Deputy Ombudsman. May 2018

Transcription

1 Deputy Ombudsman May 2018 Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 1 of

2 Thank you for downloading this application pack. We are pleased that you are considering applying to join us. Enclosed within this document you will find: The role profile for the Deputy Ombudsman job profile and person specification Benefits Our vision, core values and strategic objectives Our primary outcomes Our website has details about what we do and how we do it. If you have any questions, please contact Jonathan McIntyre, our advising consultant on or If you decide to apply, please ensure that you demonstrate that you have the knowledge and competencies in the role profile within your covering letter / supporting statement. Your covering letter / supporting statement should ideally be no more than four sides of A4 and should be submitted via our dedicated careers site: Indicative recruitment timetable Stages Closing date for receipt of applications Dates Sunday, 17 th June (Midnight) When you will hear if successful in continuing through stages Assessment of written applications From 18 th June By 29 th June Short list interviews Week commencing 2 nd July (most likely Thursday 5 th July) By 13 th July Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 2 of

3 Job Profile: Deputy Ombudsman This is intended to reflect the Purpose, Main responsibilities, Competencies and working relationships relevant to the role held by the employee and should be considered in conjunction with the Person Specification and organisation s current Vision, Values and Strategic Objectives. Purpose Lead the dispute resolution and sector engagement functions in line with our strategic objectives and deputise as required for the Ombudsman in relation to those functions. Work with the Director of Finance and Corporate Performance to develop and deliver the organisation s three year Corporate Plan and annual Business Plan and KPIs. Scan the horizon for public policy and key legislative/regulatory developments. Work with the leadership team to devise strategic responses to any resultant opportunities and threats. Actively build collaborative relationships with key stakeholders to promote the service and enhance its reputation. Accountable to Responsible for leading or managing Working relationships Key responsibilities Housing Ombudsman Dispute Resolution Directors Communications Manager Ombudsman, Senior Leadership Team, Management Teams, external stakeholders including: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, ARAC, Panel of Advisers, national tenant organisations, member landlords, national housing organisations; Ombudsman Association and other ombudsman schemes; Regulator of Social Housing; external legal advisers. Working with the Ombudsman, Director of Finance and Corporate Performance, SLT and other colleagues where appropriate to: Ensure the delivery of a high quality and accessible dispute resolution service that achieves fair outcomes for complainants and member landlords in the shortest possible time; Promote HOS s vision and values in all activities and services, engage colleagues, and develop a culture of accountability and responsibility; Identify and manage corporate and dispute resolution/sector engagement related risks in a proportionate way and in line with our risk appetite; Chairing or engaging in key governance and accountability meetings: Panel of Advisors, ARAC, performance and delivery meetings with our sponsor department, Senior Leadership Team, Operational Management Team and Dispute Resolution Management Team; Increase the impact of our work with landlords and residents to Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 3 of

4 improve standards in housing management and dispute resolution within the limited resources available; Extract insight from our dispute resolution work to promote organisational and wider learning; Recruit, manage and develop dispute resolution and sector engagement staff; Provide or oversee the provision of legal advice to all parts of the organisation. This will include complex casework, judicial reviews and corporate services matters; Draft responses to key consultations that are relevant to HOS for discussion with SLT. Legal, Regulatory and Standards applicable to role Housing Act 1996 S51 and Schedule 2 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts HMT Managing Public Money, CO and MHCLG Spend Controls The Framework Agreement agreed with our sponsor Department (MHCLG) HOS schemes of delegation, internal controls and standards Competencies Strategic and systems thinking Critical thinking (including analysis and synthesis of evidence) Leadership and people management Performance management and improvement Managing change - transformational and transactional Decision making and judgement (scope and effectiveness) Emotional intelligence Communicate with and influence stakeholders at all levels Reputation management self and organisation Collaboration, partnership working and team working Key Strengths (energised by and contributes to high performance in the role) Playing to strengths is part of our people management philosophy and understanding how individuals deploy their strengths forms part of our selection process. You will be asked to complete an online Strengths assessment if shortlisted for this role. Equality and Diversity All employees must uphold the standards set out in the organisation s Equality and Diversity Policy in respect of promoting equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion. Health and Safety All employees are required to ensure their own actions reduce risks to health and safety for themselves and colleagues and that health and safety requirements are met in areas of responsibility as set out in the organisation s Health & Safety Manual. Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 4 of

5 Person Specification Dimension Essential Desirable Qualifications Knowledge & Experience Qualified solicitor or Barrister with housing law and/or public law expertise. Experience in a senior leadership role; A track record of leading, managing and motivating professional teams; Experience of managing change and achieving results; Experience in strategic business planning, and risk management; Understanding of the role of the Housing Ombudsman; Experience of managing a casework operation to high quality standards while improving performance and increasing outcomes; A good knowledge of public law and legislative processes plus the ability to swiftly grasp other law relevant to HOS e.g. Housing Law; Strong communication skills with the ability to see the bigger picture and translate complex policy debates into plain English; Experience of delivering value for money; Strong IT skills including use of Microsoft office applications; Good resilience and proven experience of working well under pressure. Management and leadership development qualification. Experience in one or more of the following: Working in the housing sector Working in an ombudsman service Working for a Regulator. Experience of influencing senior stakeholders. An understanding of the requirements of Managing Public Money and the operational controls applicable to HOS as an NDPB. Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 5 of

6 Our Core Values and Behaviours Our core values and behaviours will be role modelled by HOS colleagues with the expectation that others who work with us will be committed to carry out our values. We will act fairly and impartially We will be open and accountable We will empower and respect those we work with We will be proactive and take responsibility for achieving results We will work as One Team within HOS and collaboratively with others We will be curious, always seeking to learn and improve Fairness and impartiality is central to all we do. We are committed to acting without discrimination or bias, fairly and ethically at all times and implementing fair systems and processes. We act in an open and transparent way. We are accessible ensuring information is made widely available using multiple channels. We create a climate of support and accountability which helps us to be open to challenge and scrutiny, answerable for our actions, and to take individual and collective responsibility. We are held to account by Parliament, government, our customers and other stakeholders for the quality of our service and for delivering on our commitments. We respect and value those we work with. We respect the skills and experience of others. This helps us to offer the right level of support and guidance to empower those we work with, enabling responsibility to be taken, informed decisions and choices to be made and high standards to be achieved. We take a proactive approach, taking responsibility to deliver the best results we can and to achieve our goals. We are always striving to exceed expectations and targets. We work together as one team to a shared vision, common goals and targets. We maintain consistency in our actions, messages and behaviours. We work with others nurturing a collaborative approach, respecting others views and sharing ideas. We learn from outcomes to make continuous improvements. We ask probing questions invite and act on feedback and are consistently striving to learn and improve, seeing learning as central for improvement. Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 6 of

7 Rewarding career, rewarding benefits The satisfaction of knowing you've played a central part in helping others to increase trust in dispute resolution and to improve landlord and tenant relations is rewarding in itself. Here at the Housing Ombudsman Service we will also reward you with the following benefits package including: Annual leave - Minimum 27 days annual leave plus statutory Public Holidays on joining the organisation, rising with long service. Annual health check - Access to a free annual health check. Career average pension scheme - Opportunity to join the Local Government pension scheme on a final salary. Flexible working - Flexi time scheme which provides for employees to balance work commitments and personal needs. Maternity/Paternity and Adoption leave - Good leave benefits for those employees starting a family. Personal development allowance - Supporting staff to develop their skills through personal development planning and training opportunities. Season ticket travel loan - Interest free public transport season ticket loan. Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 7 of

8 Our Vision Our Vision: 'Housing Matters: Fairness Matters We understand the importance of housing to people's lives. We ensure the fair and impartial resolution of housing complaints, locally where possible. When things go wrong we put things right and encourage learning from outcomes. We help improve landlord and resident relationships. We role model the service we expect of others. Our core values and behaviours We act fairly and impartially We are open and accountable We empower and respect those we work with We are proactive and take responsibility for achieving results We work as One Team within HOS and collaboratively with others We are curious, always seeking to learn and improve Our strategic objectives Our new strategic objectives from April 2016 are: 1 We will deliver an accessible, high quality and timely complaints handling service 2 We support landlords and residents to resolve more complaints locally 3 Our decisions will be recognised as fair, impartial and effective 4 We will support landlords to learn from outcomes 5 We will be an accountable, well run organisation, using our subscription monies wisely. Our Corporate Plan 2016 to 2019 has more detail on how we will deliver our strategic objectives. Our Dispute Resolution Principles We follow our dispute resolution principles in all our dealings with landlords, tenants and designated persons at any stage of the dispute resolution process. The principles are: Be fair follow fair processes and treat people fairly Put things right Learn from outcomes We offer support to the people who contact us to resolve their problems. We treat people as individuals, respecting their diverse backgrounds and needs. We do what we can to give access to our Service in a way that suits each individual. We try to make sure that the people who use our Service understand our role and the way that we Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 8 of

9 work. Our decisions are not only fair and impartial; they are clearly set out, explained, and reasoned. We constantly review the quality of our work and seek customer feedback so that we can improve our service. Evidence of an excellent service helps us to persuade our customers that our decisions can be respected even where they do not give them what they wanted. Primary Outcomes of the HOS s Vision Tenants and landlords have increased trust in dispute resolution. Landlords and tenants relationship are improved. Landlords and tenants have a positive view of complaints. Designated Persons are able to play their part in resolving disputes fairly. Stakeholders are engaged in the formulation of our strategy, dispute resolution principles, and delivery mechanisms. Deputy Ombudsman Candidate Pack Page 9 of