Graduate Scheme Candidate information pack

Transcription

1 Graduate Scheme 2017 Candidate information pack

2 Introduction and welcome Thank you for downloading this Candidate Information Pack, and for your interest in joining Hightown s Graduate scheme. Hightown is a charitable organisation providing affordable homes and a wide range of care and supported housing services across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire to families, single people and people with disabilities who cannot afford to access housing on the private market. As a developing organisation we have 5,000 affordable homes and a programme to build around 350 more affordable homes each year. Hightown is well regarded by its partners and stakeholders in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire and is financially stable. The graduate scheme is fully supported by all levels within the organisation and has been designed to give you the opportunity to maximise your potential by providing you with the right opportunities to progress. It offers a unique opportunity for motivated and confident individuals who strive to achieve a rewarding and fulfilling management career and play a key part in shaping Hightown s future. This candidate information pack will provide you with all the information about the scheme and the opportunity to hear from the current and previous graduates. If you need help or support concerning your application please do not hesitate to contact me personally at Samantha.culverhouse@hightownha.org.uk and I will get back to you. We look forward to receiving your application and thank you for taking the time to apply to the programme. Yours sincerely Samantha Culverhouse Recruiting Manager 2

3 About Hightown We are a charitable organisation primarily operating within Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Berkshire with the main office in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Our mission is to build new homes and provide excellent housing and support believing that everyone should have a home and the support they need. Our values are: - Our residents and service users come first - We treat people with respect, promoting independence and choice - We value our staff who are key to delivering excellent service - We are cost effective without compromising standards or safety Hightown has grown from a variety of local mergers and alliances over the last 35 years. The principle mergers were those between Hightown and Praetorian in 1995 and between Hightown Praetorian and St Albans District Churches in David Bogle is our Chief Executive and he is assisted by five directors: David Skinner, Director of Financial Services George Edkins, Business Development Director Dave Black, Director of Care and Supported Housing Susan Wallis, Director of Operations Mark Carter, Director of Business Transformation We currently have over 900 full and part time staff with a turnover of 60 million and a development programme that will deliver around 350 new affordable homes each year. Hightown manages over 5,000 homes most of which are rented to people who have applied through the Local Authority choice based lettings schemes. In over 600 homes we provide support to people including those with learning disabilities, people with mental health problems, young people and homeless people. We have an excellent reputation for helping people live as independently as possible. 3

4 Hear from some of our current and previous graduates Gemma Richardson Head of Care and Supported Housing (Graduate 2005) Having completed my psychology degree I was unsure exactly what I wanted to do career wise, but I did know I was interested in working with people and wanted to get into management. Hightown s graduate trainee scheme appealed to me as it was offering the opportunity to explore various work experiences across different settings. I started the trainee programme in 2005 along with three other graduates. As it was my first full time position straight out of university, I wasn t sure what to expect and remember feeling apprehensive, nervous and excited all at the same time. I was assigned a mentor, Kim who supported me throughout the entire programme and I also had great peer support and a social network in the form of other graduates. For the first year and a half of my programme I completed various placements through Hightown s operational teams including Temporary Supported Housing, Income Recovery, Maintenance and Repairs and Housing Management. Each placement exposed me to a different front line service enabling me to gain a breadth of experience and build a broad understanding of the business. This helped me identify what I enjoyed doing, see where my strengths and weaknesses are, and ultimately decide where I wanted to concentrate my career. I was nearing the end of the two year programme when I successfully applied for a full time job with Hightown as a Senior Housing Officer, I then progressed onto work as part of the middle management team as a Housing Management Team Leader. I then became part of the Senior Management team at Hightown and worked as an Area Manager Specialising in short term supported housing services, an area I first became interested in having completed a graduate placement. Penny Metcalf Head of Projects (Graduate 2005) I completed my degree with a 2:1 in French and Law and I was looking for something different to do. I really enjoyed the land law part of my degree. It was quite a practical subject where you got the impression that things happened. So within that context, I thought about housing and then, in particular, social housing because it is an area where change happens and the Hightown graduate programme gave me a direct route into the development side of social housing. I am now Head of Projects and responsible for managing a team who are currently working on a number of projects to build and develop over 600 properties in In the long term I have high ambitions to become a Director in social housing. It s great that you do not need a housing degree to work in social housing but you just need the right attitude and the ability to build sustainable relationships to succeed. 4

5 Natalie Sturrock Head of Housing (Graduate 2008) I went to University as a mature student when my son started primary school, graduating from Exeter University in 2007 with a BA (Hons) in Sociology. I started working at Hightown on the Graduate Trainee programme in 2008, undertaking placements in Home Ownership, Housing and Service Review. I really enjoyed my time on the programme as it gave me lots of experience in different areas of the business which helped me to develop my understanding of the whole organisation. I had a mentor who was able to offer advice and support, but also found that all staff were friendly and supportive. This support from colleagues helped me to build my confidence as well as developing my knowledge of the housing sector. I have always been interested in the customer facing side of housing, and in 2010 I joined the Home Ownership team on a permanent basis as a Home Ownership Officer. After three years, I returned to the Housing Team as a Senior Housing Officer, which I did for a short time before being promoted to Housing Management Team Leader. I was still keen to develop my knowledge and skills, so in 2014, I undertook a three month secondment as a Contract Manager in the Care and Supported Housing department. Following this, I returned to the General Needs Housing team, and in 2015 I took up a post in the Senior Management Team as Head of Housing, with overall responsibility for Hightown s housing management, lettings and income recovery services. Stephen Moules Development Officer (Graduate 2013) Entering full-time employment after University can be daunting, but it quickly became apparent during my time at Hightown that the graduate scheme is built upon a combination of instant responsibility within all areas of the business and a readily available and reassuring support system, especially from mentors and line-managers. The settling-in process passed very quickly and I have continually been given the chance to work both independently and alongside colleagues, gaining valuable knowledge and experience as I go. 18 months into the programme I applied for and was appointed to a position within Hightown s Development department. Here I was able to specialise in my chosen field, honing the skills I already had as well as developing new ones through a combination of personalised training and on-the-job experience. 5

6 Thomas Batt - Graduate Trainee 2015 When I first started at Hightown I wasn t entirely sure what part of the housing sector I wanted to work in, so being in my position one of the best parts about the graduate scheme is the ability to experience a variety of placements, which helped me to make an informed commitment to a specific role. Now in my second year, I am project managing the acquisition and delivery of over 100 new properties within Hightown s development team. As a Graduate you are given real responsibility, soon leading on your own tasks and long-term projects, as well as having the exposure to senior management with quarterly presentations that let you illustrate the value you have been adding to the business. The graduate scheme has a system in place where you can easily speak with your mentor or anybody in your department for support if it s needed Ben Cottingham - Graduate Trainee 2016 Hightown s graduate scheme caught my eye by offering such a varied and comprehensive range of work within a growing association, in an ever-challenging sector. I ve been given real responsibility from day one, being offered the opportunity to actively work as a part of enthusiastic and supportive teams who have pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and push myself to work through challenges within different areas of the housing sector. Working in different departments within Hightown has granted me a greater understanding of how all sorts of different roles interact, and ultimately, how this helps our clients. This has also led to greater personal effectiveness in each placement, as I m able to share what I ve learned with those around me. The graduate scheme has allowed me to interact with colleagues and clients alike in a number of rewarding ways, allowing me both to grow as an individual and to gain a true insight into Hightown s positive ethos, and drive to provide affordable homes and support for people in housing need. Reuel Thompson - Graduate Trainee 2016 I entered the Graduate Scheme at Hightown after having graduated with an LL.B. from the University Of Dundee in Scotland three years previously. During this time, I travelled extensively and temporarily pursued other career paths before joining the Graduate Program in September 2016, looking for a career which offered a more charitable outlook and work life balance. What appealed to me most about Hightown was the great opportunity that it has provided to learn about the housing industry, and the flexibility and variety of tasks which graduates can be given. This provides a truly unique experience of the business, allowing you to see how it operates from all levels. The Graduate program provides you with a lot of valuable experiences, working in different departments and on varied projects, ultimately strengthening your overall ability to be flexible and responsive in the workplace. I have thoroughly enjoyed the program thus far and especially the project work, which offers you the opportunity to sit with the Directors and present to them your work and findings in a professional manner. The support which you receive is first class, and with regular one to one s and professional feedback, I have felt myself grow into the various different roles which I have been tasked with. 6

7 Your development how the scheme operates Hightown s Graduate Scheme is about offering an effective grounding in a charitable housing association through a two year intensive programme. It is designed to give you broad and diverse experience of how Hightown works where you can look forward to contributing to the delivery of our vision and values. Placements From day one you ll enjoy an incredibly varied learning experience by working with experts across many disciplines on a number of different placements. You ll experience Hightown hands-on and you ll be given the responsibility to take ownership of real projects which will make a difference. Your progress will be measured against agreed objectives and you will enjoy extensive support. Each quarter, you will make a presentation to other graduates on the scheme and the Senior Management Team. Your presentation will cover your key achievements, the value you have added and what you ve learnt on the placement. This is an excellent networking opportunity with the chance to meet senior managers and swap experiences with other scheme members whilst developing your presentation skills. Learning and Development Once you start your placement within Hightown, the Learning and Development team will be your central point of contact for all of your personal development requirements. You will have a formal induction, relevant managerial and technical training, regular one to ones and career development planning. Support From the beginning you can expect a variety of support from your line managers, mentors, sponsors and a buddy. In each placement you will be reporting to a line manager who will be responsible for your day to day management. They will be there to support and guide you through all aspects of your role, including your personal and professional development. This will involve agreeing objectives at the start of the placement and ensuring you are happy with what you need to achieve during its course. You will also be allocated a mentor when you start on the scheme who will be an experienced manager and they will be available to support you on a variety of work and development issues. As the graduate scheme is sponsored at the highest levels within Hightown, your progress will be monitored by our directors who will attend your quarterly reviews. 7

8 And finally, you will have the support from previous graduates who are on or who have been on the scheme to buddy you. This will give you plenty of networking opportunities as well as the chance to learn from their experiences. Structure The graduate scheme has been designed to maximise the management potential of a range of graduates to ensure that Hightown has a number of professionally trained, highly motivated managers for the future. While you gain an effective grounding in housing, you ll enjoy the chance to develop your potential to the full, enabling you to develop a rewarding and fulfilling management career up into a more senior level. In the first year you will get to experience time in our main departments including for example, Development, Tenant Services, Asset Management, Service Review and ICT/Communications. At the beginning of the second year, you will be given the option to build on the experience you have gained through an extended placement in one of our service areas and an opportunity to achieve key competencies. Towards the conclusion of the two year programme, you will have the opportunity to apply for permanent roles within Hightown. The training and experiences you will be given should help you to have all the necessary skills to fulfil the requirements of key associated roles. Rewards and benefits What is my starting salary? 21,441pa What other benefits are there? Our benefits package includes: Contributory pension Free life assurance 25 days annual leave Employee assistance helpline Free on-site gym Commitment to Wellbeing Regular events organised by the social committee 8

9 Who we re looking for We re looking for recent graduates from any discipline who are looking for a challenging and rewarding career in a forward thinking housing association. Graduates will need to demonstrate energy, enthusiasm and a can do attitude together with good verbal and numerical reasoning, report writing and communication skills and the ability to use their own initiative. Person specification Candidates will need to be able to demonstrate the following attributes: Qualification A recent degree (minimum 2:2 level) A recent degree in a relevant subject Experience and knowledge A basic understanding of Housing Associations services Excellent communication (verbal and in writing) and influencing skills Ability to use own initiative Well organised Highly motivated Leadership skills Team player Good time management and the ability to prioritise workload Competent user of Microsoft Office applications Results orientated Customer focused Project management Other Awareness of and commitment to equal opportunities Car owner/driver Essential Desirable 9

10 How do I apply? Apply online at The application process involves three stages: Application form The first thing you must do is complete the application form at which allows you to provide examples to present a picture of your talents, experience and ambitions. You should make sure you address the essential requirements on the person specification on page 8 and tell us why you feel this is the right opportunity for you. The application form is available online however if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Samantha.culverhouse@hightownha.org.uk Deadline for applications: Wednesday 31 st May 2017 Telephone interview The next stage of the recruitment process is a telephone interview with one of our directors. We ll ask you questions based on the person specification and why you are interested in Hightown. The selection day: Tuesday 11 th July 2017 This is the final stage of the recruitment process. The day will offer you the opportunity to meet our senior management team and network with a couple of our current and previous graduates. You will also undertake a variety of exercises which will include: Group exercise Presentation Competency based interview Online tests You will also be asked to complete our online tests which consist of verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning. 10