Neighbourhood Services Apprentice - Temporary for 1 year

Ref no. GBC/APP4

Grade: 1

Salary: £15,014

37 hours per week

Gosport Borough Council (GBC) Property and Housing Services

GBC Property and Housing services has a bright future and we hope you will play a part in supporting the service as it implements the 'Taking Housing Forward Programme of Change' and begins to realise its full potential. GBC and Portsmouth City Council (PCC) are forging a new relationship working together to the mutual advantage of both authorities. GBC will remain an autonomous local authority with a housing service based in Gosport. GBC manages over 3,000 council houses and flats, some of which are dedicated to older persons and some as temporary accommodation. The service manages a varied Commercial property portfolio dealing with licences, concessions and a mobile home park. The service works in partnership with a range of contractors, its main partner is Kier, providing a range of responsive repairs, planned programme of works and an out of hours service. The service provides a Housing Options service to meet the local authorities' statutory duties to support housing advice, housing need and homelessness services in the Borough. It is clear that GBC Property and Housing staff have a passion for Gosport as a place and want to see Gosport prosper. They take pride in working for GBC and are proud of all the Council has achieved. The service has demonstrated a determination in the face of unprecedented financial and policy change which has strengthened the resolve and those qualities will be essential over the next few years. The Taking Housing Forward change programme is led by a focus on a service designed to meet the needs of customers. It is an ambitious programme and starts with a structural change, creating new roles at all levels of the service which will drive continuous improvement.

Who are we looking for? We are looking for a motivated individual with an interest in social housing who can demonstrate a commitment to excellent customer service. You should be calm, capable and good with people, ready to listen to their issues and determined to resolve any problems.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential as you will need to be confident working with internal and external partners to find solutions to estate based issues.

What is the role?

Well managed communities promote a sense of pride and provide a better quality of life for residents. The Neighbourhood Management team have a key role to play in ensuring the Housing Service, residents and partner agencies, such as the police, social services and health, work together to promote the social, environmental and economic well-being of neighbourhoods.

The Neighbourhood Services Apprentice will be part of a team responsible for the day to day delivery of a front-line estate management service.

You will report directly to the Neighbourhood Services Manager and will inspect for example our blocks of flats, communal areas, parking and garage sites to ensure they are maintained in a safe, clean and tidy condition. You will identify and manage fly-tips in the local area, collaborating with partners in Streetscene to take enforcement action when needed.

Whilst dealing with estate based issues, you need to be able to listen to the customer and be able to provide appropriate support and help when necessary. You will need to be able to solve problems and be able to deal with challenging behaviour when required. This is a varied and challenging role that involves dealing with a wide section of the local community as well as other external agencies, such as the police. You will also be working closely with various internal and external departments, so your ability to work in partnership with others will be paramount.

Who is the person?

We are looking for somebody who: Has good interpersonal skills and is comfortable conversing with customers and is mindful of the customer's perspective Has good communication skills to enable them to communicate effectively at all levels from residents to Councillors, social services, police, and staff across Gosport Borough Council. Has a proactive approach when responding to issues and is able to engage with customers in a calm, professional manner, dealing with challenging behaviours when necessary. Can work independently and as part of a team, using initiative and judgement to find appropriate and effective solutions to issues as they arise. Has good literacy skills as they will be required to write and have basic knowledge of a variety of IT systems such as Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel. Is capable of carrying out minor repairs to housing communal areas, such as changing light bulbs, which may require the use of a ladder.

Closing date:26 September 2017. Assessment and Interviews will take place on: w/c 2 October 2017

To find out more information with regards to this role please cut and paste the following link into your search engine which will take you through to the national apprentice web-site which will give you further details and details on how to apply.

VAC001307883

Please send the completed Application Form