Neighbourhoods Team Manager

The Neighbourhoods Team Manager is responsible for leading the team of community leads, who deliver our housing management services, coordinate the work of colleagues in localities, and build strong relationships with our residents and communities. Our localities model provides the ideal context for ambitious innovation within service delivery, as we seek every opportunity to learn and improve.

We are looking someone with experience of managing neighbourhood management services, the ability to develop high-performing teams and a passion for helping communities fulfil their potential.

Key responsibilities

Line management responsibilities: five Community Leads (who in turn each manage a Community Neighbourhood Officer), one Tenancy Enforcement Officer

Ensure effective day-to-day management of core housing management services including:

Tenancy management Overseeing all aspects of tenancy management, ensuring compliance with the Housing Act 1985, Housing Act 1996, ASB, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and all relevant legislation. In addition, ensuring effective new tenancy sign-ups, successions, mutual exchanges, assignments, and terminations are processed accurately.

Tenancy enforcement Authorising and supporting actions relating to tenancy enforcement (including serving NTQs, NOSPs, and initiating possession or injunction proceedings), breach management, including property condition, tenancy fraud, and unauthorised occupation and anti-social behaviour (ASB) casework, ensuring robust investigation, evidence gathering, and proportionate enforcement.

Early intervention Promoting tenancy sustainment by balancing enforcement with early intervention and support through referrals to tenancy sustainment or support services.

Budget Managing the team budget effectively

Quality improvement Implementing quality assurance measures to maintain high standards to ensure high levels of resident satisfaction across housing services and use data and feedback to continuously improve

Standards Carrying out your work in line with our professional standards, cultural principles, policies, procedures, and code of conduct, and health and safety responsibilities

Performance Ensuring that service standards and performance targets (including tenancy sustainment, arrears prevention, ASB resolution, and void turnaround) are consistently met or exceeded

Service improvement Lead continuous improvement through clear prioritisation, service redesign, automation and use of technology

Policies and procedures Ensure policies and procedures are up-to-date, resident-informed and fully compliant with legislation and regulatory standards, including full compliance with the Consumer Standards

Budgets Take accountability for managing housing-related budgets and deliver services within agreed financial parameters, gaining maximum value for money from contracts

Tenant Satisfaction Support the team in achieving high levels of customer satisfaction in the neighbourhoods-related Tenant Satisfaction Measures

Risk management Manage Soha's risk to staff procedure by keeping systems up to date with risk flags to ensure the safety of all staff and contractors and by issuing warnings after incidents and by taking any appropriate enforcement action

Complaints Find prompt and effective solutions to complaints, learning from each one

Resident experience Ensure all housing services are designed around the resident experience, and that residents experience dealing with Soha as respectful, straightforward and efficient

Involvement Work with the Resident Involvement Manager to ensure resident voices shape service design, policy and strategy

Transparency Ensure we live out our identity as a community mutual by being radically transparent, fully accountable to residents and clear with our communications, especially at a local level

Constantly learning Ensure the Housing team contributes to Soha's ambition to be a learning organisation, including creating a high-support, high-challenge culture and making reflective practice a key part of how you lead

Data insights Use insight, data and external learning to challenge and evolve service delivery

Inspiring growth: Inspire staff, and harness their insights, creativity and energy to continuously improve services and learn from others

Staff development and coaching: actively working with service managers to identify personal development needs in line with Soha's five cultural principles

Devolved decision-making: embed a culture of delegating responsibility, holding staff accountable for decisions and continuously learning

Thematic leadership: partner with the Head of Communities and Head of Home Ownership to lead development work across the directorate

Development of staff: support on the design and delivery of leadership development initiatives across the directorate

External partnerships Foster mutually-beneficial relationships with key external partners, working collaboratively with local authorities, police, and other partners to resolve community safety concerns and promote cohesive neighbourhoods. This includes holding these partners to account in fulfilling their responsibilities

Working together effectively: work closely with the Head of Housing, Head of Resident Engagement and the Repairs and Estates Manager to ensure all locality-based teams work together effectively – coordinating our response to issues with a multi-team approach, increasing our visibilities in communities (in person and online) and sharing what works across teams.

You will have…

• A strong background in housing management, including an excellent knowledge of relevant housing legislation, legal and court process, and a sound understanding of safeguarding and advocacy
• The ability to lead and inspire a team
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to connect with residents, colleagues and senior stakeholders
• Experience of working with external agencies and contractors
• A positive approach to dealing with challenges and complaints
• Experience of working with resident associations and representative groups
• A CIH qualification at Level 4 or above
• Knowledge of safeguarding, community safety, and tenancy sustainment best practice
• A flexible approach, including occasional evening and weekend work
• A Current Full Driving Licence