements that meet individual aspirations (that fit the business need), endeavour to arrange training as appropriate, maintaining staff records.
• Liaise with volunteer group about replacing or increasing the numbers of volunteers to enhance the service provided to residents and develop the scope and quality of services to achieve greater value for money.
• Work with any volunteers to ensure their participation enhances the service provided to residents, and that all volunteers operate in line with Abbeyfield Values, Policies and Procedures.

4. COMPLIANCE, RISK MANAGEMENT & QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Use agreed audit tools to monitor the quality and safety of each service; responding appropriately.
• Ensure all incidents/accidents are reported centrally with and required implemented and lessons learned.
• Investigate and respond to complaints in line with the complaints policy to identify and implement ways the service could be improved.
• Develop effective relationships with partners, attending external meetings as appropriate, to ensure the service continues to develop to meet stakeholder and regulatory requirements and Abbeyfield maintains a reputation for quality services.
• Work to achieve Abbeyfield’s internal mark of quality for all services for which they are responsible

The Abbeyfield Society