JOB APPLICATION PACK. Department: Housing Services. 1 P a g e

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1 JOB APPLICATION PACK Job Title: Directorate: Repairs Officer Housing Department: Housing Services Location: Twickenham 1 P a g e

2 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: recruitment@tvha.co.uk Web: 2 P a g e

3 CONTENTS About TVHA..4 Our Competency Framework 5 Equal Opportunities...6 Job Advert..7 Job Description..8 Person Specification.10 Guidance Notes for Applicants.12 Personal Statement Example Guide to Competency Based Interviews.15 Preparing for Competency Based Interviews..16 Appendix P a g e

4 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. 4 P a g e

5 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. 5 P a g e

6 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. 6 P a g e

7 JOB ADVERT REPAIRS OFFICER Location: Twickenham Contract type: Permanent, Full Time Salary: starting 23,800 and rising to 26,400* plus competitive benefits package Hours: 35 hours per week Closing date: 18 August 2014 Interview & Assessments: 27 August 2014 Thames Valley Housing provides good quality affordable housing where people are proud to live. We are consistently providing high quality services to our home owners and general needs residents. We own and manage 15,000 properties and are growing both organically and through our private rented business, Fizzy Living. Our Repairs Team deal with over 30,000 telephone calls per year and it is our aim to provide a responsive, high quality service to all of them. This involves dealing with general as well as urgent repair enquiries over the phone, in writing or at reception. The team works with internal departments, contractors and other external bodies to ensure customers repairs are dealt with effectively and through to conclusion. You will have: A strong commitment to and experience within a customer service role The desire and ability to go the extra mile and take ownership of issues Excellent interpersonal, communication and problem solving skills The character to cope with a high volume of calls and remain calm under pressure Experience and confidence using computer and information systems like Microsoft Office GSCE Maths/English or equivalent An understanding of property maintenance is desirable. To apply please visit *you will rise to the full salary on successful completion of your probationary period 7 P a g e

8 JOB DESCRIPTION Job title: Directorate: Department: Location: Responsible to: Repairs Officer Housing Housing Services Twickenham Repairs Manager or Repairs Support Manger Family tree (clearly showing the responsibilities for and to particular managers) Housing Services Manager Repairs Manager or Repairs Support Manager Repairs Officer Main purpose of the job Dealing with customer repair related enquiries over the phone, in writing or at reception. Working directly with customers and contractors to ensure customer issues are dealt with effectively and through to conclusion. Delivering performance indicators and the customer service pledge as defined within the role. Main contacts which the post holder has within and outside the organisation Housing Services, Housing Management, Home Ownership, Property and Asset Management, Development, Sales & Marketing, Revenues, Resident Involvement, Finance and ICT, Residents, contractors and developers, 8 P a g e

9 local authorities, police, support agencies, voluntary organisations, advice organisations and members of the public Financial dimensions specifically attached to post None directly, but staff are expected to operate with an awareness of corporate priorities and budgetary constraints. Repair Officers have authority to raise and authorise works orders up to an approved limit. Principal accountabilities expected of the post holder Accurately diagnose repairs and identify defects correctly following them through to completion. Raise accurate works orders for our contractors and minimise the need for orders to be varied. Advice residents on all maintenance related queries. Respond quickly to emergency and urgent maintenance queries to safeguard customers and property. Ensure calls and administration are prioritised and managed to a high standard in line with our customer service pledge. This includes fully completing and recording work accurately and within agreed timescales. Liaise effectively with contractors and developers and work in collaboration with other colleagues and teams to successfully manage and resolve repairs based issues. Ensure complaints and failures in service are captured and well managed within a timely manner Provide a duty officer service to all visitors reporting repairs at our Reception. Provide feedback to managers when requested to assist in monitoring and improving service and the customer experience. Provide telephone cover on a rotating shift basis between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm. 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. 9 P a g e

10 PERSON SPECIFICATION Role: Directorate: Repairs Officer Housing Knowledge, Experience & Skills Essential Experience of dealing with customers from different backgrounds, and delivering high levels of service. An experienced user of Microsoft Office & the ability to easily learn other IT packages. Experience of dealing with customers in high volume environments with the ability to manage a demanding workload. Qualifications Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent. Competencies (Assessed by personal statement and at interview) Technical An aptitude for or an understanding of property maintenance is desirable. On receipt of training, an ability to apply this knowledge and provide a good quality service to all customers. Core (refer to Competency Framework guidelines to determine appropriate definition) 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 providing support to the team effectively setting own work plan and prioritising key tasks 10 P a g e

11 Initiative and Innovation (Vocational) Addresses current opportunities by improving and adapting existing approaches Working Together (Vocational) Works co-operatively with other members of the team and direct customers 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 Good IT Skills Commitment to Equal Opportunities and Health & Safety Delivering and living the Corporate values: LIVING AND DELIVERING THE 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 11 P a g e

12 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. 12 P a g e

13 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. 13 P a g e

14 PERSONAL STATEMENT [To download a Word version click here] Name of applicant: Role applying for: [Text here] [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) 14 P a g e

15 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. 15 P a g e

16 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). 16 P a g e

17 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. 17 P a g e

18 Appendix 1 Name Definition Level Descriptors 1 Applied Thinking Makes use of relevant information to resolve problems, identify Leader Identifies new business opportunities by evaluating company performance from a range of information opportunities and reach appropriate solutions. 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 Leader Sets the performance framework for the organisation to meet corporate goals, achieve results and champions improvements managing others or taking direct action. 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 Leader Structures the business plan to deliver key objectives while allocating appropriate resources achieving quality and value for money. 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 Leader Develops ways of capturing innovation and creativity across the organisation and delivers through others existing ideas in a new or Expert Plans and implements new ideas in the long to medium term and takes the lead unexpected way to create in delivering change within Directorate opportunities. Professional Develops and implements initiatives at a local level Vocational Addresses current opportunities by improving and adapting existing approaches 18 P a g e

19 Appendix 1 Name Definition Level Descriptors 5 Working Together Works co-operatively and flexibly across cultures and organisational boundaries to achieve shared goals 6 Managing Relationships (Influencing, persuading and negotiating) 7 Continuous Improvement (Striving for Excellence) 19 P a g e Builds and maintains relationships to achieve positive outcomes for the Association Looks for opportunities to improve (self, products and/or services) 8 Customer Driven Provides an excellent service to all customers 9 Commercial Awareness Understands relationship of operational issues to wider business context 10 Leadership (Developing and Managing People) Inspires and motivates others to develop confidence and capability to Leader Expert Professional Vocational Leader Expert Professional Vocational Leader Expert Professional Vocational Leader Expert Professional Vocational Leader Expert Professional Vocational Leader Expert Creates a positive team working environment Builds the team to deliver a high quality service Involves others to work towards shared goals and objectives Works co-operatively with other members of the team and direct customers Extends networks and uses indirect influence to build external relationships to achieve long term strategic organisational goals Maintains networks and plans impact Builds positive and reciprocal relationships that benefit the Association Builds rapport with colleagues and direct customers/suppliers Creates a continuous improvement environment Drives Departmental activity to continuously improve systems and processes Delivers improvements at a team level Drives self to deliver results and aspirations Develops the strategy to meet the long term interests and aspirations of customers Champions and promotes the delivery of quality service to all customers Plans and organises delivery of customer service Delivers a high quality service Defines and develops TVH s commercial objectives to maximise the organisation s financial wellbeing Delivers the commercial objectives Understands the purpose and content of the Corporate business plan Demonstrates awareness of commercial aspects of the business Leads the organisations to deliver high performance Is a role model for effective leadership

20 Appendix 1 Name Definition Level Descriptors realise their full potential Professional Supports team development Vocational Gives basic direction and instruction 20 P a g e

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